Spaghetti alla boscaiola

by Ed Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • ½ leek, diced
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 sticks celery, diced
  • 1 turnip, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
  • 250g button mushrooms, sliced
  • ¼ cup vermouth
  • 300ml cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • 400g spaghetti
  • sea salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
  • ¼ bunch parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1 Sauté the leek in olive oil over a low heat for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the celery, turnips, garlic and dried Italian herbs then cook for 4 minutes, until aromatic. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are just softened, but do not overcook.
2 Pour in the vermouth, mix to deglaze, then add the cream and Parmesan. Simmer gently until just thickened.
3 Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to manufacturer’s instructions until al dente, then drain well and mix into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley, then serve.