A mushroom walks into a bowl of pasta

One of my favorite stupid jokes of all time goes like this:

"A mushroom walks into a bar. 

The bartender says 'Get out. We don't serve your kind.'

The mushroom looks at the bartender, disappointed, and says, 'Why not?! I'm a funghi!'"

I love this joke because it's simple but still unexpected. Also food puns are the cutest. 

Weeknight recipes should always be like this joke--easy to understand but surprising. Complex in their simplicity. Memorable.

Mushrooms and fresh pasta make that happen here, plus a good knob of pecorino for good measure. Here's how we made it (in under 1 hour). 

Ingredients:

-1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced

-1/2 lb. shiitake and/or oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped. 

-1/2 vidalia onion, finely diced

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1 package fresh fettucine or pappardelle 

-1/2 stick butter

-1 cup vegetable or chicken (or beef) stock

-pecorino cheese, shaved

-fresh arugula or parsley to garnish

-salt and pepper to taste

-2 egg yolks, whites removed

Method:

1. Cook your pasta al dente. Save some of your pasta water. Set aside.

2. In a large saute pan, cook onions until soft in plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Once softened, raise heat and add mushrooms, garlic and half your butter. Add some stock to cook down mushrooms and onions. Season to taste.

3. Add more butter and some of that pasta water you saved earlier. This gives your sauce a little richness, provides moisture and allows the sauce to stick to the pasta easier when tossing. True story. Season to taste.

4. Toss pasta in sauce. Add egg yolks and fold in gently. Add greens to wilt slightly right before serving. Garnish with more cheese and greens. Serve.