Homemade orecchiette (with mushroom sauce)

Method

1. For the orecchiette, put the pasta flour, semolina and salt in a bowl, then slowly add 120ml cold water. Bring the ingredients together by hand in the bowl, then knead on the work surface for 5-10 minutes until the mix forms a smooth, firm dough. Don’t dust the work surface with flour or it will dry out the dough too much. Wrap in cling film, then rest in the fridge for 2 hours (see Make Ahead).

2. For the sauce, cook the shallot and garlic with a splash of olive oil in a medium/large wide saucepan for 3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the button mushrooms, dried porcini and thyme, then cook for a further 2 minutes.

3. Pour in the white wine and madeira, bring to the boil, then cook until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. Pour in the stock, then simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Add the double cream, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and let the flavours infuse for 15 minutes (don’t let the sauce bubble).

4. Strain the sauce into a clean pan/bowl, pressing down on the veg with a wooden spoon (see Tips), then add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Take the chilled pasta out of the fridge and cut into pieces roughly 50g each. Using the palm of your hands, roll each piece into long rolls, roughly 1.5cm thick. Cut each roll into rough 1cm pieces.

6. To shape the pasta, put a piece of dough in front of you with the rolled edges at the sides. Take a table/butter knife in one hand, put it onto the pasta so the edge of the blade is just on the edge of the pasta furthest away from you. Pressing down on the blade with the middle finger of your other hand, quickly and quite firmly pull the knife across the pasta towards you, so it curls around the blade of the knife.

7. Gently ease it away from the knife with your finger, then open it out and invert it . The shapes should look like little ears. Put on a tray dusted with semolina. Repeat until all the dough has been used up. Set aside to dry slightly.

8. Separate the eggs, but keep the yolks in halves of the cracked shells in the egg box so they stay whole and separate. Sprinkle each yolk with some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside (see Tips).

9. To finish the sauce, heat the butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan, add the chestnut and oyster mushrooms with a little seasoning, then cook for 2 minutes. Add about 4 ladlefuls of the strained mushroom sauce to warm (see Tips).

10. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the orecchiette and cook for 4 minutes. Drain the pasta and add straight into the mushroom sauce, then simmer over a medium heat for 2 minutes to bring the sauce and pasta together. Taste and season, adding the chopped tarragon and lemon juice.

11. Divide the orecchiette among 4 bowls, then carefully put a seasoned egg yolk in the middle, sprinkle with the grated parmesan and serve.

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