Raw Mushrooms

Asked by Blouoogadam. Answered on 29th May 2018

Full question

I received the recipe for Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms via Nigella's email for recipe of the day. I do not particularly enjoy the texture or taste of raw mushrooms. Does the pasta cook them through or can I fry them beforehand?

Linguine With Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Linguine With Lemon, Garlic And Thyme Mushrooms (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) is a quick pasta dish. The mushrooms are sliced thinly but are not cooked in the conventional manner. They macerate for a short time in the garlicky, lemony oil before they are tossed with the hot pasta. This will soften the mushrooms slightly but they will not be cooked, hence Nigella refers to the dish as "linguine ai funghi crudo".

If you prefer, you can saute the mushroooms in a large frying pan, using a little olive oil, until the slices are soft and golden around the edges. Tip the cooked mushrooms into the bowl with the oil, crushed garlic, thyme and lemon, then toss them together and let them sit while you cook the pasta so that the mushrooms soak up the flavours of the lemon and herbs. However the dish will take longer to cook from start to finish, so may not quite qualify as an Express dish.