Pasta & risotto Italian
Pioppino mushroom spaghetti
Pioppino (poplar mushrooms) sautéed in garlicky olive oil and softened in white wine over a low heat, tossed with spaghetti: serves two, ready in 30 minutes.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
The poplar mushroom (Cyclocybe cylindracea; Turkish: kavak mantarı, söğüt mantarı) is sold in Italy as pioppino. Its stems are fibrous and it tastes nutty, so after a quick sauté it needs a short spell covered over a low heat to soften the stems.
This recipe is adapted from the spaghetti ai funghi pioppini on the Foodiamo blog at GialloZafferano. Use cultivated pioppino: wild poplar mushrooms can be confused with the deadly funeral bell and are not eaten without an expert's identification.
Ingredients
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For the sauce
For the pasta
Method
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-
Trim the tough base off the clusters and split them into small bunches. Rinse quickly under running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
~8 min -
Warm the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and let it sizzle gently for 1 minute.
~1 min -
Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Remove the garlic and add the parsley and salt.
~5 min -
Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 1–2 minutes until the alcohol cooks off. Cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes so the fibrous stems soften.
~10 min -
Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in salted water, drain and toss it in the mushroom pan. Serve scattered with fresh parsley.
~10 min
Enjoy!
The mushroom in this recipe
Mushroom swaps
Oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatusTear into large pieces and cut the covered cooking time to 5 minutes.
Tips
- Don't soak the mushrooms; rinse quickly and dry straight away.
- Keep the stems: covered over a low heat they soften and give the sauce body.
- To skip the wine, use the same amount of vegetable stock and a few drops of lemon.
Storage
Keep the mushroom sauce on its own in a closed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and cook fresh pasta each time. Store raw pioppino in a paper bag in the fridge and cook within 3 days (Penn State Extension).
Frequently asked questions
How long does Pioppino mushroom spaghetti take?
It takes 30 min in total: 15 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking.
Which mushroom is used for Pioppino mushroom spaghetti?
This recipe uses Poplar mushroom.
What other mushrooms work for Pioppino mushroom spaghetti?
Oyster mushroom: Tear into large pieces and cut the covered cooking time to 5 minutes.
How do you store Pioppino mushroom spaghetti?
Keep the mushroom sauce on its own in a closed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and cook fresh pasta each time. Store raw pioppino in a paper bag in the fridge and cook within 3 days (Penn State Extension).
What should you watch for when making Pioppino mushroom spaghetti?
Don't soak the mushrooms; rinse quickly and dry straight away. Keep the stems: covered over a low heat they soften and give the sauce body.
How many does Pioppino mushroom spaghetti serve?
The quantities serve 2; change the number of servings on the page and the ingredients adjust.
Adapted from: Foodiamo (GialloZafferano blog) — Spaghetti ai funghi pioppini
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Kitchen guides
Before you cook: clean, store, dry
How to clean mushroomsPractical ways to clean everything from button mushrooms to morels without waterlogging them or ruining their texture.
How to store mushroomsHow to keep fresh, cooked, frozen and dried mushrooms at their best — and how to tell when they’ve gone bad.
How to dry mushroomsA step-by-step guide to drying mushrooms at home in the oven, in a dehydrator or on a string — and how to store and rehydrate them.