Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta. Brush any soil off the mushrooms, trim the woody stalk ends and slice or tear them into pieces about 5 mm thick, keeping them a similar size so they brown evenly. Any mix works, such as chestnut, oyster and shiitake.

Finely chop the garlic, strip the leaves from the thyme, finely grate the Parmesan and the zest of the lemon, and chop the parsley.

Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan, about 30 cm across, over a high heat until it shimmers. Add half the mushrooms in a single layer and leave them untouched for 3 minutes, until browned underneath, then toss and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more, until golden all over and any liquid has gone. Season with a pinch of salt and tip them onto a plate.

Brown the rest of the mushrooms in the remaining olive oil the same way, season them with salt and add them to the plate.

Season the boiling water generously with salt and add the tagliatelle. Cook it for 6 to 8 minutes, or as the packet says, until al dente, and make the sauce while it cooks.

Turn the heat under the frying pan down to medium and melt the butter. Add the garlic and thyme and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned, then return all the mushrooms and any juices from the plate.

Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until it has almost evaporated.

Pour in the cream, bring it to a gentle simmer and season lightly with salt and black pepper, as the Parmesan will add more salt. Keep the sauce over a low heat until the pasta is ready.

Scoop out a mugful of the pasta water, then drain the tagliatelle and tip it into the sauce. Take the pan off the heat, add two-thirds of the Parmesan, the lemon zest and a splash of the pasta water, and toss until the sauce turns glossy and clings to every ribbon. Add more pasta water, a little at a time, if it looks thick.

Taste and add a squeeze of juice from the lemon if it needs lifting, then scatter over the parsley and a grind of black pepper. Serve straight away with the remaining Parmesan.