Fettucine with Salami and Mushrooms

After half a year of living in France and depending on the Internet for my recipes, I determined to put some of my older recipes that are not out there in Cyberland in the blog. So this is the first of what will hopefully be a series, mostly from 80s cookbooks and cooking magazines.

This recipe is adapted from one in a Sunset pasta cookbook that I picked up in Israel in the 80s--the same time and place I got my sideways haircut. Good times.

You can leave out the salami--I just sautéed it first and then set it aside for the meat eaters, creating a mushroom and leek pasta for my vegetarian daughter.

Fettuccine with Salami and Mushrooms

8 oz. dried (or fresh) fettuccine

1 T. olive oil

4 oz. dry salami, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced thin (white and light green parts only)

Salt and pepper

1/4 c. white wine or vermouth

2/3 c. half and half

1 c. (3 oz.) freshly grated Parmesan (you may not need as much since the salami is so flavorful)

Put your (well-salted) pasta water on to boil before you start with the sauce. In a large skillet, sauté the salami with the mushrooms and leeks over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender and the salami has rendered some fat. Season with salt and pepper, but go easy on the salt since salami is very salty. Add the wine and turn up the heat a bit; cook until the liquid has just about evaporated. Then add the cream and cook that down a bit as well. Hopefully by this point, you will have cooked and drained your fettuccine--add that to the pan along with half of the Parmesan and toss well. Serve with the remaining Parmesan and a pepper grinder. Serves 4.