As summer winds down, we start thinking of all the cozy meals we’ll make in the coming autumn, and in Humboldt that typically involves a great deal of fresh mushrooms. Lobster mushrooms pop up later in summer with their show-stopping orange hues, and this year we have a bumper crop on our property. Pairing these mushrooms with fresh Dulse makes for an extraordinary surf-and-turf experience. For this recipe, we use a simple olive oil sauce as it infuses the seaweed and mushroom flavors so nicely. A huge bonus is that this seafood dish can be made entirely plant-based, if omitting the Parmigiano-Reggiano. We used fresh lobster mushrooms for this recipe, but dried mushrooms can be rehydrated in warm water or broth, and if you can’t find lobsters, a blend of others like porcini, mistake, or oyster mushrooms would be delightful as well. This recipe was adapted from Saveur.
A note on mushroom foraging: While there are virtually no deadly seaweeds one could forage, there are indeed poisonous mushrooms that can make one quite sick or worse, so only forage mushrooms if you are confident in your identification skills.
Dulse + Lobster Mushroom Pasta
3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 medium white onion, finely diced (¾ cup)
3 finely minced garlic cloves (1 Tbsp.)
1 lb. 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, brushed clean and cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
4 ounces fresh Dulse, rinsed and roughly chopped
1⁄3 cup dry white wine
1 lb. fresh wide noodles (mafaldine or fettuccine)
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1⁄4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shaved in wide ribbons
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and translucent, 5–7 minutes. Add the garlic, then stir in the mushrooms. Continue cooking until they are lightly browned in places and just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.
Add fresh Dulse and cook for an additional minute or two. The dulse will turn from burgundy to green, and the flavor will infuse the mushrooms.
Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until the liquid has reduced, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining olive oil, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pan, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are very tender and the oil is infused with their flavor, about 15–20 minutes.
When the mushrooms are nearly done, cook the pasta: stir the noodles into the boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until they are al dente, 3–5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir the pasta into the mushroom mixture, adding reserved cooking liquid as needed if the sauce seems dry. Stir in the parsley, then transfer the pasta and mushrooms to a large serving platter. Top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, drizzle with additional olive oil, garnish with sprigs of fresh Dulse, and serve.
