Mushroom Pasta

Prep time: 10 minutes - Cook time: 18-20 minutes  - Serves 4

6 ounces pasta, such as pappardelle, fettucini, tagliatelle or spaghetti
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small shallots, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional; add for a little extra spice)

Fresh herbs (either thyme, parsley, sage or a mix of all three)
16 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced (cremini, shitake or other, or a mix)
¼ cup chicken, beef or vegetable broth
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
La Baleine Coarse Sea Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Fill a large pot with water and generously salt with La Baleine Coarse Sea Salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, minus 1 minute (you want it to be just under al dente). Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of the pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the shallot, garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for a minute or two, just until the garlic starts to brown and the shallots start to become translucent. 

Add in the red pepper flakes (if using), a generous handful of fresh herbs (a few sprigs of thyme and some chopped fresh sage is a great combo here), some fresh ground La Baleine Coarse Sea Salt (about ½ tsp) and some fresh ground black pepper (about ½ tsp). Stir, then add in the mushrooms. Continue cooking for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have cooked down and are golden brown.
Once the mushrooms have cooked, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, along with the broth and parmesan cheese. Then add in a ¼ cup of the remaining pasta water. Continue cooking and stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly, adding more pasta water (or broth if you prefer), about a ¼ cup at a time, as needed.

Remove any thyme sprigs (if used), then add in the pasta and give it a few tosses to coat the noodles in the sauce. Season with additional fresh ground La Baleine Coarse Sea Salt and pepper as needed. Serve topped with fresh herbs (chopped parsley is great on top) and more fresh grated parmesan cheese.