The sautéed mushrooms are a delicious and light side dish, perfect sautéed to dress pasta or rice. They can be prepared with both cultivated ones: champignon or prataiolo, agaricus, cardoncello, oyster mushrooms, plerotus or king oyster, pioppino, shiitake… and with wild ones: pioppini, cimballi, colombine, chanterelles, girolles, horn of plenty, finferli, St. George’s mushroom, fairy ring, funnel chanterelles, lardaioli, blewit, parasol mushroom, morels, wood ear, Caesar’s mushroom, pinaroli or blood mushrooms, pleuroti, porcini, summer porcini, portobello, prugnoli, russula, morels, horn of plenty, vescie…
As an alternative to fresh mushrooms, you can use frozen ones; follow the cooking instructions on the package.
SEASONALITY of #cultivated mushrooms: – all year round.
HARVESTING wild mushrooms: from spring to autumn depending on the type, climate, and altitude. There are also winter varieties.
HERE how to collect mushrooms in the best way.
RECIPES with mushrooms
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 51.70 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 2.32 (g) of which sugars 1.25 (g)
- Proteins 1.99 (g)
- Fat 3.97 (g) of which saturated 0.67 (g)of which unsaturated 3.04 (g)
- Fibers 0.66 (g)
- Sodium 100.63 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 2 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Sautéed Mushrooms
Mushrooms must be cooked immediately, if prepared in the days following harvest, they become indigestible and mushy, thus losing texture and flavor. It is better to cook them as soon as possible, otherwise freeze or dry them.
- 10.6 oz mushrooms (mixed, cultivated or wild – I used Pleurotus citrinopileatus mushrooms)
- 1 tbsp peanut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- to taste salt
- to taste white wine (optional)
- to taste chopped parsley (fresh)
Tools
- Knife smooth blade
- Pan non-stick (low and wide)
- Ladle
Sautéed Mushrooms
First of all, clean the mushrooms (cultivated or wild) with the smooth blade of a knife to remove any soil residue, using little cold water only if necessary. Alternatively, gently rub them lightly with dampened kitchen paper.
Cut them into uniform pieces or slices depending on the variety; smaller ones can be left whole.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan with a crushed garlic clove in its skin (or halved and without the core).
Add the mushrooms and sauté uncovered over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add salt and preferred herbs.
Sauté for at least 15 minutes and let any released water evaporate.
If desired, add a little white wine and let it evaporate, then season with salt.
Before serving, toss with fresh parsley and serve the mushrooms hot.
WARNING: there are mushroom varieties, like honey mushrooms and pioppini, that need to be pre-blanched to be digestible before being sautéed in the pan.
How to prepare dried sautéed mushrooms?
First, soak them for at least 4 hours in lukewarm water, once ready, drain and keep their soaking water which can be used in cooking. Cook as above, and to make them softer, add their soaking water when needed.
Other IDEAS
Mushrooms
How to use cooked mushrooms
– base for a risotto
– to dress pasta
– as filling for a savory pie
– to top pizza, focaccia, piadina, or sandwich
– to enrich bruschetta or crostini
Other recipes with mushrooms
Creamy Flower Champignons with Milk
Herbs and spices to flavor them
For a different taste, add a small amount of these spices: coriander, nutmeg, oregano, chili pepper, rosemary, thyme, ginger…
I added some dried thyme to the mushrooms in the photo halfway through cooking.
For an ultra LIGHT version
Sautéed mushrooms are already a light side dish, but if you want to reduce the calories of this tasty dish, try cooking them without oil in a bit of water.
Vegetarian variations
Add cherry tomatoes, halved, in the last minutes of cooking.
Brown half an onion in a little oil in the pan and then add the washed and chopped mushrooms.
An excellent pairing is mushrooms and pumpkin.
How to STORE cooked mushrooms?
Store them in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 – 3 days. Reheat before eating.
