Serves: 4 to 6 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
4 to 6 ounces fresh morel mushrooms, halved or quartered (or 1-ounce dried morel mushrooms)
12 ounces maitake (hen of the woods) or oyster mushrooms, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1-pound fresh or dried pappardelle
1/2 cup chives, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus additional to garnish
½ cup sour cream or crème fraiche
2 ears fresh corn, shucked and kernels cut off the cob
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

If Using Fresh Morel Mushrooms: To wash morels, gently submerge them in a large bowl of cold water for a minute. Lift them out and check for any remaining dirt. Repeat if needed. Allow to dry or gently press with a clean towel.

If Using Dried Morel Mushrooms: Place the mushrooms in a heat-safe bowl, pour 1 to 2 cups of hot water over the mushrooms to cover. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes until they have soaked up the liquid and look full again. Remove from the liquid to a towel and gently press to help them dry out. The soaking liquid adds great depth to a dish and can be added to the sauce.

For the Pasta:

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan add 6 tablespoons butter and allow to melt over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and allow to cook for 5 to 7 minutes without moving frequently to allow the mushrooms to turn golden brown. Season with salt. Remove to a plate using a slotted spoon and return the pan to the heat.

Add the shallots and garlic and allow to cook until softened and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water. If using fresh pasta, cook until the pasta begins to float (al dente), about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. If using dried pasta, cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta liquid — this will help you make the sauce. Drain the pasta and do not rinse!

Once pasta has drained, add immediately to the sauté pan over medium heat and add the mushrooms back in along with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Dribble in small amounts of the pasta water (about ¼ cup) to toss and coat the pasta in the mushroom butter. Toss a couple of times, then remove the pan from the heat.

Off the heat, add the sour cream, ½ cup grated cheese and toss to combine. Add dribbles of pasta water to bind everything together and make it creamy (about ½ cup pasta water total). It's important to finish the sauce off the heat — adding dairy to a hot sauce over direct heat tends to break it. Add half of the herbs and the corn and toss everything again to combine. Season with salt and heavily with freshly ground black pepper.

Serve in shallow bowls with additional cheese and herbs on top.