Supper Club: Mushroom, tarragon and taleggio pasta bake (or posh comfort food)

Be sure to use fresh tarragon if you can find it for this recipe, it really amps up the flavours of this warming dish.

Mushroom, tarragon & taleggio pasta bake
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• handful of coarse sea salt
• 500g short pasta
• 300g Portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed level with cap
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
• leaves from a few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• leaves from a few sprigs of fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 600ml double cream
• 100g grated Cheddar
• 50g grated Parmesan
• 250g Taleggio, thinly sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions.
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas 6.
3. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet, stems up, and brush with the oil. Season lightly with salt, sprinkle over the herbs and roast in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until tender. Remove and let cool slightly.
4. Slice the mushrooms and set aside.
5. Preheat the grill to medium.
6. Put the cream in a large saucepan and bring just to the boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat. Add the Cheddar and Parmesan and half the Taleggio, and stir well to melt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
7. Put the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Stir in half the sliced mushrooms, pour over the hot cream sauce and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer the pasta mixture to a baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mushrooms and Taleggio slices and a good grinding of black pepper. Grill for 5-10 minutes until the top is golden and serve immediately.

Extracted from Melted Cheese (Ryland Peters & Small)