‘Tis the season for delicious pasta recipes. Well, if I’m being honest, I’m up for delicious pasta all year long. However, this Pasta with Mushrooms and Prosciutto recipe is perfect for fall as the weather starts to get a little colder. This post shares the recipe along with some food photography tips from my photo shoot.
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Food Photography Tips for Pasta with Mushrooms and Prosciutto
After Mike and I returned from the super exciting Saveur Food Blog Awards in NYC, I was happily exhausted, but exhausted nonetheless. No, I didn’t win, but being a Top 6 Finalist out of over 30,000 other food photographers and food bloggers was a win in itself. <cheers!>
After we got home, it was time to get back to shooting recipes for my blog. Unfortunately, I was in a bit of a creative rut and I desperately needed a boost of inspiration in the kitchen and behind the camera. Luckily, after I saw the cover of Bon Appétit’s October issue, I was feeling hungry inspired again and another photo shoot was upon me.
Here are some tips from this photo shoot.
Play with Angles
There are three very popular angles used in food photography: Straight on, overhead and 45 degree angle. For this shoot, I wanted to capture all three. This allows you to see how the different angles show off different parts of the recipe. The pasta is always the star, but you get a different perspective when you move around a bit. Don’t get stuck in one way of looking at something.
READ MORE ABOUT: DARK & MOODY FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
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GET THE 50mm 1.8 Lens
As a professional food photographer, I know first hand that it can be really hard to find good lenses that are actually affordable. The better the glass, the more pricey the lens will be. However, there is one lens that I still use in my lineup that costs under $200.
It’s the “Nifty Fifty” – more formerly known as the 50mm 1.8 lens. It’s a solid, prime lens (which means a fixed focal length) and has 1.8 aperture which makes it great for shooting in low light.
I used this lens in this photo shoot and you can see the quality it produces at the different angles and whether I’m shooting wide or keeping everything in focus. I highly recommend getting this lens, even if you are just getting started in food photography.
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READ MORE ABOUT: THE BEST LENSES FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY (DSLR, MIRRORLESS & IPHONE)
Recipe Notes for Pasta with Mushrooms and Prosciutto
During my time in New York, Saveur treated us to a pasta making class at Covina with Chef Tim Cushman. One of the dishes we got to try was their Cavatelli with wild mushrooms, summer squash, lemon zest, basil and parmesan & pecorino. My favorite part wasn’t just the delicious flavors of fresh handmade pasta, but also the smooth flavor of the wild mushrooms.
Can I let you in on a little secret? I only recently got into liking mushrooms and using them in my cooking. (gasp!) Whenever a recipe called for mushrooms, I would avoid them. However, Mike made us a mushroom soup not too long ago and it was so smooth and so good, I actually licked the bowl. And, ever since, I have appreciated the flavor that mushrooms bring to a recipe.
The recipe comes together really nicely and would be a nice break from your usual weeknight dinners. Mike and I have our go-to recipes, but it’s fun to switch it up from time to time. The flavors of the pasta, thyme and mushroom sauce are wonderful together and the salty prosciutto is really complimentary.
Happy Cooking!
Pasta with Mushrooms & Prosciutto
This Pasta with Mushrooms & Prosciutto inspired by Bon Appétit is a delicious and cozy fall comfort food.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (about 6 slices)
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as Chanterelles, Maitake, Oyster, Cremini or Shiitake), torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, plus more for serving
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 ounces pappardelle or fettuccine
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Heat ¼ cup oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium.
- Arrange prosciutto in a single layer in pot and cook, turning once or twice, until crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in same pot over high.
- Cook mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, 5–8 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add shallots and 1 tsp. thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent and softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add stock and reduce heat to low.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until only a thin layer of stock coats bottom of pot, 5−7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions.
- Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with mushrooms and add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
- Crumble half of prosciutto into pot.
- Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Add cream, return to a simmer, and cook, tossing, until pasta is coated, about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, add butter, and toss to combine.
- Add salt to taste and enjoy!
This post contains affiliate links which means if you click or make a purchase through my site, I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I actually use and support.
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All images © Regan Baroni 2016.
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If I wanted to use fresh pasta, do you think I would just skip step #9? It usually only cooks for 3ish minutes so maybe it could just cook in the pot with the mushrooms and stock? Thanks!
Hi Lauren! Yes, you can cook the pasta according to the type of pasta you have. Fresh pasta would cook much quicker than store-bought. You could cook in the pot with the mushrooms and stock, but there is a risk of the fresh pasta getting too soggy. Good luck and thanks so much for the great question/comment.