Mushroom Goat Cheese Pasta is the kind of food I want as summer has faded to fall. The temperatures don’t always reflect that seasonal change here in the south, but my mindset is firmly moving to the foods of fall.
I received an advance copy of “A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together” by Sonja and Alex Overhiser of the food blog “A Couple Cooks.” I sampled a handful of recipes, but this mushroom pasta inspired me as fall sets in and summer lingers. While the mushrooms and pasta acknowledge the fall season, the goat cheese and white wine pairing still give a nod to those southern “summer” temperatures.
Wine Pairing
Graham Tatomer founded his winery in 2008 on California’s Central Coast with the tagline “California producer of dry riesling.”
Tatomer got his start in wine at 16, working at a Santa Barbara winery. His passion for wine grew. He moved to Austria and worked at Weingut Knoll, honing his knowledge of crafting Riesling and learning more about Grüner Veltliner. Today Tatomer produces Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, and Pinot Noir. Tatomer Wines
A quote from the website:
“The sites that excite me have been the coldest ones, lending to wines of lighter weight, nuanced flavors, and bracing acidity. Riesling is the ultimate grape to pursue these characteristics. No other grape conveys its region’s character and varietal flavor with the power, focus, and beauty the way Riesling does. I have been fortunate enough to work with one of the oldest cold-climate Riesling sites still left in California, Lafond Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills. This site showed me that California’s coastal regions are cool enough for this grape variety. I was hooked.”
Wine Tasting Notes
2022 Tatomer Hinter der Mauer, Central Coast California
12.5% abv | $21.99 wine.com | 80% Grüner Veltliner and 20% Dry Riesling
Pale yellow in color with aromas of orchard fruit and citrus. On the palate, it is dry with flavor notes of green apple, lime zest, pear, wet stone, mint, and a hint of savory earthiness.
Food Pairing Notes
I adapted the recipe from “A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together,” using fresh thyme leaves instead of sage, no truffle oil, and local fresh goat cheese with fennel and lavender. I felt a white wine like Tatomer’s Grüner Veltliner and Dry Riesling blend balanced the dish’s richness and met the tanginess and savoriness of the fresh goat cheese. The wine made for a good pairing with the acidity, freshness, and earthy notes. It was the perfect wine pairing as I transitioned to the flavors of fall while still feeling the temperatures of summer.
Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 6 oz. dried tagliatelle pasta I used Seggiano organic tagliatelle made in Italy, purchased at Whole Foods
- 2 + tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (+ some to drizzle over finished pasta)
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, destemmed, cleaned and sliced
- 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, destemmed, cleaned and cut in half or quartered depending on size
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt I used Le Guérandais Fleur de Sel de Guérande, purchased on Amazon
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 oz. fresh fennel lavender goat cheese, crumbled You can use plain fresh goat cheese or add a pinch of ground fennel seeds and dried organic lavender buds to plain goat cheese
- freshly ground pepper
- Parmesan cheese, fresh grated for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a big pinch of salt and add the pasta, cooking according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, in a large cast-iron skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and continue to sauté the mushrooms for another 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.
- Turn the heat to low, add the garlic and 2 teaspoons of thyme, stir to combine and cook for one minute. Add the cream and stir until the sauce has slightly thickened, remove from the heat.
- Add the drained pasta to the mushrooms and stir in the goat cheese, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese and remaining thyme leaves.
The Cookbook: A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together
Disclosure: I received a copy of “A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together,” as a media sample. All opinions are my own.
What is better than eating together? Cooking together, whether as a couple, family, or friends. A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together brings the joy of cooking into the kitchen. The cookbook is organized by Everyday Dinners for 4, Meals for 2, and Gatherings for 4-8, with recipes for everyday, dinner parties, date nights, breakfast, baking projects, and cocktails. The photos will inspire you to plan your meals for the week ahead and nudge you enthusiastically into the kitchen to create delicious food to enjoy together. The cookbook is the perfect gift for newlyweds, college grads, parents teaching teens to cook, empty nesters, or couples looking for a date night menu. Release Date: October 15, 20024
This looks and sounds like such a delicious pairing—his thoughts on Sta. Rita Hills Riesling has me investigating other cool-climate white grapes that might be in regions like this on the Central Coast! What a glorious way to kick off fall, Jane!
I love his passion for crafting dry riesling from California’s coastal regions.
This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing! I am WSET graduate too. Glad I came across your blog.