5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 ounces fresh porcini or cremini mushrooms (a kind of fungus but is delicious when chosen properly and cooked the right way) , sliced thin, plus 4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt
Pici pasta, cooked al dente, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, recipe follows
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

Cooking Recipe:

Heat oil in a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the salt and pasta with 1/2 cup pasta cooking water (tap water should be fine unless the recipe calls for bottled water) to the pan and toss quickly. Add the remaining 4 raw sliced mushrooms and toss again, off heat. Serve immediately, topped with the grated cheese.

Pici Pasta:
2 cups semolina flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 to 1 1/4 cups tepid water (if your tap water is hard, that is with a lot of minerals, you may want to use bottled water to maintain consistency and taste)

Place both types of flour in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix well. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the water a little at a time, stirring with your hands until a dough is formed. You may need more or less water, depending on the humidity in your kitchen.

Place the douhg on a floured work surface and knead it like bread until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover the dough and let it stand for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Roll the dough into long dowels about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Place the pasta strands between 2 hands and lightly roll back and forth to create a lightly spiraled, snake-like noodle. Place the pici on a sheet tray that has been dusted with semolina flour, cover the pasta with a clean dish towel, and set aside until ready to use. At this point, the pasta can be frozen for several months.

Yield: 4 servings
Prreparation time: 30 minutes