Creamy mushroom pasta

I love autumn food - it's my favourite time of year in the kitchen, with mushrooms being one of my favourite things! I've been so busy over the summer I've a few recipes to catch up on, but I had this last night which is simple but a real treat.

A thick flat pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle is best for mopping up the lovely creamy sauce, I used rigatoni as it was all I had.

Fresh mushrooms are wonderful this time of year - use the best you have available. I used some large meaty portobello mushrooms. Adding dried (or fresh, if you're lucky) porcini mushrooms makes it even more luxurious.

(serves two)

• 100 g mushrooms, sliced
• 100 g double cream
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 220 g pasta
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Roughly half a glass white wine or light sherry

1. Put on the water for the pasta - by the time the water is heated and the pasta is cooked, your sauce will be ready.
2. Add oil and a knob of butter to a pan and fry the mushrooms for about five minutes until they've slightly browned, darkened and reduced.
3. Stir in the garlic for a minute or so,
4. Pour in the wine, deglazing the pan and getting up any mushroomy juices stuck to the bottom.
5. Turn down the heat and let the wine reduce for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the cream, leaving it on the hob just long enough to heat through, then stir in about half of the parsley and take off the heat.
7. When the pasta is done, strain (saving some of the cooking water), mix the pasta and sauce, adding a little cooking water if it's a little dry.
8. Serve in bowls sprinkled with fresh parsley, black pepper (or paprika) and a generous grating of parmesan. Lovely!