We found a beautiful bunch of parasol mushrooms (in Dutch: grote parasolzwammen) in a neighbor’s garden. She was super friendly and gave us one, after we explained how delicious they supposedly were – although we hadn’t tried before.

(Btw: if it’s not the right season or foraging is not your thing: you could substitute the parasol with any other tasty mushroom. Just try to not choose champignons, they’re booooring ;).)

Of course at home I first double checked that this really was a parasol mushroom, but really you can not really go wrong with this one.

People have asked me but I will not explain on this blog; you’ll have to do your own research, find a trustworthy field guide and learn from an experienced forager before you can safely find and eat wild mushrooms.

One tip: start with learning by heart which ones NOT to eat ;). Then proceed with the ones that are unmistakeable, the so called beginner’s mushrooms.

So. I hope your worries have been addressed ;). This parasol mushroom turned out delicious! One of the best I have ever had, I may even like it over many porcini (eekhoorntjesbrood) I have had.

Clean the mushroom (I rinsed it because there was a lot of earth/dirt), check that it is fresh and not contaminated by small animals. Cut a shallot or small onion and a garlic clove. Sauté in oil for a few minutes until light golden brown and fragrant, then add the zucchini and mushroom pieces plus pepper and salt (not too much!) to taste.

Meanwhile, boil the tortellini as long as needed (see packaging).

For the real carbonara: break an egg in a bowl and remove half of the egg white. Now beat the egg. Grate some cheese, Parmesan would be great but I used ripe (oude) Gouda cheese and that turned out really well, too.

Drain the pasta as soon as it’s cooked al dente. Put back in the pan, add the egg, stir, then add in the cheese and some black pepper.

Serve with the vegetables. I put them on top of the pasta. Italians would serve them separately, no doubt.

Don’t forget the olive oil. Olive oil rocks, especially with mushrooms and pasta.