Winter Chanterelle Pasta with Homemade Tagliatelle
Jump to
When the first frosts arrive and most mushrooms are gone, winter chanterelles are just getting started — and this winter chanterelle pasta is what we make with the first basket: fresh homemade tagliatelle in a silky cream sauce, with onion, garlic, parsley and a generous snow of parmesan.
It is simple, comforting and tastes like the forest. The pasta takes a little time, but the sauce is ready in about 20 minutes — and if you are in a hurry, dried tagliatelle works too.
Table of Contents
What Are Winter Chanterelles?
Winter chanterelles (Craterellus tubaeformis), also called yellowfoot, are small funnel-shaped mushrooms with a brownish cap, grey ridges underneath and a hollow yellow stem. They grow in large groups in mossy conifer forests from autumn into early winter. Their flavour is mild, earthy and slightly peppery — perfect for a cream sauce. New to them? Read how to clean winter chanterelles before you start.
Why You’ll Love This Winter Chanterelle Pasta
- A true forest-to-fork dinner with wild mushrooms in the starring role.
- Silky, not heavy: just enough cream to coat every strand.
- Homemade pasta — and only two ingredients for the dough.
- Feeds four and comes together on one stove.
Homemade Spelt Tagliatelle
Fresh tagliatelle needs nothing more than flour and eggs — about 100 g flour and one egg per person. We always use light spelt flour: the dough is soft and easy to roll, and the pasta has a lovely nutty taste. For a detailed guide see our 3-ingredient homemade pasta dough.
Tips for a Silky Mushroom Cream Sauce
- Soften, don’t brown: cook the onion and garlic gently in butter so they stay sweet.
- Cook off the mushroom water before adding the cream, otherwise the sauce turns thin and grey.
- Season the mushrooms early, then taste again at the end — parmesan adds salt too.
- Use the pasta water. A splash makes the sauce glossy and helps it cling.
- Serve straight away. Cream sauces thicken quickly as they cool.
How to Make Winter Chanterelle Tagliatelle Step by Step
Winter Chanterelle Tagliatelle Recipe
Homemade Tagliatelle with Winter Chanterelle Cream Sauce
Difficulty: Medium4
servings40
minutes20
minutes90
minutesFresh spelt tagliatelle tossed in a silky cream sauce with winter chanterelles, onion, garlic, parsley and parmesan. A cosy forest-to-fork dinner for four.
Ingredients
- Homemade tagliatelle
400 g light spelt flour (type 630), plus extra for dusting
4 eggs
A pinch of salt
- Winter chanterelle sauce
350–500 g winter chanterelles (yellowfoot), cleaned
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
About 300 ml whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly grated parmesan, to serve
Directions
- Homemade tagliatelle
- Mound the spelt flour on the worktop, make a well, add the eggs and salt and mix with a fork, pulling in the flour little by little. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out thinly with a pasta machine (or a rolling pin), then cut it into tagliatelle. Toss with a little flour and spread out so the strands do not stick.
- Winter chanterelle sauce
- Clean the winter chanterelles: brush off soil and needles, trim the stem ends and halve any large ones. Only use mushrooms you have identified with certainty.
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat and soften the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes without letting them brown.
- Add the winter chanterelles and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until their liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the cream and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Meanwhile cook the fresh tagliatelle in plenty of salted boiling water for 2–3 minutes. Keep a cup of the pasta water.
- Lift the pasta straight into the sauce, add the parsley and toss until every strand is coated — loosen with a splash of pasta water if needed. Serve right away with plenty of parmesan and black pepper.
Notes
- No time for homemade pasta? Use 400 g dried tagliatelle and cook it according to the packet.
Winter Chanterelle Pasta FAQ
Can I use other mushrooms?
Yes — golden chanterelles, porcini or a mix of wild and cultivated mushrooms all work. For the golden kind, try our chanterelle cream sauce pasta.
Can I use dried tagliatelle?
Of course. Use 400 g dried tagliatelle for four people and cook it al dente according to the packet before tossing it in the sauce.
Can I freeze winter chanterelles?
Yes, but sauté them first and freeze them cooked — raw chanterelles turn bitter and rubbery in the freezer. Our guide on how to freeze chanterelle mushrooms explains how.
More winter chanterelle recipes: yellowfoot puff rolls and the wild mushroom phyllo pie.
