Thyme Butter Mushroom Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs, by What's Gaby Cooking

Our new Thyme Braiser 🤝 What's Gaby Cooking's Thyme Butter Mushroom Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs. Here's how to make this simple, savory vegetarian dish, perfect for National Pasta Day today.

Ingredients:
For the mushrooms:
1 ½ pounds wild mushrooms (any assortment works - try Chanterelles, Hen of the Woods, and/or Oyster Mushrooms)
¼ cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 Tbsp homemade breadcrumbs (recipe below)
1 Tbsp capers, rinsed, drained, and chopped
1 Tbsp, fresh thyme, removed from stem and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

For the pasta:
10 oz of your favorite shaped pasta
2 Tbsp butter
Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan

For the breadcrumbs:
4 thick sliced whole grain bread from a loaf, torn into very small pieces (about 1 ½ cups once torn)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp kosher salt

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Clean off any dirt from the mushrooms with a paper towel and trim off any dried stems. Tear the mushrooms into 1 inch chunks so they are all mostly bite-sized. Place the mushrooms into a bowl, then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Remember that you should never run your mushrooms under water or rinse them. Instead, just brush them off with a clean towel to remove any dirt. If you were to rinse them, they would soak up too much moisture and then not roast properly!

2. Spread them in an even layer in a Le Creuset Braiser. Transfer to the oven and roast until they are golden brown and crisp around the edges for about 20-25 minutes, tossing once halfway through.

3. Once the mushrooms are removed from the oven, immediately toss them with the garlic, butter, lemon zest and juice, breadcrumbs, capers, thyme and parsley. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper.

Remaining instructions are in the comments of this post!
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4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions and reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water. Drain once al dente and mix the pasta in the braiser with the roasted mushroom mixture, add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter, lots of grated cheese and the homemade breadcrumbs. Drizzle in a few tablespoons of the pasta water to make everything creamy. Finish with extra salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

For the Breadcrumbs:
Place a medium Le Creuset skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and butter. Add the bread and sauté for 3-5 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown. It happens quickly, so don't walk away. Add the garlic and salt and continue to sauté for about 30 seconds more until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Use as needed.