Paccheri with Prawns and Porcini Mushrooms

Method

1. Remove the heads and shells from the prawns. Devein each prawn by making a shallow slit along the back and pulling out the dark intestinal tract. Reserve the heads and shells.
2. Place the reserved prawn heads and shells in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and let infuse for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms. For large porcini, separate the cap from the stem. Slice the cap into larger pieces and dice the stem. For small porcini, cut in half. Open the finferli towards the center. Cut the pioppini roughly.
4. Peel a garlic clove and cut it into four pieces. Chop some parsley.
5. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over high heat. Add the garlic and chili pepper.
6. Add all the mushrooms to the pan. Cook over high heat for about 1 minute until they start releasing water.
7. Add the cherry tomatoes (for the red version). Season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, add a few leaves of lemon thyme at this point.
8. After about 10 minutes of mushroom cooking, start cooking the pasta in the simmering prawn-infused water, adding more salt if needed. Cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions.
9. After the mushrooms have cooked for 15 minutes, if the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to stick, add a ladle of pasta cooking water to deglaze and create a creamy sauce.
10. When the pasta is almost ready, add the prawn tails to the mushroom pan and cook for 30 seconds over high heat.
11. Drain the pasta (reserving some pasta water) and transfer it to the pan with the mushrooms and prawns. Toss everything together vigorously, adding more pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy emulsion.
12. Turn off the heat, add the chopped parsley, and mix gently. Cover the pan and let rest for about 40 seconds to finish cooking with residual heat.
13. Plate the pasta. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and optionally grate some bottarga on top.