Seasonal produce is one of the most exciting parts of spring. When winter fades and the veggies begin to flourish, it’s only natural to explore dishes that celebrate their robust flavors. For springtime, that means vibrant green produce like asparagus, English peas, ramps, and unique items like morels. The best morel mushroom recipes often feature these items together, bringing the flavors of the season to life in one dish.
As a wild mushroom that pops up only during this time of year, morels are a coveted item for chefs and home cooks. They have an intriguing taste and texture that can vary from buttery and soft to meaty and smoky. Coincidentally, this also makes them ideal for a diverse range of springtime dishes. For example, they can add a savory element to eggs or a soft nuttiness to creamy pasta dishes.
You don’t have to think too hard about how to use morels. If you’ve cooked mushrooms before, you can easily swap in morels for portabellas, trumpet horns, or porcini, as they have a similar texture. However, if you’re in need of inspiration, the below recipes are a good place to start.
Creamy Morel Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 6 cups fresh morel mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons dry marsala wine or sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta as directed.
- While the pasta is cooking, sauté the shallots and garlic in the butter until translucent.
- Add the whole morels and stems, marsala, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-high, and cook for 5 minutes, occasionally giving the mushrooms a gentle stir.
- In a small bowl, stir together the whipping cream, cornstarch, and Parmesan cheese.
- Stir into the mushrooms and cook for one more minute.
- Divide the pasta between plates and top each serving with a few spoonfuls of the morels in cream sauce.
Morel Pizza with Fried Shallots
Ingredients
- 3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- kosher salt
- 3 ounces dried morels
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ball of fresh pizza dough
- 8 ounces coarsely grated fontina
- 2 ounces coarsely grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Place shallots in a small saucepan and cover with vegetable oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep the rings separate, until golden brown.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried shallots to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let cool.
- Place dried morels in a heat-proof bowl and cover with as little boiling water as needed to submerge mushrooms and let soak until soft.
- Drain morels, reserving soaking liquid, and cut large ones in half lengthwise. Filter soaking liquid through a coffee filter to remove dirt and set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add morels, season with salt and black pepper, and saute until liquid begins to cook off.
- Add wine and increase heat to a simmer. Cook until nearly all of the liquid is gone.
- Add 1 ½ cups of soaking liquid, heavy cream, and thyme, and season with salt and black pepper. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring often, until sauce is very thick.
- Use a slotted spoon to separate morels from cream sauce and set both aside separately.
- On a floured surface, flatten the middle of the dough ball into a large disk, leaving a thick 1-inch lip. Pick up the disk, and use gravity to carefully shape the dough into a 12-inch circle.
- Spread pizza dough with enough reserved cream sauce to cover the surface, leaving a 1-inch perimeter empty.
- Scatter half the morels over top, then sprinkle with half the fontina, parmesan, and fried shallots and bake for 8- 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is browned.
Asparagus Morel Mushroom Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 2 tablespoons Butter (or ghee)
- 12 medium morel mushrooms or dried morels, reconstituted
- 1 cup fresh or frozen Asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup Onion, finely chopped
- 4 large Egg(s)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Partially bake your pie crust, following the instructions, and allow to cool slightly. Reduce oven to 350°F.
- In a skillet over medium heat, saute morel mushrooms with a pinch of salt in butter until the liquid is evaporated.
- Add onions and asparagus, lightly saute until soft, roughly 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside.
- Combine egg, cream, salt, and pepper, whisk until smooth.
- Place sauteed vegetables and shredded cheese in the bottom of your partially baked pie crust; pour egg mixture over top.
- Bake at 350°F for 45-55 mintues.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Morel & Ramp Omelet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 6-8 morel mushrooms, cleaned and halved
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped wild ramps, greens only
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup grated Fontina cheese
Instructions
- In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add morels and sauté until just soft and cooked through, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Add ramp greens and continue to sauté until greens are dark and wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat remaining tablespoon of butter over medium-high flame until foamy then add eggs, tilting the pan to spread evenly.
- Allow the eggs to firm up a little, then use a spatula to gently direct the mixture away from the sides and into the middle.
- Continue to cook for another minute or so until the egg mixture holds together. While the middle is still a little runny, add ¾ of the cheese and all of the morel and ramp mixture.
- Flip egg half on top of the morel and ramp mixture and continue cooking until eggs are no longer runny.
- Slide onto plate and enjoy.
Roasted Chicken with Morel Pan Sauce
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts or boneless skin-on chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3/4 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 ounces morel mushrooms, split in half lengthwise
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in an oven-safe medium stainless steel skillet over high heat.
- Carefully lay chicken breasts into a hot skillet, skin side down. Cook without moving until skin is deep golden brown and very crisp.
- Flip chicken breasts and transfer skillet to the oven.
- Add stock and wine to a liquid measuring cup.
- Cook chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breasts registers 150°F.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet and place over high heat, then add mushrooms and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well-browned.
- Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant. Then add stock mixture and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Continue cooking on high heat until sauce is reduced by about two-thirds.
- Stir in butter and soy sauce, then simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Slice chicken breasts and spoon sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.
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