ArcaMax

One of my guiding rules in cooking is to use fresh seasonal ingredients, grown locally and organically whenever possible. Only in that way can you help ensure that the meals you put on your table will be of the highest quality, with the best flavor, texture, appearance and nutritional value.

Now that we're moving into autumn, some of the seasonal ingredients I think about most often are wild mushrooms. This is the time of year that foragers love to hike through damp woodlands, looking for flavorful, meaty tasting treats near tree trunks or under fallen leaves.

Before that evocative scene inspires you to go mushroom-hunting yourself, let me strongly caution you that such exploits are best left only to experts, who can tell beyond the slightest doubt that the mushrooms they gather are safe. We laymen, and I definitely count myself in that group where wild mushrooms are concerned, are far better off buying them from farmers' markets, well-stocked supermarkets and other trustworthy sources.

Fortunately, our culture's growing passion for all foods fresh and seasonal has led enterprising growers over the past decade or more to cultivate mushrooms that previously could only be gathered in the wild. Today you can find commercially grown specimens of mild golden trumpet-shaped chanterelles and their stronger-flavored cousins, black trumpets, meaty porcini (Italian for "litte pigs") and other so-called wild mushrooms that have been available from growers for some time, such as steak-like Japanese shiitake mushrooms, button-shaped brown-capped cremini and delicate oyster mushrooms.

Any of these, on their own or, even better, mixed, will work beautifully in one of my favorite easy autumn recipes, Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce. In fact, the recipe will also work fine with regular cultivated mushrooms, perhaps supplemented with a handful of their wild cousins. Whatever mushrooms you buy, be sure to handle them smartly for the best results. Store them unwashed and loosely wrapped in your refrigerator's vegetable compartment. Just before use, clean them by wiping with a damp cloth; do not immerse them in water, which they'll quickly absorb, turning soggy.

As for the pasta that goes with the wild mushroom sauce, choose more substantial strands such as bucatini or linguine; ribbons such as tagliatelli or fettuccine; or bite-sized shapes such as penne, rigatoni, fusilli or bowties. All of them will go well with the robust, creamy sauce. Always add the drained pasta to the sauce while it's still dripping, as the water clinging to the pasta helps it blend more readily with the sauce and actually absorb some of the sauce's flavor.

Try serving this on a day when you can get to the farmers' market for the mushrooms. Then enjoy the best the season has to offer.

PASTA WITH WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE

Serves 4 to 6

1/2 pound assorted wild fresh mushrooms such as chanterelles, shiitakes, cremini, porcini and oyster mushrooms

2 cups organic chicken broth or vegetable broth

Salt

Water

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 sprig fresh marjoram, plus more small sprigs for garnish

1 pound bucatini or other dried pasta

1 cup heavy cream

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Trim the stems, reserving the trimmings. Cut the mushrooms into slices 1/4 inch thick.

Put the mushroom trimmings in a saucepan with the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the broth has reduced by half its volume, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.

In a stockpot or pasta pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring continuously, until they just begin to turn translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the marjoram sprig and saute, stirring for about 1 minute more. Raise the heat to high, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown and release their liquid, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, as soon as the water in the pot begins to boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still slightly chewy, following the manufacturer's suggested cooking time.

Add the strained mushroom broth to the sauteed mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

As soon as the pasta is done, drain it and add it, still dripping, to the mushroom sauce. Quickly toss the pasta and sauce together and divide the pasta among serving plates. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garnish with marjoram sprigs and serve immediately.