People do terrible things to both mushrooms and pasta - adding cream, putting in too much garlic or chili and stewing the resulting dish to an unappealing mess. In the spirit of simplicity, here's a nice clean pasta sauce.
1lb mixed mushrooms
Clove garlic
Parsley - a handful
Pancetta - about 2oz (you can use unsmoked bacon - about four rashers - instead if you prefer)
Half a glass of red wine
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Chop the mushrooms, garlic and parsley. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the bacon and fry for a few minutes until the bacon begins to crisp (not too crisp just enough to get the fat to come out). Now add the mushrooms, salt & pepper, stir and fry for a couple of minutes then add the red wine, cover tightly and cook for about five minutes. Add the parsley, recover and leave to stand.
If you're me you will have forgotten to boil the salted water you need for the spaghetti! Do this and add about half a typical packet of dried spaghetti to the boiling water (use the biggest pan you've got - not very green I know but you get a better result). Cook for about 10 minutes - check the timing in the packet and subtract a couple of minutes is the best measure I find.
When the pasta is cooked mix in the mushroom and bacon sauce, add a good slug of good olive oil and heat through again quickly. Serve immediately and shoot all those people who want to add parmesan cheese!
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