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1
Cut a ring around each chestnut, then put them in boiling water to cover and cook for 3 minutes.
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2
Remove them from the water, a few at a time, and peel while still hot.
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3
Meanwhile, soak the mushrooms in about 1 1/2 cups of very hot water.
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4
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
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5
Put half the butter or oil in a skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and, a minute later, add the shallot.
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6
Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
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7
Chop the chestnuts into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks, then measure about 1 cup.
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8
Add them to the skillet along with a little more salt.
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9
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chestnuts deepen in color, about 5 minutes.
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10
Remove the mushrooms from their soaking liquid; reserve and strain the liquid.
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11
Chop the mushrooms and add them to the skillet; cook, stirring, for a minute or two, then add the strained mushroom-soaking liquid.
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12
Turn the heat to low and season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper.
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13
Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy.
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14
If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the pasta-cooking water to it when the pasta is nearly done.
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15
Stir in the remaining butter or oil, then drain the pasta and dress with the sauce.
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16
Serve immediately.
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17
Add a few fresh thyme sprigs along with the shallot.
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18
Remove before serving and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves as a garnish.
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19
Add diced (1/4 inch or less) zucchini; peeled, seeded, and diced tomato; or red bell pepperno more than a cup totalalong with the chestnuts.
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20
There are many ways to peel chestnuts, which like most nuts have a hard outer shell and a soft inner skin.
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21
Removing them both is a three-step process.
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22
First, use a paring knifea curved one with a sharp point makes this quick and easyto cut a ring around the equator of each nut or make an X on the flat side.
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23
Plunge the nuts into boiling water to cover for about three minutes, then turn off the heat, leaving the chestnuts in the water.
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24
Remove two or three at a time and, using the knife and your fingers, peel off both shell and skin; use a towel to protect your hands from the heat if necessary.
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25
If youre doing a large batchsay, twenty or moreyoull notice that as the water cools the skins become more difficult to remove.
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26
Bring the pot back to a boil and theyll begin to slip off again.
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27
And, although the exact count of chestnuts for this dish is not critical, I begin with fifteen, because there are usually a couple of rotten ones, or some whose inner skin refuses to come off.
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28
These must be discarded.
