This is one of my proudest creations, and I suppose a good example of a recipe that isn't traditionally from Italy, but sits uncontroversially in her culinary canon. I don't think it would be too presumptuous to name this linguine ai funghi crudi. It is about as speedy as you can imagine: you do no more to the mushrooms than slice them, steep them in oil, garlic, lemon and thyme and toss them into the hot cooked pasta. I'm afraid, I had to have this forcibly taken away from me during the photographic shoot of this book, otherwise I'd have eaten it all up before it had even had its picture taken. The dressed mushrooms also make a great salad, but in which case boost the quantities of sliced mushrooms (keeping other ingredients the same, and obviously you're omitting the pasta altogether) to 375g/6 cups. If all you can find is regular button mushrooms, this pasta is still worth making - so no excuse for not.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces/4 cups finely sliced chestnut/cremini mushrooms
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Maldon/kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• Small clove garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme stripped to give 1 teaspoon leaves
• 1 pound linguine
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped, to give 1/2 cup
• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions