Going out to a restaurant with me can be a bit of an adventure. Growing up it was sort of a given that my family and I would share (or at least sample) everything we ordered, and as a result we would consult with one another on all of the dishes we wanted. Under no circumstance would we ever order two of the same things. Why? Because there are always new menu items to try and what if the item we ordered two of was mediocre? Duplicates are boring.

These days when I’m out at a restaurant with friends I tend to subtly (or not so subtly) recommend dishes they should order—mainly dishes that I want to try but don’t want to order myself. When I went out to dinner with a good friend a few months ago I was torn between two items: some sort of ragu pasta and a Forest Floor Frenzy, a glorious pasta dish with a mushroom, sherry, and cream sauce. Shortly after opening our menus it was established that my friend would order the mushroom pasta since it is one of his favorite dishes. Since I refuse to order the same dish as anyone else at the table I decided to order the ragu, a dish that ended up being tasty, but rather forgettable.

I ended up having serious entrée envy after sampling a few bites of my buddy’s life-changing, delicious pasta dish. I quickly decided I would order the Forest Floor Frenzy every time I went back to that restaurant, even if everyone at the table ordered the same… although I might persistently recommend others order something else…

What made the dish so divine? I’m not sure. The chef has appeared on local cooking shows to prepare the dish and I’m sure you can find the recipe somewhere on YouTube. The recipe itself isn’t that difficult or complex: pasta, mushrooms, sherry, cream, and walnuts. While these are all simple ingredients the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. It’s just a flawless combination. Here is my interpretation…

Forest Floor Frenzy (Mushroom Cream Pasta)

Inspired by Bizzarro Italian Cafe

1 pound pasta (a parpadelle, tagliatelle or fettucini is ideal but whatever you have on hand will work [I used mini bow tie])

4 strips bacon, cut into lardons (small strips)

1/2 large onion, diced

1 pound assorted mushrooms (I used portabello and crimini), cleaned and chopped into a medium to large dice

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup sherry (white wine would also work)

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Approximately 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional but a nice crunchy addition)

Chives for garnish (optional)

Cook bacon until crispy in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat, remove using a slotted spoon and blot grease with a paper towel; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente (usually a minute or so less than package instructions).

In the same sauté pan you cooked the bacon in (no reason to remove the grease), cook onions over medium-high heat for a few mintues, until softened, Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 additional minutes. Add sherry and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan and cook just until alcohol has burned off and has slightly reduced in volume. Add thyme, salt, pepper, and cream and cook for approximately 5 minutes, until thickened and reduced.

Toss together with cooked pasta, bacon, walnuts (if using), and parmesan; taste for seasoning, transfer to individual serving bowls and top with optional chopped chives and additional parmesan.