Tagliatelle with oyster mushrooms

I got these strange and beautiful mushrooms on Saturday and all Sunday morning I was thinking what to do with them. I try not store in the fridge any kind of mushrooms for more than 24 hours and these caps looked especially sensitive so something had to be done. I thought I'd make a mushroom soup... Hania answered she'd just have pasta instead. Well...that's no fun. So I made pasta with the oysters, added onions...and everybody was happy. Oh yes...we were...

Recipe by Gray Apron
time: 30 minutes

 ingredients 

225 g (1/2 lb) tagliatelle
300 g (11 oz) oyster mushrooms
1 medium garlic clove, with skin, cut in half
3 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
4 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
6 Tablespoons olive oil, quantity divided in half
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more), quantity divided in half
1/8 teaspoon pepper, preferably white

 instructions 
Wash and pat dry the mushrooms. Using a big knife, slice them thin along the gills. On a large skillet, heat half the oil on medium high for 2 minutes, add garlic. After 1 minute, add mushrooms and sauté for 15-20 minutes, adding boiling water as necessary (about 1/2 cup), 1/4 teaspoon salt half way through cooking and pepper with parsley at the end. Remove garlic. Adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile...on another large skillet, heat 3 Tablespoons oil on medium high. Add onions and thyme and sauté for 10 minutes, adding 1/4 teaspoon salt half way through cooking. Don't allow any color change; according to Italian chefs, it's bad for you. Adjust seasoning.

Throw onions together with the mushrooms and let the skillet sit on the lowest heat...

Meanwhile...cook pasta in a large quantity of salted (extra salt) water according to the directions on you package. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water and add it to the vegetables.

Combine pasta with the vegetables, adjust seasoning and serve.

NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES 

• oyster mushrooms...first time in my kitchen, but not the last;
• they have practically no stem, just a delicate, large funnel-shaped caps with whitish-yellow gills;
• during cooking, the mushrooms don't release any water and become meaty, slightly chewy (like the oysters) and very tasty;
• the dish can be easily reheated...if you manage not eat it cold straight from the skillet.