HOMEMADE PAPPARDELLE WITH WILD MUSHROOMS, POACHED EGG, AND SHAVED BLACK TRUFFLES
SERVES 4
If you want to make it onto Hell’s Kitchen, you’re going to have to learn to make pasta from scratch. If you’re just looking to elevate your home cooking, pasta making is still a highly recommended skill to develop. Making pasta takes practice and patience, but once you get on a roll, it becomes a lot of fun, and soon enough you’ll be cranking out shapes from wide-noodle pappardelle to skinny capellini and everything in between.
For the mushrooms, use any fresh mushrooms that are local or in season or just one favorite type if you prefer. To poach the eggs, we forego the typical whirlpool technique and instead just crack the eggs into simmering water, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and leave them until the whites are set. If black truffles are unavailable or out of your budget, feel free to omit them; the dish will still be a memorable one, and one you can serve to your vegetarian friends. Fresh truffles can be found in specialty grocers and Italian markets.
HOMEMADE PAPPARDELLE
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of kosher salt
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon olive oil
Cornmeal, for dusting
SAUTÉED MIXED WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE
2–4 dried morel mushrooms or
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked then sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1¼ pounds mixed mushrooms (oyster, crimini, trumpet), cleaned and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Pinch chili flakes or more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1 tablespooon freshly squeezed lemon juice
TO MAKE THE HOMEMADE PASTA
COMBINE the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the eggs and olive oil, and pulse 30–60 seconds or until the dough comes together in a ball. If it doesn’t come together after a minute and looks like small pebbles, add a teaspoon of water and pulse again. Repeat until the dough comes together. If the dough is sticky, add a tablespoon of flour and process again. Repeat until the dough comes together.
TURN the dough out onto a clean surface. Knead until it comes together to form a smooth ball. Dust the dough with a little flour and place it in a small mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
DIVIDE the dough into 4 pieces. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and work with one piece at a time.
SET pasta machine to widest setting. Flatten 1 dough piece into a 3-inch-wide rectangle. Run through machine 3 times, dusting lightly with flour if sticking. Continue to run piece through machine, adjusting to next-narrower setting after every 3 passes, until dough is about 26 inches long. Cut crosswise into 3 equal pieces. Run each piece through machine, adjusting to next-narrower setting, until the piece is a scant 
inch thick and 14 to 16 inches long. Return machine to original setting for each piece. Arrange strips in a single layer on sheets of parchment and dust with cornmeal.
REPEAT with remaining dough. Let strips stand until slightly dry to touch but still pliable, about 20 minutes. Cut strips into ⅔-inch-wide pappardelle.
BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil while you cook the mushrooms.
FOR THE SAUTÉED MIXED WILD MUSHROOMS
PLACE the dried morels or dried porcinis in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak 30 minutes, then remove from the soaking liquid. Rinse well and pat dry.
IN a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until translucent and tender, about 3 minutes. Remove shallots and garlic to a medium bowl and reserve. Add half of the mushrooms to the pan, stir so they are well coated, increase the heat, and leave in a single layer, undisturbed, for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir to combine, remove from the pan, and add them to the bowl with the shallots and garlic. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to the pan and repeat with remaining mushrooms, adding them to the bowl when ready. Reduce heat to moderate and add the tomato paste and caramelize, about 5 minutes. Return all the mushrooms to the pan along with the shallots and garlic. Add wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and continue cooking until most of the liquid has cooked off. Add the thyme and chili flakes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, fold in the parsley and lemon juice.
FOR THE POACHED EGGS
POACH the eggs just before you cook the pasta. In a 12-inch-wide sauté pan fitted with a lid, bring 4 inches of water to almost boiling. Add the vinegar to the water. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small ramekin, then place the ramekin near the surface of the hot water and gently drop the egg into the water. Repeat with each egg. With a spoon, coax the egg whites closer to their yolks. Turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for about 3 minutes or until the egg whites are cooked. Use a slotted spoon to lift eggs out of pan and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
WHILE the eggs poach, cook the pasta.
COOK THE PAPPARDELLE
ADD the pappardelle to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
TRANSFER the pasta to the pan with the mushrooms. Add some of the reserved water if the pasta is too dry. Toss gently to combine.
TO PLATE
DIVIDE the pappardelle among 4 pasta bowls. Top each with 1 poached egg, a drizzle of olive oil, a shaving of Parmesan cheese, two black truffle shavings (if using), and chopped parsley. Serve with more grated Parmesan.