YELLOW AND GREEN NOODLES WITH CREAM, HAM, MUSHROOM SAUCE

This recipe is from John's sister Vicki, pictured above. The top photo is Vicki with her husband Valerio. They live in Italy, and this photo was taken when they were visiting the States in the summer of 2010. The next photo is Vicki with Bob (John and Vicki's older brother) during that same visit. 

YELLOW AND  GREEN NOODLES  WITH CREAM, HAM AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

From Vicki Troyer Bernardi 

You need 2 saute pans and 2 pasta pans—4 in all

Serves 6-8 

3/4 lb. crisp, white mushrooms

2 T. finely chopped shallots or yellow onion

6 T. butter

Salt

Freshly ground pepper (six twists of the mill)

6 oz. unsmoked ham, shredded

3/4 c. heavy cream

1/2 lb. fettuccine

1/2 lb. spinach pasta

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Prepare mushrooms, wash and clean, dice; set aside.

Saute w/half the butter the chopped shallots until pale and gold in color. Add diced mushrooms and raise heat until butter is absorbed; lower heat. Shake pan, moving and tossing the mushrooms adding 1 t. salt and the pepper. Watch for mushroom juice to come to the surface - this happens quickly - then turn the heat up high.  Cook mushrooms for @ 3 minutes, stirring frequently, then turn the heat to medium. Add the ham, cooking and stirring for less than 1 minute.  Next add half the heavy cream and cook long enough to thicken slightly. Taste/correct for salt. Set aside.

In the next saute pan, melt the other half of the butter and the cream on low heat. When melted, turn off the heat. The pasta will be added to this pan later.  

Boil both fettuccine and spinach pasta.  Spinach cooks faster than yellow pasta, so they must be boiled in separate pots.  Boil 4 qts. water, with 1 T. salt in each pot. Drop yellow noodles in first pot and stir them.

Immediately drop spinach noodles in second pot and stir. 

Taste for doneness 5 seconds after boiling resumes. Keep the noodles firm - they will continue softening when added to the sauce.

Drain pasta well. Transfer spinach pasta to the pan that's waiting with butter and cream. Immediately drain yellow noodles and transfer to the same pan.  Quickly turn the heat on low and start tossing the noodles, coating them with the butter and cream.

Add half the mushroom sauce, mixing it well with the noodle strands. Then add the grated cheese and mix it well with the noodles. (Take no more than 1 minute for this). Turn off heat.

Make slight depression in center of noodles, and pour in the rest of the mushroom sauce. 

Serve immediately with grated cheese on the side.