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Forage for Dinner: Wild Lobster Mushroom Pasta Recipe


This recipe for wild lobster mushroom pasta offers up a taste of wild fall flavors that even your vegetarian relatives will enjoy.

Looking for something a little different to bring to the table this fall season?

Wild lobster mushrooms are fresh and in season this time of year. Once you've learned how to find them, you'll bring home your bounty to feast on.



  • 1 pound or more lobster mushrooms
  • 2 poblano peppers
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 pound fettuccine noodles
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes


Cut the bottom off (you can do this in the woods to keep things clean on the way home) then tidy them up a little bit with a brush and cut away any of the soggy parts.



Cut the mushroom into small cubes. As you're cutting, be aware of any little holes that run through the center of the mushroom. Those are tunnels dug by bugs.

While keeping them dry is ideal, you can soak them in a bowl of saltwater for 10-15 minutes and drain them off if you're worried about the bugs. Lobster mushrooms are somewhat sponge-like and tend to hold water, so don't leave them in there too long.


Put the small cubes into a food processor and mince. If you don't have a food processor, try to mince them up as finely as you can. Running them through the food processor gives the mushrooms a texture that resembles a roasted red pepper pesto without the dairy or nuts.

De-seed and cut a pair of poblano peppers into strips.

Mince a few cloves of garlic, and dice a pair of fresh heirloom tomatoes.

In a separate pot, bring some water to a boil with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt. Once your pot is boiling, add one pound of fettuccine noodles. The flavor of the salt will cook into the noodles and the olive oil will keep them from sticking together. Stirring occasionally will also help keep the noodles from sticking together.

As the noodles are cooking, place a tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Toss in the poblano pepper strips, minced garlic, and lobster mushrooms. Add a teaspoon of thyme and red chili flakes in the sautee.

Drain the noodles after they've been boiling 15 minutes, then turn the heat up in the skillet to medium-high. Toss the drained noodles into the hot skillet. Stir regularly, occasionally drizzling some olive oil into the mix to keep it from sticking to the skillet or burning.

You want to keep doing this until the noodles are beginning to brown and turn slightly crispy. Once half or more of the noodles have this cripsy brown texture, toss in your tomatoes and continue stirring for 5 minutes. Turn the heat back down and serve.

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Forage for Dinner: Wild Lobster Mushroom Pasta Recipe