Like edible little pots of gold, these preposterously delicious pancetta stuffed mushrooms make a captivating start to any meal. The trick is simply dousing the mushroom caps with a splash of Madeira before filling them generously and roasting until golden. Inspired by stuffed mushroom variations from the trusty pages of Fine Cooking magazine and the illustrious Ina Garten, these make a truly swoon-worthy appetizer. In addition to many of the usual suspects when it comes to the stuffing ingredients, this rendition features an irresistible combination of crispy pancetta and creamy mascarpone. Fairy-tale finger food...no rainbow chasing required.
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Ingredients for Pancetta Stuffed Mushrooms
- cremini mushrooms
- extra virgin olive oil
- Madeira wine (or sherry)
- pancetta
- shallot
- fresh sage
- bread crumbs (or panko)
- mascarpone cheese
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- flat leaf parsley
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Heat the oven to 325℉ and prepare the pancetta, shallot, sage, and parsley.
Clean and prepare the mushrooms by removing and discarding the stems. Gently toss the mushroom caps with the Madeira and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Set aside while you prepare the stuffing.
Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped pancetta and cook, stirring frequently until it is crisped, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the chopped shallot and sage. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally until the shallot is softened, about another 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat under the skillet and add the mascarpone, stirring to melt and combine evenly throughout the mixture.
Then add the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, breadcrumbs, and parsley.
Mix together well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow the stuffing mixture to cool briefly.
Generously fill each mushroom cap with stuffing and arrange snugly in a shallow baking dish.
Bake about 45 minutes, until the mushrooms are very tender and the stuffing is golden.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Hint: Don't be shy when it comes to filling the mushroom caps...you really want to pack the stuffing mixture in there tightly and mound it up relatively high in the center. Each mushroom should be literally heaping with stuffing!
Variations
This recipe is quite versatile when it comes to several of the ingredients. (And let's face it, sometimes another trip to the grocery store just isn't in the cards.) Here are a few ideas regarding possible substitutions...
- Pancetta - Don't have any pancetta on hand? You can certainly substitute bacon.
- Sage - There are all kinds of herbs that would work well here. Feel free to replace the sage with another fresh herb...such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, or marjoram.
- Parmigiano Reggiano - This is a classic choice for stuffed mushrooms, but a couple alternatives you might try include Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano.
Storage
While these are best the day they are roasted, any leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Just reheat in the microwave or gently in the oven.
Top tip
Pancetta stuffed mushrooms can be made mostly in advance and then just popped in the oven on the day you wish to serve them. Once you have prepared the filling and stuffed the mushroom caps, simply cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to roast them.
Pairing
These are a few of my favorite drinks to serve with pancetta stuffed mushrooms:
📖 Recipe
Pancetta Stuffed Mushrooms
Equipment
- medium roasting dish (ceramic or glass)
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds large cremini mushrooms about 16
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3 tablespoons Madeira wine (or sherry)
- 4 ounces pancetta finely chopped
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage finely chopped
- ¾ cup bread crumbs (or panko)
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
- flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325℉ and chop the pancetta, shallot, sage, and parsley.
- Clean and prepare the mushrooms by removing and discarding the stems. Gently toss the mushroom caps with the Madeira and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Set aside while you prepare the stuffing.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped pancetta and cook, stirring frequently until it is crisped, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the chopped shallot and sage. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally until the shallot is softened, about another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat under the skillet and then add the mascarpone, stirring to melt and combine evenly throughout the mixture.
- Then add the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, breadcrumbs, and parsley. Mix together well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow the stuffing mixture to cool briefly.
- Generously fill the mushroom caps with stuffing, arranging them snugly in a shallow baking dish. Bake about 45 minutes, until the mushrooms are very tender and the stuffing is golden.
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