Funghi Ripieni della Nonna
Le Feste: Sicilian-American Holiday Spreads
The stems snap. The Pecorino Romano toasts. The cremini caps pack tight on a half-sheet pan. The filling is an exercise in pure hustle—stale bread, sheep’s milk cheese, and garlic stretched to feed a crowd, now fortified with fennel-laced sausage. Forget versions padded with cream cheese or boxed stuffing cubes. The real trick here: you sauté the chopped stems right into the sausage fat to build the filling, and you pour a splash of salted water into the roasting pan. That water creates a localized steam that keeps the caps perfectly plump instead of shriveling into sad, leathery husks. Pull the pan from the oven while the cheese hisses, and get them on the table.
Ingredients
- white button or cremini mushrooms1 1/2 lb
- mild or sweet Italian sausage1/2 lb
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- yellow onion1 small
- garlic3 cloves
- plain unseasoned breadcrumbs3/4 cup
- Pecorino Romano cheese1/2 cup
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/4 cup
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- water4 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 02
Trim the tough bottom ends off the reserved mushroom stems and discard, then finely chop the rest of the stems.
You can do this by hand or pulse them a few times in a food processor until they resemble coarse sand.
- 03
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 04
Add the sausage and cook until deeply browned, using a wooden spoon to break it into the smallest possible crumbles.
This should take about 6 to 8 minutes; do not drain the pan, as the rendered fat is liquid gold and crucial for flavoring the stuffing.
- 05
Lower the heat to medium, add the finely chopped mushroom stems and diced onion to the sausage fat, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one more minute before pulling the pan from the heat.
- 06
Let the skillet cool for five minutes, then stir in the breadcrumbs, Pecorino, parsley, black pepper, and another tablespoon of olive oil.
The stuffing should look like wet sand and hold together slightly when pinched; add a tiny splash of water or olive oil if it seems too dry.
- 07
Generously pack the stuffing into the cavity of each mushroom cap, letting it mound slightly over the top.
Arrange the stuffed caps in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- 08
Stir the water and kosher salt together in a small bowl until dissolved, then carefully pour it directly into the bottom of the baking dish.
Avoid pouring the water over the mushrooms themselves. This shallow layer of salted water is the grandmother secret to creating a localized steam effect that prevents the bottoms from scorching and keeps the caps perfectly plump.
- 09
Lightly drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the tops of the stuffed mushrooms.
- 10
Bake uncovered on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes.
They are ready when the mushrooms are tender enough to easily pierce with a fork and the breadcrumb topping is deeply golden brown and crispy.
- 11
Serve immediately while hot.
For a true old-school touch, spoon a tiny bit of the savory pan juices over the mushrooms right before serving.
Notes
Stick to plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs.
Store-bought Italian-seasoned varieties are loaded with synthetic flavors that will bulldoze the fresh parsley and Pecorino.
Save time on prep with a food processor.
Toss the mushroom stems, onion, and garlic into a food processor and pulse until finely minced before adding them to the skillet.
Revert to the old-world vegetarian roots.
To make the native, meatless cucina povera version, omit the sausage. Increase the breadcrumbs to 1 cup, increase the olive oil to 1/3 cup, and add 2 tablespoons each of raisins and toasted pine nuts to the stuffing mixture for a traditional Sicilian agrodolce flavor.