Authentic Italian Cooking

Mushrooms: Italian side dishes

This page is dedicated to side dish recipes that see mushrooms as main ingredient. As it happens for other categories of food, fungi divide people in most groups: estimators, indifferents and enemies that is global and total detractors. You should always know the tastes of your guests before using them as an ingredient ;))

Mushrooms cooked with olive oil, parsley and garlic in a white bowl — Stewed mushrooms

Mushrooms as side dish, always?

There are several factors to consider before choosing mushrooms as side dish. Let's see them together!
Seasonality. Food industry has accustomed us to have them always at hand, but remember that fresh mushrooms are typical of some months in summer and autumn. I actually use frozen mixed mushrooms too, because they are often more fragrant than fresh produce from the supermarket. In any case, autumn is the ideal season for me to use them as a side dish. It may be a habit or just my knowledge as biologist ;))
Matching. You can not combine mushrooms with everything. They are ideal for some meat dishes (roasts, Italian scaloppine ...), to accompany polenta and couscous and even some kinds of fish (salmon, tuna, swordfish, ...)
Allergies. Keep in mind, especially if you have guests that fungi can develop allergies!

Mushroom side dish recipe according Italian cooking

Fried mushrooms

Fried mushrooms are simple to do but pay attention to their caloric value and especially the fact that the dish is not very digestible. I would avoid them at dinner, for example.

Mushroom salad

This is a side dish that you can do with ovules, porcini, cultivated mushrooms that can be found all year round. I suggest some combinations with other ingredients and herbs. Be careful in this case: this is not an easily digestible recipe.

Mushrooms in tomato sauce

One of the easiest ways to cook mushrooms is definitely to stew them with garlic, parsley, olive oil and tomatoes. Just few ingredients for a really good dish, as long as mushrooms taste good.

Stewed mushrooms

Olive oil, garlic, parsley and nothing else for this simple side dish. Great for those who love mushrooms! The only problem is to clean mushrooms if too dirty for the presence of ground.

Vegetarian mushroom and quinoa meatballs

Vegetarian meatballs with quinoa and mushrooms

This is the first recipe I tested with quinoa and it is one of our favorite dishes in fall when mushrooms are in season.