Tuscan mushrooms are white button caps filled with a chopped relish of roasted red pepper, green olive, pecorino and scallion, then baked for twenty minutes. Fresh basil goes over them at the end. A Christmas appetizer that takes ten minutes to put together.
Button mushrooms give off water as they bake and the filling has no binder to hold it. Roast the empty caps cavity down for ten minutes first and tip the liquid away, which the source never mentions.
There is no breadcrumb and no cream cheese anywhere in this, which is what most stuffed mushrooms lean on. The filling is a sharp chopped relish instead, so it tastes briny and clean rather than rich. It also holds up at room temperature.
Tuscan Mushrooms
Course: AppetizerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy5
servings220
kcalWhite button caps packed with roasted peppers, green olives and pecorino bound only by olive oil, baked until the mushrooms soften. Finished with a handful of chopped basil.
Ingredients
1/2 cup diced jarred roasted red bell peppers
1/2 cup diced pitted green olives
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano
2 scallions, diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white button mushrooms (about 20 to 24), cleaned and stemmed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 400F.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl mix together the roasted red bell peppers, olives, pecorino, scallions, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Fill the caps: Set the mushrooms cavity side up on a parchment lined baking sheet and spoon the filling into each cavity.
- Bake: Bake until the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Finish: Move the mushrooms to a serving platter, scatter the chopped basil over the top and serve.
FAQs
How many mushrooms is a pound?
Twenty to twenty four white button caps, depending on size, which is where the four to six servings comes from. The filling makes about a cup and a half, so each cap takes a rounded tablespoon. Buy them all a similar size so they finish together.
What do I do with the stems?
The recipe says stemmed and then forgets about them, but they are the best part for stock. Chop and freeze them, or fry them with garlic and fold them through the filling. Do not push them back into the caps, because they shrink.
Can I make them ahead?
Mix the filling a day early and keep it covered in the fridge, since it is a relish and only improves. Fill and bake on the day, because filled raw mushrooms weep overnight. They are also fine served at room temperature.
How are these different from giant stuffed mushrooms?
Those are grilled portobello caps with a raw bread salad on top, eaten with a knife and fork. These are small button caps you pick up with your fingers. If you want the plated version, try these giant stuffed mushrooms.
What else goes on the appetizer table?
Something sweet, because this tray is salty all the way through from the olives and the pecorino. A fruit and cheese bite balances it without adding work. These cranberry brie bites sit well beside them.
