Fans of morels, take note. These elusive mushrooms are hard to find and their season is fleeting, but one lucky recipe writer has a treat in store.

Marx Foods, which sells morels foraged from the Pacific Northwest, has launched a morel recipe contest. The winner will receive 2 pounds of fresh morels. (Of course, if you’re not the winner, you can buy 2 pounds. Including shipping, they will set you back $113.50.)

Recipes must be original, and entries are limited to one per person. The winner will be picked based on its “perceived deliciousness.”

The deadline to enter is May 15, and the winner will be announced May 19. For more details, check out MarxFoods.com.

Perhaps you’re a lucky forager and have picked a peck of morels, or a lucky buyer who found some for sale. Here’s a rich and enticing way to use the mushrooms. This recipe was served at the late, lamented Balaban’s restaurant in the Central West End.

MOREL MUSHROOM PASTA

Balaban’s

Yield: 2 servings

For sauce:

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ruby port (see note)

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

For pasta:

7 ounces egg linguine (see note)

5 ounces fresh morel mushrooms (see note)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste

Fresh tarragon, for garnish

Peccorino Romano cheese, for garnish

Cracked black pepper, for garnish

To prepare sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine cream and port; simmer over medium heat until reduced by half, 15 to 16 minutes (reduce to about 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons). Transfer to blender; add vinegar and salt and pepper to taste; blend for 10 seconds. Set aside and keep warm. (Yield: About 1 1/4 cups sauce).

To prepare pasta: Cook linguine according to package directions.

Meanwhile, place mushrooms in a bowl; working quickly, cover with water, swish to remove soil and drain. If water is very dirty, repeat and drain well. Wrap mushrooms in a dry towel; shake vigorously to remove as much moisture as possible.

In a large skillet, sauté mushrooms in butter; season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup warm sauce to pan. Toss in cooked linguine. (Reserve remaining sauce for another use.)

Place pasta on serving plates; garnish with tarragon, cheese, and pepper.

PER SERVING: 625 calories; 33.5g fat (48 percent calories from fat); 19.5g saturated fat; 179mg cholesterol; 15g protein; 66g carbohydrate; 3g sugar; 3g fiber; 631mg sodium; 70mg calcium; 380mg potassium.

Note: Balaban’s used Paul Masson Rich Ruby Port, available from specialty wine shops. According to former owner Steve McIntyre: “Any good imported Portuguese ruby port will work. Not tawny port, but the ruby.”

Many forms of egg pasta are available in markets and specialty stores. Those most like the pasta used at Balaban’s are home-style egg noodles, narrow-cut and relatively thick (similar in size to standard linguine, but not as long).

Fresh morels can be hard to find; they are sometimes available at specialty stores and farmers markets.