Italian Lumberjack Pasta (Pasta alla Boscaiola)

This traditional pasta dish from Northern Italy captures the spirit of the woods with sausage, mushrooms and a kiss of black truffle.

A hearty pasta dish from Northern Italy, this sauce is all about the essence of the woods, hence its name ‘alla boscaiola’, referring to a lumberjack or woodsman. This sauce contains a woodland medley of mushrooms, sometimes containing truffle, along with tomatoes and either pancetta or sausage - or both. If you prefer this with sausage, I’ve included a recipe for an Italian-seasoned sausagemeat which you can make with regular, plain pork sausages. ‘Boscaiola’ is another versatile Italian dish without an exacting playbook, so you can add any stray elements that you have on hand or knocking around in your fridge crisper drawer. What really makes a difference is a dash of cream at the end. It ties the dish together, carries the flavour of the mushrooms and mellows the tomato. Serve it with any short pasta - like penne or rigatoni - and you’ve got a brilliant autumnal dinner for one or two. Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 1-2x)

• 200g dried, short pasta (like penne or rigatoni)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 75g pancetta or Italian sausage mixture (*see below)

• 2 tsps tomato paste

• 100ml white wine or water

• 100g mushrooms, sliced (button, chestnuts, cremini)

• 2 cloves garlic, diced

• 2 tablespoons double cream

• Drizzle of high quality black truffle oil - optional

• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, finely grated

  *ITALIAN SAUSAGE MIXTURE

• 2-3x plain pork sausages

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp fennel seed

• 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1/4 tsp oregano

WALKTHROUGH

1. First, let’s make the *Italian sausage mixture if using. Into a bowl, wring out the sausagemeat from 2-3 plain pork sausages. Discard the skins. Add the 1/4 tsp black pepper, fennel seed, chilli flakes and oregano and mix together until combined.

   

2. Place a frying pan onto medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add rough nuggets of seasoned sausagemeat to the pan - or pancetta if using instead - and fry until browned and crisp.

   

   

3. Add the 2 tsps of tomato paste and fry in the oil until darkened and rich - about 1 minute - before adding the 100ml of white wine (or water) to deglaze the pan. Simmer until the wine has reduced and you can clear a path through the pan with a spatula.

   

   

4. Add the 100g of sliced mushrooms and 2 diced cloves of garlic. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms have slightly softened and have released some moisture. Add the 2 tablespoons of double cream and combine with the ingredients until everything is coated. Turn off the pan and set the sauce aside while we prepare the pasta.

   

   

5. Cook the 200g dried pasta according to the packet instructions, removing it about 1-2 minutes before recommended to ensure it is ‘al dente’.

6. Once the pasta is almost cooked, place the sauce back onto a medium heat. Drain the cooked pasta straight from its cooking water and add it to the sauce. Simmer the pasta in the sauce for about 1 minute until cooked and well-coated, adding small amounts of pasta water if needed.

   

7. Once the pasta is cooked and well-coated, add the 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and a drizzle of black truffle oil and toss through the dish.

   

   

8. Serve the pasta immediately with extra parmesan and an extra lick of black truffle. Enjoy!