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Bowl of pasta alla boscaiola with Italian sausage, cremini mushrooms, and tomato-cream sauce on a dark wood table

Pasta alla Boscaiola (Woodsman's Pasta with Mushrooms and Sausage)

A rustic Italian pasta with Italian sausage, mixed mushrooms, tomato, and a finish of cream. Honest weeknight cooking with real depth of flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and mushrooms
  • 400 g pappardelle or rigatoni dry pasta
  • 300 g cremini mushrooms wiped clean, thickly sliced
  • 15 g dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 180 ml hot water for 15 minutes, liquid reserved
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more for pasta water
Sauce
  • 300 g Italian pork sausage casings removed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 80 ml dry white wine or dry vermouth
  • 400 g crushed tomatoes one 14 oz tin
  • 120 ml strained porcini soaking liquid from soaking above
  • 60 ml heavy cream added off heat at the end
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary leaves only, optional
  • 40 g Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated, for serving
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped, for garnish

Method
 

Prep the porcini
  1. Place dried porcini in a small bowl and pour 180 ml of hot (not boiling) water over them. Let soak for 15 minutes until soft, then lift them out, squeeze gently, and chop roughly. Pour the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or coffee filter to catch any grit. Set liquid aside.
Brown the mushrooms
  1. Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the cremini mushrooms in a single layer with no oil. Leave undisturbed for 2 minutes until the undersides are deep golden, then stir and cook another 2 minutes until most moisture has evaporated. Season with a pinch of salt, transfer to a plate, and set aside.
Cook the sausage
  1. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the sausage in rough, irregular chunks squeezed from the casing. Cook without moving for 2 minutes, then break up with a wooden spoon and cook another 3 minutes until browned all over. Transfer to the same plate as the mushrooms.
Build the soffritto and sauce
  1. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the diced onion to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until pale and soft. Add the sliced garlic and fresh thyme leaves and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
  2. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the base of the pan. Let it reduce for 1 minute until almost dry.
  3. Add the crushed tomatoes, strained porcini liquid, and a pinch of salt. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Return the browned sausage, cremini mushrooms, and chopped rehydrated porcini to the pan. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together.
Cook the pasta
  1. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Before draining, scoop out about 240 ml of pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and black pepper. Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with 60-80 ml of the reserved pasta water. Return to medium heat and toss for 1 minute until the pasta is fully coated and the sauce clings to each piece, adding more pasta water if needed to loosen.
  2. Divide among four warm bowls. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a grind of black pepper, and a scatter of chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

The porcini soaking liquid is where a lot of the forest flavor lives, so don't skip straining and adding it to the sauce. If your sauce looks too thick before serving, loosen it with pasta water rather than extra cream.