Pasta alla Boscaiola with Mushrooms and Bacon Recipe
Pasta alla boscaiola is a classic Italian “from the forest” dish – full of mushrooms, bacon and creamy sauce. In Italy it’s a typical hearty lunch for cooler days, something like a cross between pasta and a mushroom stew. It’s perfect when you want to quickly make something “restaurant-style” from simple fridge ingredients.
Pasta alla boscaiola combines a creamy sauce with the intense aroma of mushrooms and smoked bacon, giving an effect somewhere between pasta and a mushroom stew. It’s a “from the forest” dish that transports you to an autumn walk in an Italian park in just a few minutes, even though it’s made from very ordinary fridge ingredients. Herbs and sautéed onion build a deep, savory flavor that lingers in your memory.
Chef's tips
Fry the mushrooms over fairly high heat until they start to brown and their moisture evaporates; otherwise the sauce will be watery and less aromatic. Put the bacon into a cold pan and let the fat slowly render – this way it becomes crisp without burning on the outside. Add the cream at the end, over lower heat, and don’t cook it for too long so the sauce stays silky and doesn’t split.
How to serve
Serve with a glass of dry red wine, such as Chianti or Montepulciano, which will highlight the smokiness of the bacon and the flavor of the mushrooms. A simple arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette is an excellent side to refresh the dish. This is ideal on a cool, busy evening after work when you want something more substantial than basic pasta with jarred sauce.
Ingredients
- pasta (you can also use fusilli) - 350 g
- smoked bacon in slices or cubes (you can use pancetta) - 120 g
- button mushrooms (or other mushrooms, e.g. oyster mushrooms) - 300 g
- 30% cream - 200 ml
- onion (medium) - 1 piece
- garlic cloves - 2 pieces
- grated Parmesan or Grana Padano (plus extra for serving) - 40 g
- fresh parsley (chopped) - 2 tablespoons
- olive oil - 1 tablespoon
- salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for as many minutes as indicated on the package, until it is slightly firm in the center. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the rest.
- Peel the onion and cut it into small cubes. Peel the garlic and finely chop it. Clean the mushrooms and slice them thinly.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the bacon cut into strips or cubes. Fry for 4–5 minutes, until the fat renders and the bacon is lightly browned.
- Add the onion to the bacon. Fry for 3–4 minutes over medium heat, stirring, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent but not brown. Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
- Add the mushrooms. Fry for 7–8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often, until they release their liquid, then start to brown lightly and reduce in volume.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the cream, stir and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the grated Parmesan, stir, then season with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan. Mix thoroughly; if the sauce seems too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time until you get a creamy consistency that coats the pasta well.
- Finally, add the chopped parsley and mix once more. Serve immediately, sprinkled with extra Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
Storage
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of milk or water to loosen the sauce and stirring until hot.
