This recipe for pasta with tomatoes and mushrooms — called pasta alla boscaiola, or “woodsman’s pasta” — is an old favorite. I think that my brother, Bill, prepared this for us when we visited him when he was teaching at a cooking school in Tuscany years ago. It’s super simple and deeply flavorful, and it calls for several basic pantry items: pasta, dried mushrooms, canned tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan.
I almost hesitate to call it a recipe, because you can “ish” any of the measurements and ingredients. Don’t have fresh mushrooms? Leave them out. Vegetarian? Skip the bacon. Vegan? You could do this without cream or Parmesan, the flavor will still be deep and satisfying, but I’m a cream-and-Parmesan kind of girl, myself.
Pasta alla Boscaiola
serves 6
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
1 medium onion, diced
8 ounces fresh white or brown mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can Italian whole peeled tomatoes
2–3 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for finishing
16 ounces dried pasta (penne or bowties), cooked al dente in well-salted water
Chopped fresh basil, for finishing
Place dried mushrooms in bowl and cover with very hot water; let stand for 20 minutes to soften. Place a paper towel in a fine mesh sieve and strain the liquid into another bowl and reserve. Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit, then coarsely chop them.
Heat a skillet over medium heat; add bacon and cook until the fat is rendered. Add onion and cook until it's translucent, about 7 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms and cook until they soften and release their juices. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add dried mushrooms and about half the mushroom broth, along with the canned tomatoes and their juices. Stir, breaking up the whole tomatoes with a spoon. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer and cook until tomatoes are breaking down and the liquid thickens, about 20 minutes. (Add more mushroom broth if needed to thin the sauce.) Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream. Add grated Parmesan.
Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water. Add pasta to sauce and toss to coat, adding a bit of cooking water if needed to create a smooth, glossy sauce. Serve with additional Parmesan and fresh basil.
I have never used dried mushrooms. Do they tend to have a lot of flavor? In truth, I am not sure why there are dried mushrooms (LOL).
Hi, Charlene — great question! Dried mushrooms have a TON of flavor! A little goes a long way. Regular ol’ button mushrooms probably wouldn’t have much flavor when dried, but you’ll find dried porcini, shiitake, or other exotic varieties, and they are super deeply flavored.