Earthy mushroom flavor shines in this tomato-based pasta alla boscaiola. Boosted by smoky bacon, wine, herbs, Pecorino, and a touch of cream, this hearty recipe features a generous helping of sauce per serving for a satisfying dinner fitting for date night at home or whenever.
My husband is a notorious mushroom hater and even he requests this dish from time to time, if that tells you anything about pasta alla boscaiola.
Well, "request" as in "I wouldn't mind if we had that sometime soon", but I'll take it.
There are a several variations of pasta alla boscaiola, some with a white cream sauce and others with a tomato base. True to its name*, a focus on mushrooms is a common thread throughout the versions, usually with some sort of pork accompanying, whether that be ground sausage, pancetta, or a mix thereof.
I prefer to let the mushrooms shine and minimize the meat presence by going with bacon rather than ground sausage. Bacon's smokiness accentuates the earthiness from porcini and cremini mushrooms so well! I also pull back on the amount of cream to, in my opinion, no detriment whatsoever. Pasta alla boscaiola has fairly simple steps but ends up tasting like fancy restaurant pasta.
*Bosco means "woods" in Italian and boscaiolo translates to "woodsman" or "lumberjack", though boscaiola technically would mean woodswoman!
Recipe Ingredients
- Cremini Mushrooms: Also called baby bella. I find they're in better condition to buy whole as pre-sliced mushrooms often mush up and get slimy more quickly. See storage tips on my cleaning mushrooms post.
- Porcini Mushrooms: These have a strong earthy, umami quality to them that help make dishes like mushroom risotto so tasty. Unfortunately they may be more challenging to find. In the U.S. you will find them dried, so they'll need to be reconstituted before adding to the recipe (detailed below).
- White Wine: Choose a variety that is dry, like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Chardonnay. Nothing fancy is needed!
- Bacon: Thick-cut is my preference for a bigger impact in this boscaiola sauce. I've used pancetta here before, but I prefer the smokier flavor bacon brings.
- Herbs: Fresh rosemary and thyme can be used, but I often reach for their dried counterparts for convenience. Fresh parsley will be added at the end.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves are highly recommended over jarred minced garlic.
- Crushed Tomatoes: A higher-quality brand is beneficial for best flavor, but you don't have to go full D.O.P. San Marzano.
- Pasta: Many varieties work well for pasta alla boscaiola: rigatoni, penne, mostaccioli, farfalle, fettuccine, tagliatelle, pappardelle, etc.
- Heavy Cream: I use just a small amount (¼-cup) to add a luxe richness to this tomato-based sauce. Milk or a lower fat substitute wouldn't have as much pizzazz.
- Pecorino Romano: A freshly-shredded wedge of Pecorino Romano is truly hard to beat. Next best would be pre-shredded variety from the refrigerated deli or specialty cheese case. Freshly-shredded Parmesan is also great to use, and is just a matter of preference (I love them both).
Step-by-Step Instructions
The text instructions accompanying the below in-process pictures are a summarized version of the steps you'll take to make pasta alla boscaiola. The recipe card at the bottom of this post lists precise measurements, times, and all the details you'll need.
- Reconstitute the porcini mushrooms. Soak them in warmed white wine for 15 minutes. Besides accentuating their flavor, we'll use this wine later on for deglazing the pan.
- Cook the bacon. Chop the bacon and cook it fully in a large pan. Set it aside to drain.
- Sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Sauté the cremini mushrooms in the bacon fat until browned, then add the soaked porcini mushrooms (save the wine!), onion, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook about 5-6 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute.
- Simmer the tomatoes. Deglaze the pan with the reserved wine, then add the bacon back to the pan along with the tomatoes. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or the time it takes for you to set up a big pot of water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente.
- Stir in the cream. Right before your pasta has finished cooking, stir the cream into the sauce (you can add more than the recipe says if you want).
- Add pasta, parsley, and Pecorino Romano. Stir in the al dente pasta and cook for several minutes to finish. Stir in splashes of the pasta water if you'd like to thin the sauce out. Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the parsley and Pecorino before serving.
Variations
- Wine - Substitute reduced-sodium chicken broth for the white wine. If doing so, hold back on adding salt until you've tasted the sauce, keeping in mind salty Pecorino and pasta water will be added near the end.
- Meat - Pancetta or half a pound or so of ground Italian sausage can be used in place of bacon.
- Mushrooms - Chopped portobello mushrooms or white button mushrooms can replace cremini. Shiitake or chanterelle mushrooms are widely considered substitutes for porcini mushrooms, though I haven't personally used them in pasta alla boscaiola. Keep in mind the one ounce porcini measurement is for their dried state - substitute with 8 ounces fresh.
- Pasta - Go for tubes with ridges, mid-sized shapes, or thick strands to hold up to the hearty nature of this sauce.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Be mindful of the cook time. Do not cook the pasta longer than the al dente listed time on the package as the pasta will finish in with the sauce. Overcooked pasta will split and overly soften.
- Simmer partially lidded - not fully. Be sure to leave the lid open a decent crack (several inches) while the tomatoes are simmering. This is key in reducing the boscaiola sauce down and concentrating its flavor.
- Remember to save some pasta water. This sauce benefits by mixing in a splash or two of starchy pasta water. If you're a notorious forgetter-of-reserving-pasta water-before-draining like me, see if ladling out some near the end of the boil time, not at the timer, works better. Once the timer goes off the thought vanishes from my mind and I'm on a mission to drain.
Recipe FAQs
Besides rigatoni, another tubed pasta like penne, mostaccioli, or pipette, or shorter/mid shapes like farfalle are good options. Thicker strands that grab onto sauce also work, like fettuccine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle.
Yes. Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms should be easy to find, but white button mushrooms can be substituted if not. Finding dried porcini mushrooms may be more hit or miss. Shiitake or chanterelle mushrooms are considered acceptable substitutes for porcini, though I haven't tried them here myself.
Boscaiola sauce by itself (not dressing pasta) is fine to freeze. Choose an air-tight container and thaw in the fridge before thoroughly reheating. While sauces with cream aren't usually good candidates for freezing as the texture becomes off once frozen, the small amount used here renders it a non-issue.
More Pasta Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!
Pasta alla Boscaiola
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby bella) sliced
- 1 - 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil if needed
- 1 medium onion diced
- ¾ teaspoon diced dried rosemary sprigs or 2 Tablespoons fresh
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh
- Kosher salt
- Freshly-cracked black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 16 ounces dried pasta rigatoni, penne, fettuccine, etc.
- ¼ cup heavy cream more if desired
- ½ cup shredded Pecorino Romano
- ½ - 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Add the dried porcini mushrooms to a microwave-safe bowl and pour wine over top. Press down to submerge all of the mushrooms. Heat in the microwave for 20-30 second intervals until very hot, then set the mushrooms aside to soak for 15 minutes to soften.
- Cook the chopped bacon fully in a large pan set over medium heat until browned, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside for now.
- Wipe out any burnt bits from the pan but leave the fat. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the sliced cremini mushrooms to the pan. Arrange them evenly around the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes, until browned. Drizzle in a little olive oil (1-1 ½ Tablespoons) as needed if the pan dries out.
- While the cremini mushrooms are cooking, lift the softened porcini mushrooms out of the wine and chop them into smaller pieces. Reserve the wine.
- Once the cremini mushrooms have browned, reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped porcini mushrooms, the onion, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
- Pour the wine through a fine sieve to remove any sediment, then pour the wine into the pan to deglaze it. Scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom as the wine bubbles.
- Add the cooked bacon back to the pan along with the crushed tomatoes. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot partway so that steam can escape while minimizing any splatter. Let the sauce simmer while you cook the pasta.
- Meanwhile, set a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, salt the water generously and add the pasta. Cook to the al dente listed time according to the package directions. **Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.**
- When the pasta has almost finished cooking, pour ¼ cup cream into the sauce and stir to combine. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce for 2-3 minutes, or until it reaches your desired texture. Add the reserved pasta water, a little bit at a time, if you'd like a thinner sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley and Pecorino Romano. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional grated Pecorino.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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