Pasta alla Boscaiola is a classic Italian dish, with its origins claimed by both Tuscany and Emilia Romagna.
This pasta is perfect for autumn and winter. It's a rich, savory, and creamy comfort food, just like Creamy Pumpkin Tagliatelle or Mushroom Risotto.
The key to this dish is its flavorful sauce, made mainly with mushrooms and sausage. A little tomato adds color, and some cream makes it even richer and creamier. But the true stars are the mushrooms.
The result is a delicious, creamy, and satisfying dish, ideal for fall family lunches or dinners with friends.
Usually, penne, rigatoni, or other short pasta are used for Boscaiola, but you can choose any pasta shape you like.
There are several versions of this traditional recipe. Some people prefer the white version, with no tomatoes and extra cream, while others like the red version with tomato sauce and no cream. Some even add peas, or use pancetta instead of sausage.
Whatever version you choose, it’s a dish everyone will enjoy, from kids to adults. If you can find them, fresh porcini mushrooms will make the dish even more flavorful, or you can mix different types of mushrooms for extra depth.
Making this dish is really easy, and in no time, you’ll have a delicious meal that the whole family will love.
Follow the steps carefully, and you'll have a perfectly balanced, creamy, and tasty Pasta alla Boscaiola!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 Min | Cook Time: 20 Min | Servings: 4
- 350 g (12 oz) Penne rigate pasta
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion (or 1 shallot)
- 300 g (~10 oz) mild Italian sausage
- 150 ml (~½ cup) dry white wine
- 350 g (~12 oz) champignon mushrooms (or porcini mushrooms or a mix of mushrooms)
- 200 g (~1 cup) tomato passata
- 200 ml (~1 cup) heavy cream
- Salt, to taste
- A bunch of chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
Prepare the Mushrooms
Start by preparing the mushrooms, which are the main ingredient for this dish. First, clean the mushrooms thoroughly. To do this, use a soft toothbrush and some damp kitchen paper to gently brush away any dirt or soil.
If there are any tough or dirty parts at the base, trim those off. It’s usually better not to wash mushrooms directly with water because they can absorb it and become soggy. However, if they are very dirty, you can rinse them quickly.
Just make sure to dry them right away with a paper towel. Once cleaned, slice the mushrooms into thin pieces and set them aside for later.
Make the Boscaiola Sauce
Step 1) - In a large frying pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add a whole clove of garlic (you’ll remove it later) and some finely chopped onion. Let the garlic and onion sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become fragrant and slightly golden.
While the garlic and onion are cooking, chop some fresh parsley. You can either chop it by hand with a knife or use an electric chopper to save time. Next, take the sausage and remove the casing (the outer skin). Once the casing is removed, break the sausage into small pieces with your hands.
Step 2) - Add the crumbled sausage to the frying pan with the garlic and onion. Cook the sausage, stirring occasionally, until it browns evenly and becomes fully cooked.
Once the sausage is browned, pour in the white wine. Let cook for a minute or two until most of the alcohol has evaporated.
Step 3) - Now, add the sliced mushrooms. Stir everything well to combine.
Then, pour in the tomato passata. The tomato is just meant to add some color to the sauce, so you don’t need too much. Stir again to mix everything together.
Step 4) - Sprinkle in some of the chopped parsley, and season with salt to taste.
Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for about 5 minutes on low heat. The mushrooms will soften, and the flavors will blend together.
Step 5) - After the sauce has been cooked, it should have thickened. At this point, remove the clove of garlic from the pan.
Now, it’s time to add the cream. The cream will make the sauce rich and creamy without overpowering the other flavors. Stir in the cream and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly, then turn off the heat.
Cook the Penne
Step 6) - While the boscaiola sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt to the boiling water, then add the penne pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it’s al dente (firm to the bite). This usually takes around 10 minutes, depending on the brand.
Drain the cooked penne and immediately transfer it to the pan with the sauce.
Step 7) - Stir everything together so that the pasta is well coated with the creamy mushroom and sausage sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a small splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up.
Finally, sprinkle in some freshly grated Parmigiano cheese and a bit more chopped parsley. Give everything one last stir, then serve your Pasta alla Boscaiola while it’s still hot and steaming. Buon appetito!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
Storage
I recommend making pasta alla boscaiola and enjoying it hot right away.
However, you can make the boscaiola sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to one day.
If you have any leftover pasta, you can store it in the fridge for one day.
To reheat, warm it in a pan with a little oil and some water if needed. Keep in mind that the texture of the pasta and sauce might change slightly.
Variations
There are many ways to make Boscaiola sauce, depending on the region and local customs. No matter the version, mushrooms are always the key ingredient.
The version I prefer is called "Boscaiola Macchiata", which uses just a little tomato and cream. I think the mushrooms and sausage should be the main stars, with the tomato adding a bit of color and the cream adding creaminess, but neither should dominate the dish.
Here are some other popular variations:
- White version: No tomato, just more cream.
- Red version: More tomato sauce, no cream.
- With pancetta: Some people use pancetta instead of, or along with, sausage.
- With peas: A common addition is peas. If you choose to add them, about 250 grams (9 oz) after adding the mushrooms works well.
Curiosities and Tips
What does "alla boscaiola" mean?
Pasta alla Boscaiola is a classic Italian dish made with simple ingredients like pasta, mushrooms, sausage, and cream. It's a quick and easy recipe, perfect for colder seasons when mushrooms are at their best.
The mushrooms are the stars of the dish and should never be left out! The name “alla Boscaiola” actually means "from the woods" or "lumberjack style," highlighting the importance of mushrooms in the recipe.
What kind of mushrooms can you use?
You can use common mushrooms like champignons or the more delicate porcini. A mix of different types is also great! Fresh mushrooms have the most flavor, but frozen ones work well too.
Which pasta to use?
In Italy penne is the traditional choice for this dish, though we don't really know why! You can easily use other shapes like rigatoni, caserecce, or even long pasta like tagliatelle or fettuccine. In Emilia Romagna, they even serve tortellini with a Boscaiola sauce made with cream, ham, and peas—a real treat!
Recipe Card
Pasta alla Boscaiola (Creamy Mushrooms & Sausage Pasta)
Ingredients
- 350 g pasta - 12 oz, penne rigate
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin
- 1 onion - medium size or 1 shallot
- 300 g sausage - ~10 oz
- 150 ml dry white wine - ~½ cup
- 350 g mushrooms - ~10 oz, champignon or porcini mushrooms or a mix of mushrooms
- 200 g tomato passata - ~1 cup
- 200 ml heavy cream - ~1 cup
- salt - to taste
- 1 bunch parsley - chopped
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano - grated
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add a whole clove of garlic (you’ll remove it later) and some finely chopped onion. Let the garlic and onion sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become fragrant and slightly golden.
- While the garlic and onion are cooking, chop some fresh parsley. You can either chop it by hand with a knife or use an electric chopper to save time. Next, take the sausage and remove the casing (the outer skin). Once the casing is removed, break the sausage into small pieces with your hands.
- Add the crumbled sausage to the frying pan with the garlic and onion. Cook the sausage, stirring occasionally, until it browns evenly and becomes fully cooked.
- Once the sausage is browned, pour in the white wine. Let cook for a minute or two until most of the alcohol has evaporated.
- Now, add the sliced mushrooms. Stir everything well to combine.
- Then, pour in the tomato passata. The tomato is just meant to add some color to the sauce, so you don’t need too much. Stir again to mix everything together.
- Sprinkle in some of the chopped parsley, and season with salt to taste.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for about 5 minutes on low heat. The mushrooms will soften, and the flavors will blend together.
- After the sauce has been cooking, it should have thickened. At this point, remove the clove of garlic from the pan.
- Now, it’s time to add the cream. The cream will make the sauce rich and creamy without overpowering the other flavors. Stir in the cream and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly, then turn off the heat.
- While the boscaiola sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt to the boiling water, then add the penne pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it’s al dente (firm to the bite). This usually takes around 10 minutes, depending on the brand.
- Drain the cooked penne and immediately transfer it to the pan with the sauce.
- Stir everything together so that the pasta is well coated with the creamy mushroom and sausage sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a small splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up.
- Finally, sprinkle in some freshly grated Parmigiano cheese and a bit more chopped parsley. Give everything one last stir, then serve your Pasta alla Boscaiola while it’s still hot and steaming. Buon appetito!
Boaz Tepper says
I had already high expectations of this recipe, but it even surpassed those. A solid 9,8! I used pre-diced pancetta instead of sausage and the color was quite more orangey. The end result was a perfect balance between the acidity of the tomato and wine and the creaminess of the cream and mushrooms.