Wild Mushroom & Herb Ragù Recipe
Broad ribbons of egg pasta like pappardelle need a sauce that can cling to their wide surface area. In Italy, especially in Tuscany where the shape originates, nothing pairs better with these golden ribbons than a rich, slow-simmered mushroom sauce.
This recipe uses a mix of earthy mushrooms and a few products from Carluccio's to create a deeply satisfying, umami-rich vegetarian ragù that mimics the depth of a traditional meat sauce without losing that essential Italian simplicity.
Carluccio’s White Truffle & Wild Mushroom Pappardelle
Ingredients
-
400g fresh mixed mushrooms (such as chestnut, oyster, and portobello), very finely chopped. You can use the dried mushrooms too - just soak, drain and chop.
-
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
-
1 large shallot, finely chopped
-
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
-
150ml dry white wine
-
100ml warm vegetable stock
-
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
-
70g Burro al Tartufo Bianco (Carluccio’s White Truffle Butter)
-
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
-
Vegetarian hard cheese, grated, to serve
-
Olio al Tartufo Bianco (Carluccio’s White Truffle Olive Oil), to finish
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallot and cook gently for around 5 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute until fragrant.
Turn the heat up slightly and add the finely chopped fresh mixed mushrooms to the pan. Cook them without moving them too much at first so they take on a beautiful golden-brown colour. Continue cooking until all the natural liquid they release has completely evaporated.
Stir in the fresh thyme leaves. Pour in the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine bubble and reduce by half, then pour in the warm vegetable stock. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for about 5 to 7 minutes to let the flavours meld.
While the sauce simmers, cook the Filotea Pappardelle in a large pot of generously salted boiling water for just a few minutes until al dente. Drop the pasta directly into the mushroom pan. Take the pan completely off the heat and stir in the Burro al Tartufo Bianco, tossing vigorously. The starch from the egg pasta will combine with the melting truffle butter to create a velvety, glossy coating.
The Finish: Divide the glossy ribbons into warm bowls, scatter with fresh flat-leaf parsley and a light grating of vegetarian hard cheese. Finish with a delicate drizzle of Olio al Tartufo Bianco—the heat of the fresh pasta will instantly lift the complex, aromatic scent of the white truffle.
