This sauce really ask for a robust type of pasta - we normally cook it with pici (see previous post for recipe) or pappardelle or if you go for a dried pasta - try a spaghetti on the thick size - from size number 5 or a spaghetti alla chitarra.
4-6 persons
20 g dried porcini
400 g fresh musrooms - wild or cultivated
8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
small handful of sage, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 onion, chopped
a bit of chili, all at your discretion
100 g pancetta, finely diced
250 ml white wine
800 g tinned tomato
sea salt and black pepper
25 g parmesan
1 handful of parsley, chopped
Start by soaking dried porcini. Place them in a small bowl and cover them with 250 ml of boiling water. Let them soak for 30 minutes. Lift them out of the water and rinse them under cold water. Squeeze them dry and chop them finely. Reserve the soaking liquid and strain it. Set everything a side.
Dice your porcini stalks finely or your field mushrooms if using cultivated.
Heat half the olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Saute sage, garlic, onion and chili for 10 minutes on medium heat without taking any color.
Add chopped dried porcini, diced stalks and pancetta and saute for a further 5 minutes. Pour in wine and let is reduce a bit before adding soaking liquid and tinned tomato. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and let the sugo simmer for 40 minutes.
Mean while heat the last olive oil in a frying pan. Cut your hats/chaps in thick slices or divide cultivated mushrooms in smaller pieces. Add then to the warm pan and fry until lightly golden. Season with salt and pepper.
Once the sugo is ready add fried mushrooms and let sugo simmer for another 15 minutes.
When you want to eat - bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook your choosen pasta to al dente.
Transfer the sauce to a larger pan, this makes it easier to turn the pasta in the sauce - reheat and adjust seasoning. Before draining your pasta makes sure to reserve a cup of cooking water.
Toss the cooked pasta in the warm sauce, add parmesan and parsley and toss again to coat all the pasta in the sauce. Add some of the cooking water to loosen the sauce and get a shine on the pasta.