Pasta Alla Boscaiola

Pasta alla boscaiola is a heartwarming dish, traditionally made with porcini mushrooms harvested during the chilly fall months in Italy. This comforting, heirloom-style pasta incorporates crispy pancetta, fresh mushrooms and carrots in a robust, creamy sauce.

Jump to Recipe
A bowl of woodsmans style pasta with a mushroom sauce, garnished with fresh thyme.

What we love about this pasta alla boscaiola

  • If you are a mushroom lover, look no further for your new favorite recipe. We’ve incorporated LOTS of mushroom flavor into this pasta.
  • This pasta is the perfect cozy recipe for the colder months of the year. It’s a great alternative to making chili again this winter.
A couple bowls of pasta alla boscaiola garnished with grated parmesan cheese.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

**This post contains affiliate links. We may earn commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We will never recommend a product I don’t use or trust.**

Kitchen tools

Ingredients you might need to pick up

  • Dried porcini mushrooms – These dehydrated mushrooms will be blended for an intense mushroom flavor.
  • Pancetta – You can substitute bacon if you don’t have pancetta available.
  • Fresh shiitake mushrooms – We used fresh shiitake because they are more widely available. They are very similar to fresh porcini mushrooms.
  • Carrots
  • Onion
  • Penne pasta
  • Chicken stock
  • Heavy cream – You could use half and half to replace heavy cream.
  • White wine
  • Tomato paste
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh parsley
Close up of penne pasta with a mushroom sauce, showing the mushrooms, carrots, onions and fresh thyme in the sauce.

How to make this boscaiola pasta recipe

Boil pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions for al denté. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Drain pasta and set aside. Toss with olive oil to prevent sticking if needed.

Process dried mushrooms. Add dried porcini mushrooms to a food processor and blend until a powder forms. This will be added to the sauce later for additional mushroom flavor.

Brown the pancetta. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry chopped pancetta. Cook until pieces are crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the aromatics. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add garlic, onions, mushrooms and carrots. Sauté veggies until mushrooms and carrots have softened and onions are translucent.

Make it saucy. Add chicken stock, heavy cream, mushroom powder and tomato paste, whisking until well combined. Then, stir in fresh herbs. Allow sauce to simmer for a few minutes.

Stir in pasta. Add pasta to sauce, stirring until pasta is well coated.

Close up of pasta alla boscaiola in a large braising pan.

Everything you need to know about pasta boscaiola

What does boscaiola mean?

The Italian word Boscaiola translates to lumberjack or woodsman in English. This hearty pasta dish incorporates the wild mushrooms and other rustic ingredients found in the wooded regions of northern and central Italy.

Woodsman style pasta in a bowl, made with fresh mushrooms, carrots and onions in a creamy sauce.

More pasta recipes you will love

Other cozy pasta recipes you should try

Close up of pasta alla boscaiola in a bowl garnished with shredded parmesan cheese.

Want more pasta recipes?

Subscribe to get the latest recipes delivered to your inbox!

Print

Pasta Alla Boscaiola

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Pasta alla boscaiola is a heartwarming dish, traditionally made with porcini mushrooms harvested during the chilly fall months in Italy. This comforting, heirloom-style pasta incorporates crispy pancetta, fresh mushrooms and carrots in a robust, creamy sauce.    

  • Author: Melissa & Theresa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Penne
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 ounces slices pancetta
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • ½ cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ chicken stock
  • ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, processed to mostly powder
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta to al denté according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
  2. Brown pancetta in a large braising pan, over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add garlic, onions, carrots and mushrooms cooking until carrots are tender. 
  4. Add tomato paste, chicken stock, porcini mushroom powder and heavy cream. Whisk until well combined then add fresh herbs. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. 
  5. Stir cooked pasta into sauce. Adding pasta water if needed, about 2 tablespoons at a time. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 316
  • Sugar: 3.6 g
  • Sodium: 126.9 mg
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 47.3 g
  • Fiber: 2.6 g
  • Protein: 10.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 13.9 mg

Did you make this recipe? We’d love to hear about it! You can leave a rating or review in the comment section below. Ratings and reviews help this site grow and help others who make the recipe in the future!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star