Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms.
Le tagliatelle ai funghi porcini.
I will never forget the first time my hubby took me mushroom hunting in the woods and we found a beautiful large porcini mushroom! My excitement was truly childlike! I was expecting to take it home to cook but my hubby insisted we eat it raw, there in the woods! All I can say is Amazing with a capital A!
(click to go straight to recipe)
Fresh porcini mushrooms
Mushroom hunting in Italy.
Here in Italy, mushroom picking is a popular pastime. In late summer/early autumn and spring, when the weather is right and the ground still soft from recent rains, the Italians take to the woodlands with baskets on their arms to search for mushrooms. There are quite a few species that they search for, but porcini are the treasure of the hunt. They are also among the most difficult to find. It may be possible to discover a carpet of chanterelles (finferli in Italian) but not porcini! They tend to hide in the darker crevices under leaves and detritus. So, if you are not in the know about specific spots where this mushroom might pop up, it can often be a frustrating search (hence the excitement when a porcino is found!)
Piglets?
The name porcini actually means “piglets” in Italian. For the French they are cèpe, for the Germans steinpilz meaning stone mushroom and the English also call them cep or ‘penny buns’. The term ‘porcini mushroom’ actually refers to a few different species. The most highly appreciated from a culinary point of view is Boletus edulis, or the king bolete. This is usually the mushroom people refer to when they say porcini and this is the one the Italians use in their cuisine to make some of the most delicious dishes in their repertoire! (in my opinion anyway!)
Fresh, frozen or dried porcini?
Among the most popular ways to cook Boletus edulis in Italy are in risotto or with pasta. Since fresh ones are hard to come by, seasonal and expensive when bought, many people (even in Italy) use dried or frozen mushrooms instead. Personally I find the taste of dried ones too strong, especially with pasta but the frozen ones work well. They still retain the aroma and nutty flavour that porcini lovers know so well and are very similar in consistency to fresh ones when cooked.
Tagliatelle with porcini and peas
This recipe is originally from Tuscany but porcini are cooked with pasta throughout the Italian peninsula. Some recipes are pretty simple like this one (just the mushrooms, wine, garlic and wild mint or thyme) but others include vegetables such as peas or meat such as speck or sausage.
Tagliatelle is the most traditional kind of pasta to go with porcini because it’s a rich pasta and soaks up all the sauce but pappardelle or fettuccine will work too. If you can get your hands on fresh or frozen porcini, try this recipe out. You could also use dried ones soaked in water but if you do, look for large or whole dried ones. They are better than packets with lots of small pieces.
If you make this recipe I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Buon appetito!
(see the recipe on page 2. Just scroll down and click 2)
Other delicious pasta recipes with porcini mushrooms you should check out!
- Potato and porcini mushroom cannelloni (manicotti)
- Paccheri with porcini, speck and pistachio
- Pasta alla Boscaiola (woodman’s pasta)
- Lasagna bianca with mushrooms and burrata
We pick our own shrooms and had difficulty getting the porcini taste in our dishes without other ingredients overpowering it.
This is a simple recipe that preserves the porcini flavour.
Very Lekker!
I found a place that sells Frozen Porcini… Hurrah…
Now the question: do you thaw them partially, all the way or do you use them frozen.
Thank you so much.
Hi Ivan! I often use frozen porcini when I don’t have fresh ones. So much better than dried porcini! Best to defrost them completely before cooking!
Oh this dish looks absolutely amazing! I would love to find fresh porcini mushrooms so I can make this recipe as you’ve written it.
Thanks so much Alexis! Fresh porcini have to be the best mushrooms in the world! (at least in my opinion) If you do get to make this dish with fresh porcini you’re going to totally fall in love with it!
My hubby doesn’t like mushrooms – but that just means I get to have this whole dish to myself! So delicious!
haha Stephanie! You won’t want to share anyway! So, may be it is good your hubby doesn’t like mushrooms!
we only get dried porcini here – I have never seen a fresh porcini – wow I would love to try it!
I’ve been wanting to do mushrooms hunting and your story really wanted me to do one soon. And can’t wait to make this recipe with fresh mushrooms. Any tips on how to pick good/bad/poisonous mushrooms?
I love anything with mushrooms of any kind! Though I have to admit I haven’t heard of the Porcini mushrooms but this dish looks really great!
There’s no better mushroom than a porcini. They have so much more flavor than any other mushrooms! This dish looks absolutely delicious, perfect warming comfort food for cooler weather.
Ohh, porcinis are my favorite mushroom! This sounds like my kind of comfort food. Definitely putting this on next week’s dinner menu!
All I can say is Incredible with a capital I! I can only imagine how excited you were to find that mushroom! And I never had a raw mushroom myself. Tagliatelle is ony of my favorite types due to its shape, and having it with mushrooms is just delicious!
I love pasta with porcini mushrooms! They’re so nice and flavorful. I’ve never gone mushroom hunting, but it sounds like it’s very rewarding! I’m not sure what the mushroom hunting scene is like around here, but now you’ve inspired me to find out.
You got me at porcini! I am a lover of mushrooms and adding them to pasta with a creamy sauce it is the BOMB! My dream would be to go mushroom hunting in Italy take me!
Iv’e never had mushrooms with pasta my your recipe has got my gears turning on as what to make. Great recipe.
I’m from Indiana and we use to go mushroom hunting for morels, some years we would find just a handful and then others we had to go back home to get more bags.
As always your pasta looks so delicious.
I want to go mushroom hunting! I’m adding this to my list of things to do when I visit Italy.
I absolutely love pasta with mushroom, especially wild mushroom we get to hunt ourselves. I tried porcini mushroom for the first time this year and it was delicious!
I LOVE all kinds of mushrooms. Mushrooms as pasta are such a great combination….so delicious. I LOVE dried mushrooms…they are so earthy in sauces. This would be great with a nice glass of wine.
Oh My! This pasta is all the comfort!
My husband loves porcini mushrooms. I know this will be a hit!
Pasta and mushrooms are the perfect comfort food! I have never eaten one raw just after picking! Yum!
Wow, I can’t even imagine finding a porcini mushroom in the woods! I wouldn’t be able to tell it from a poisonous one, so I’d have to skip it even if I found one! This pasta sounds amazing!
I’ve never has this dish, but man does it look good!
I am a mushroom lover, this looks so insane I can’t wait to try it!
oh em gee this recipe speaks to me! not only do I adore pasta, but I love mushrooms of all kinds too! Mushroom hunting sounds like such fun as well!
Mushrooms are my absolute favourite food, and I love putting them in pasta! This is definitely my kind of dish.
I am a huge fan of mushrooms in my pasta and one of my favorite kinds is porcini mushrooms. This looks like it would make a perfect dinner for the family.
You description of what it’s like to hunt for mushrooms sounds like so much fun! I bet this pasta tastes absolutely amazing.
Pasta and mushrooms make for such a comforting dish and the porchini really add to the flavor. Sounds good.
So glad that you translated “Porcini” into “Steinpilze” – now I know exactly what you mean.
The recipe combined with white wine sounds delicious:)
Thank you Gabi! Porcini go so well with white wine! So delicious!
Oh yum! There’s nothing quite like a fresh porcini and when prepared in this delicious pasta dish?? Count me in!!
It’s so good isn’t it Sue! One of the best ways to eat porcini!
Mushroom hunting sounds so fun! This looks like a such a delicious meal, can’t wait to try it.
I love mushroom hunting Joanna! Especially through the woods in the autumn! Although the leaves make it harder to find porcini! Am sure you’ll love dish!
I love any pasta with mushrooms in it! This just looks simply delicious!
Thanks Krissy! Yes pasta with mushrooms is such a yum combo!
Pasta is my go to fix for lunch and dinner. Your version with porcini mushrooms looks so super delicious ! I wish I could dig in with a big spoon!
Grazie Tania! We love pasta too, of course!! This version with porcini is very popular in Italy, especially in early autumn when the mushrooms are in season!
This is my kind of meal! This looks absolutely fantastic! I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Allison! Yes this is a fab plate of pasta, much loved by the Italians! So, I’m sure you will love it too!
your collection of recipes is remarkable! i’ve mainly cooked the vegetarian ones and the creamy pasta limone but love them all: fresh, and so tasty. thank you again and again.
Dearest Henry, thanks so much for your comment! I’m thrilled you like and have tried some of the recipes here. I try to post one to two new recipes a week so there’s always something new to try when you visit again! All the best from Italy.