Pappardelle with a Wild Mushroom Ragù and Vegetarian Hard Cheese (v.)

Story

In Italy, gathering wild mushrooms – andar per funghi – is common practice due in no small part to the favourable geographic conditions; the Alps and Apennine mountains are flourishing grounds for the most popular mushrooms In late August, something takes hold of Italians. It’s not so much a fever, but rather a lust, a kind of earthy hunger as families set out for the hunting grounds once favoured by their ancestors. They’re hungry for funghi, specifically for the porcini that sprout in the wooded hills of Piemonte, Toscana, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and the hills of Veneto. The 16th century Italian naturalist Costanzo Felici once described the mushroom as ‘a very eccentric and dangerous food, better kept away from the table than dished up on it’. The Roman Emperor, Claudius was, after all, said to have been poisoned by this fungus– either through criminal intent, or by sheer accident –by his fourth wife Agrippina. Whilst we can safely say our mushroom ragù possesses no lethal qualities, its taste is rather deadly; rich in flavour and meaty in texture with a distinct earthy undertone. Owing itself to this unique flavour – often referred to as umami – is the highly prized Boletus Edulis, or porcino (literally ‘little pig’ in Italian) mushroom. Incredibly, this funky fungus can grow up to ten-inches tall and a foot in diameter and weigh 1kg when mature. The thick strands of the pappardelle make for an ideal match to lap up this mighty mushroom ragù. .

Ingredients

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Nutrition