Pappardelle Boscaiola

There’s something properly nostalgic about this one for me. It was hands-down the most popular pasta on the menu back in my bistro days — the kind of dish that would fly out of the kitchen. Creamy, rich, and packed with mushrooms and prosciutto, it’s proper pub comfort food that still feels a bit special. This is my go-to version at home. Plus, it’s not being called ‘carbonara’, so you won’t upset any Italians with the addition of cream!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• Pappardelle for 2 (homemade, dried, or fresh from the market)

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 eschalot, finely diced

• 3 large portobello mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tsp seeded mustard

• 1 cup thickened cream

• ½ cup white wine

• 100 g prosciutto

• Handful of fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

• Grated pecorino, to serve

• Salt and cracked black pepper

Method

1. Prepare the pasta
   Make fresh pasta if you’re confident, or cook your pappardelle according to packet instructions. Salt the water once it’s boiling.

2. Start the base
   Heat a pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then sauté the eschalot and garlic until softened and fragrant.

3. Cook the mushrooms
   Add the sliced mushrooms and a small knob of butter. Cook until browned and reduced.

4. Deglaze
   Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by about half.

5. Build the sauce
   Add the cream and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in the seeded mustard, parsley, and tear in the prosciutto.

6. Combine
   Add the al dente pasta straight into the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta.

7. Serve
   Divide into bowls and finish with grated pecorino and cracked black pepper.