Strozzapreti alla Boscaiola

Before You Start

Dry pan for the mushrooms. Oil first means they stew.

A splash of cream at the end, not a base.

Roll the twists loosely — tight ones stay raw in the middle.

How to Make Strozzapreti alla Boscaiola

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1. Knead the flour, water and salt into a firm dough, 10 minutes, and rest 30 minutes. Roll it out and cut into 2 cm strips, then tear each into 6 cm lengths and roll them between your palms into rough twists.

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2. Put the mushrooms into a large dry pan over high heat with no fat. Leave them alone until they squeak, release their water and then start to brown, about 8 minutes.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

3. Only now add 2 tbsp of the oil, along with the shallots and garlic, and cook 3 minutes. Scrape them out.

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4. Brown the crumbled sausage in the remaining oil for 8 minutes.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

5. Add the wine and reduce it away, then the passata, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes.

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6. Return the mushrooms and stir in the cream. Simmer 3 minutes only.

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7. Boil the strozzapreti 4 minutes until they float and are tender, then toss through the sauce with the parmesan and parsley.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Why It Works

The mushrooms go into a dry pan first with no fat at all and are left alone until they squeak and then brown. Mushrooms are mostly water, and adding oil at the start means they stew in it and never colour — dry-frying drives the water off first, and the oil goes in once they have already browned. The cream is a small amount stirred in at the very end, not a base: boscaiola is a woodsman's sauce, not a cream sauce.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

The sauce keeps 3 days refrigerated. Fresh pasta freezes raw for 2 months.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• In a sauce, full-fat crème fraîche can usually take the place of the double cream; single cream is thinner and more likely to split if it boils, so keep it below a simmer.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

What to Serve Alongside

• A glass of Sangiovese
• Green salad
• Crusty bread

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Rosemary Focaccia, Creamy Parmesan Polenta, Cauliflower Risotto.

Questions and Answers

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 3 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

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