Pinci With Boscaiola

by Chef Alida Solomon

If you have trouble finding fennel sausage, substitute Italian sausage and ½ teaspoon cracked fennel seed. Alida Solomon uses pinci pasta, which she makes, but spaghetti and linguine are both good substitutes.

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound Italian fennel sausage removed from its casing
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound mixed sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, king oyster, honey)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups beef stock
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine celery, onion and carrot in a food processor and pulse until vegetables are finely chopped. This mixture is called a soffritto.
Soak dried porcini mushrooms in hot water for 5 minutes or until softened.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage meat and sauté, stirring to break into small pieces, for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Turn heat to medium-low, add soffritto and garlic, and sauté for 10 minutes or until soffritto is soft.

Add mixed mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes longer or until they are juicy. Add white wine and simmer for 5 minutes or until evaporated. Add soaked porcini and liquid, beef stock, crushed tomatoes and bay leaves and stir to combine. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, or until sauce is thick and full of flavour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, toss with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

There’s lots of beverage latitude here provided the beverage is red and comes from Italy or southern France. A Tuscan wine would be ideal, notably Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or Brunello di Montalcino. So would Barolo or Barbaresco, two great northern reds made from the nebbiolo grape. Other good, affordable Italian choices include Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Salice Salentino, nero d’Avola and barbera. The herbal undertones of many southern French reds would work nicely, too. Consider Côtes du Rhône, Minervois, Saint-Chinian, Costières de Nîmes and Corbières.