The full title of this recipe is Pappardelle Pie with Wild Mushrooms and Taleggio. Sounds delicious, right? And I absolutely have this thing about baked pasta dishes. I don’t know why they’re so good.
The recipe is from Delia’s Christmas, although this particular dish doesn’t really scream “holidays” to me! Nonetheless, it would be a great dish to make in advance for company at any time. It’s easy, comforting, and delicious.
My only problem with this dish is that I cannot buy “fancy” mushrooms where I live. It requires a visit to Whole Foods, which is always fun, but it’s about 80 miles away. Then hallelujah, I found mushrooms on a fabulous website called Pacific Wild Pick. They sell more than just mushrooms, as well.
I purchased 2 pounds of chestnut mushrooms, because no dark-gilled mushrooms were available at the time. Perhaps it was not their season.
Pappardelle Pie with Wild Mushrooms and Taleggio
Printable recipe below
10 ounces pappardelle (I used Casareccia)
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (I used 1 ounce)
5 ounces Marsala wine
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion
14 ounces large chestnut mushrooms
9 ounces large, dark-gilled mushrooms
6 cloves garlic
19 ounces milk
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
Scant 3 tablespoons flour
Grated nutmeg, to taste
2 tablespoons double cream
6 ounces Taleggio, cut in cubes
2 ounces grated Parmesan
Begin by placing the porcini (broken into pieces) in a small saucepan, add the Marsala, bring up to simmering point, then take it off the heat and put on a timer for the porcini to soak for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and the same with the garlic. Then heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide shallow pan, add the onions and let them cook over a lowish heat for about 10 minutes. While that’s happening, chop the chestnut mushrooms (through the stalk) into quarters and the larger mushrooms into six. After that add the garlic to the onion and cook, stirring it around, for a minute or two before adding the prepared fresh mushrooms.Stir and toss them around until they start to shrink, add some seasoning and let them cook very gently. I used salt and some white pepper.
Then, when the 30 minutes’ soaking tine is up, add the porcini and Marsala and do some more tossing and stirring. Continue to cook with the heat at medium for about 30-40 minutes, or until all the juices have evaporated. Put a large pan of water on to boil and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, make an all-in-one béchamel sauce by placing the milk, butter and flour in a saucepan, then whisking over a medium heat until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Then turn the heat to its lowest and cook for 5 minutes, adding some seasoning and the nutmeg. At the end whisk in 2 tablespoons of the double cream.
When the mushrooms are ready, cook the pasta in the boiling water for 8 minutes, then drain it in a colander.
Return it to the saucepan, add two-thirds of the sauce, along with the mushrooms and cubes of Taleggio. Now pile the whole lot into the baking dish, cover the pasta with the rest of the sauce and finally sprinkle with the Parmesan and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. When it is removed from the oven, allow it to settle for 10 minutes before serving, like with all baked pastas.
Serve warm. Wish I’d had some parsley to sprinkle on top.
There is nothing wrong with this dish. It’s delicious, and I loved discovering chestnut mushrooms! However, I do wish that it had more cheese and bechamel. There, I said it. I mean, it’s the holidays, right?!
Pappardelle Pie with Wild Mushrooms and Taleggio
10.5 ounces pappardelle
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
5 ounces Marsala wine
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion
14 ounces large chestnut mushrooms
9 ounces large, dark-gilled mushrooms
6 cloves garlic
19 ounces milk
1.7 ounces butter
1.4 ounces flour
1/2 whole nutmeg, freshly grated
2 tablespoons double cream
6 ounces Taleggio, cut in cubes
2 ounces grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
White pepper, my addition
Begin by placing the porcini (broken into pieces) in a small saucepan, add the Marsala, bring up to simmering point, then take it off the heat and put on a timer for the porcini to soak for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and the same with the garlic. Then heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide shallow pan, add the onions and let them cook over a lowish heat for about 10 minutes. While that’s happening, chop the chestnut mushrooms (through the stalk) into quarters and the larger mushrooms into six. After that add the garlic to the onion and cook, stirring it around, for a minute or two before adding the prepared fresh mushrooms.
Stir and toss them around until they start to shrink, add some seasoning and let them cook very gently. Then, when the 30 minutes’ soaking tine is up, add the porcini and Marsala and do some more tossing and stirring. Continue to cook with the heat at medium for about 30-40 minutes, or until all the juices have evaporated. Put a large pan of water on to boil and preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
Meanwhile, make an all-in-one béchamel sauce by placing the milk, butter and flour in a saucepan, then whisking over a medium heat until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Then turn the heat to its lowest and cook for 5 minutes, adding some seasoning and the nutmeg. At the end whisk in 2 tablespoons of the double cream.
When the mushrooms are ready, cook the pasta in the boiling water for 8 minutes, then drain it in a colander. Return it to the saucepan, add two-thirds of the sauce, along with the mushrooms and cubes of Taleggio. Now pile the whole lot into the baking dish, cover the pasta with the rest of the sauce and finally sprinkle with the Parmesan and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. When it is removed from the oven, allow it to settle for 10 minutes before serving, like with all baked pastas.