Fresh Pappardelle with Mushroom Ragù
Egg dough rolled thin by hand and cut into ribbons, tossed with a mushroom ragù built to taste like it simmered all day.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Written
Method
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Mound the flour on a board, make a well in the center, and add the eggs, olive oil, and salt; whisk with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
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Knead until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed, about 8 minutes, then wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
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Cover the porcini in hot water and let them sit until soft, about 15 minutes; strain, reserving the liquid, and chop.
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Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the shallot and garlic until soft, about 3 minutes.
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Add the cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid and it boils away, then keep going until they brown.
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Stir in the tomato paste and porcini, and cook until the paste darkens, about 1 minute.
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Pour in the wine and simmer until the pan is nearly dry, then add the reserved mushroom liquid and cream and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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Roll the pasta dough out thin enough to see your hand through it, then cut into ¾-inch ribbons.
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Boil the pappardelle in well-salted water until it floats to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes, then lift it straight into the ragù with a splash of the pasta water.
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Toss until the sauce clings, then finish with Parmesan and thyme.
Notes
Rest the dough before rolling — skip it and the gluten fights back, snapping instead of stretching thin. The porcini soaking liquid is what gives the sauce its depth; strain it through a coffee filter if it’s gritty, and don’t pour off the last cloudy inch where the sand settles.
No pasta machine needed, just a rolling pin and patience, though a machine makes the ribbons more even. Dried pappardelle works in a pinch if you’re short on time — the ragù is the part worth the effort, and it holds well in the fridge for a couple of days, better than the fresh dough does.