Neapolitan rigatoni with creamy mushroom “alla capa ‘e’ mbrello”

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Silvia Colloca

Neapolitan rigatoni with fresh and dried porcini in a creamy white wine sauce.

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About this recipe

Silvia Colloca's Neapolitan rigatoni tossed with fresh and dried porcini, white wine and a touch of cream, the porcini soaking liquor stirred back in for depth. A pasta named for the umbrella shape of the porcini cap. Parmigiano over the top.

The name (alla capa 'e mbrello, in Neapolitan dialect, literally umbrella head) refers to the curved, umbrella-like shape of the porcini cap when cooked; the dish is the Campanian household pasta that celebrates the wild autumn mushroom haul from the Apennine forests above Naples. The signature porcini are the cep mushroom (Boletus edulis), foraged seasonally and dried for use through the year.

The dried-porcini soaking liquor is the structural ingredient. Cover dried porcini in warm water for twenty minutes; the resulting broth is deep brown, intensely savoury and forms the foundational cooking liquid for the sauce. Strain it through a fine sieve to catch any grit from the dried mushroom packaging; pour it into the pan with the white wine and reduce together.

Fresh mushrooms (whatever mix of shiitake, swiss brown, oyster or button is available) are cooked hard in olive oil first to drive off their water before they join the porcini in the sauce. Cooked-from-water mushrooms steam rather than fry and turn rubbery; cooked-from-dry mushrooms develop the proper browned-and-meaty texture that suits the dish. Rigatoni's thick walls and inner ribbing catch the cream sauce and the mushroom pieces in equal measure. Spring onion sliced through and parsley leaves to finish.

Ingredients

- 400g San Remo Rigatoni

- 500g mixed fresh mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

- 40g dried porcini mushrooms, reserve the soaking liquid

- 3 spring onion thinly sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 100ml white wine

- 100ml heavy cream

- 50g grated Parmigiano

- 2 tablespoons Monini Classico extra virgin Olive Oil

- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- Fresh parsley, chopped

- lemon zest

Method

1. In a small bowl, soak the dried porcini mushrooms in warm water for about 20 minutes. Once rehydrated, drain them, but keep the soaking liquid for later use.Chop the porcini into small pieces, and set both the mushrooms and the soaking liquid aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spring onion and garlic, sautéing for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant.

3. Add the sliced fresh mushrooms and rehydrated porcini mushrooms to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pour in the white wine to deglaze and cook for another 2-3 minutes, allowing it to reduce and absorb into the mushrooms.

5. Lower the heat to medium-low, and pour in the heavy cream. Stir to combine, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly for 3-4 minutes. Add 100ml of the porcini mushroom soaking liquid for extra depth of flavor. Stir to incorporate.

6. Now that the sauce is nearly ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook according to the package instructions, until just al dente.

7. Once the pasta is cooked, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer it directly from the water into the skillet with the sauce. Be sure to bring a bit of the pasta cooking water with it. Toss the pasta in the sauce, allowing the starchy water to help thicken and bind the sauce to the pasta. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.

8. To finish, add the grated Parmigiano to the pasta, tossing gently to combine. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.

9. Serve the rigatoni in warm bowls, garnished with freshly chopped parsley, lemon zest and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired.

Silvia Colloca

Silvia Colloca is a Roman-born cook, opera singer and cookbook author who has spent the last decade documenting the regional cooking of Italy from her home in Sydney. She fronts Silvia’s Masterclass, working through the country one mother-recipe at a time. Her style is patient: fresh pasta by hand, long-rise focaccia, sauces built slow.