wild mushrooms — Blog — SAUCE SANDWICH

A wild summer mushroom lasagna with a black trumpet bechamel. The foundation of the recipe was heavily inspired by Evan Funke ‘s American Sfoglino which is a great book for anyone obsessed with pasta. This was decadent yet subtle - nothing beats a big fat corner of lasagna with crispy edges. Full recipe below along with a detailed video of the process.

The Pasta

Ingredients

454 g 00 Flour

258 g eggs (beaten before mixing)

*makes roughly 5 layers of 9 x 13 inch pasta. Four of those layers can be cut exactly to the size of your pan, and with the scraps you can assemble the 5th layer.

Directions

Mix the flours and dump out the weighed amount onto a clean work surface.
Use your hand to form a well (like a volcano) in the center of the flour.
Carefully pour your eggs into the center and begin slowly mixing together with a fork. Gradually, carefully, work your way all around to incorporate the eggs with the flour, without breaking the outer wall. A bench scraper is a handy tool to have at this point if you have one.
After about 5 - 10 minutes it will start coming together into a shaggy mass. Begin using your hands to knead the dough together. Work diligently for another 5 minutes until it is no longer shaggy.
Use the edges of your hands, knuckles, to work the dough until it starts to form a smooth ball. Knead it, applying pressure, into the work surface. Fold it. Knead it again. After about ten minutes it should be smooth and ready to rest.
Cut the dough into two and wrap each in plastic wrap. Set into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
The following steps revolve around using a mattarello (Italian rolling pin) - but you could also do this with a pasta machine. Remove one of the dough balls, unwrap, cut it in half (resulting in 1/4 the amount of the original dough ball. Wrap the other half while you roll your first sheet. Place the cut piece of pasta dough in the center of your work surface. Apply a light dusting of flour to both the surface and the top of the dough.
Slowly apply downwards pressure with the rolling pin, starting from the center of the ball and moving outwards. Repeat, methodically, always working from the center outwards - creating the general shape of the pan you’ll be baking the lasagna in. The sfoglia (pasta dough) will gradually begin to flatten and create a large round sheet on your work surface. If you’re finding the dough sticky, use a tiny bit more flour. Periodically flip the dough over and work from the other side. This process requires a little elbow grease and about 10-15 minutes of your time. You’ll know you’re done when the dough stops pulling inwards on itself and the thickness is about 2-3 mm. It should be light and delicate but be able to retain it’s shape. Cut the sfoglia into 9 x 13 inch pieces, saving the scraps to assemble another layer of the lasagna. Allow the dough to air dry while you gather all the other ingredients - ready to assemble the layers into your baking tray.
Blanch each sheet of pasta in boiling salted water for about 30 - 45 seconds each.
Remove with a slotted spoon, drain excess water, and layer right into the baking pan.

The Mushrooms

Ingredients

2 lbs of fresh chanterelles

3 shallots (finely chopped)

4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

Fresh thyme

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

Clean the mushrooms of any debris and slice into thin pieces. Set aside.
Bring a skillet up to medium heat and saute the finely diced shallots in olive oil until translucent.
Add the finely diced garlic and thyme and saute for another few minutes.
Add the chanterelles and cook them down for about ten minutes until they significantly reduce in size and begin to brown.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool down.

The Black Trumpet Bescamel

Ingredients

15 g dried black trumpets (blitz into a fine powder)

8 tbsp butter

1 cup 00 flour

5 cups or 236 grams of whole milk

A pinch of grated nutmeg

Salt

Directions

Bring a heavy duty skillet up to medium heat.
Melt the butter in the pan.
Slowly add the flour into the butter and whisk constantly. The trick with bescamel is patience, being slow and steady to incorporate the ingredients gradually to avoid it being lumpy.
Continue adding all the flour to the butter and the mixture will start to become crumbly and fragrant as it browns/toasts in the pan. Keep whisking the mixture for about 5 minutes before adding the milk in little by little - constantly whisking to incorporate. The milk will begin to loosen the crumbly mixture and after a few minutes of stirring it will appear silky. Add a little more milk if it feels too thick.
Season with salt, and a pinch of grated nutmeg, and add the black trumpet powder.
Continue to stir on low heat for another few minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool down before using it in the lasagna.

The Lasagna

Ingredients

The pasta sheets

The sauteed mushroom mixture

The black trumpet bescamel

Grated pecorino romano or parmesan

Fresh basil for garnish

Directions

On the bottom of your baking pan, spoon in a layer of bescamel and coat the pan evenly.
Add your first sheet of blanched pasta dough.
Add an even layer of the cooked mushrooms, spread evenly across the surface.
Spoon on another layer of bescamel, followed by a generous sprinkling of grated cheese.
Lay in another sheet of pasta and repeat the process until you have no more left. This recipe will yield about 5 sheets that are 9 x 13 inches. The thicker you make your pasta, the less surface area you’ll get. Be sure to save all your scraps of pasta as you cut them down to size - to reassemble them to create another layer of pasta.
Bake (covered) for 30 minutes at 375F.
Remove the cover, and bake for another 30 minutes uncovered.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool down for at least ten minutes.
The steaming pasta will start to settle and firm up as it cools.
Cut into pieces and garnish with more freshly grated cheese and fresh basil.

Cappellacci dei Briganti, a pasta shape which imitates the hats worn by 19th century guerrilla fighters known as brigands. These self-declared soldiers formed rebel militias and roamed the hills of Southern Italy at the time of the Risorgimento or the unification of Italy. This style of pasta originated in Molise and is typically served with a lamb ragu. When brainstorming pasta dishes that feature foraged wild mushrooms I couldn't help make the connection between the shape of the pasta with black trumpets. I've been wanting to make these since last summer and finally got myself sorted out to make it happen. The pasta dough incorporates a small percentage of dried black trumpet powder to give them their distinct color. The final flavor of the mushrooms is rather subtle as it competes with the hearty lamb ragu but it adds a nice earthy subtext to the dish. It was perfect for a cold winter night with a good glass of red wine in hand and the kids shipped off to Nonna's house. Video of the process below. It’s a lot easier than it looks.

Black Trumpet Cappellacci dei briganti

Ingredients

430 g 00 Flour

20 g dehydrated wild mushroom powder

250 g eggs (beaten before mixing)

*Portioned for 5 - 6 people

Tools:

Circular cookie cutter, conical metal pastry tip (see photos/video for sizing)

Directions

Using a spice grinder (or similar) blitz your dried mushrooms into a very fine powder. Here I’m using black trumpets but you could easily substitute with any other edible wild mushroom.
Mix together the mushroom powder and flour into a bowl, and dump out onto your clean work surface.
Use your hand to form a well (like a volcano) in the center of the flour.
Carefully pour your eggs into the center and begin slowly mixing together with a fork. Gradually, carefully, work your way all around to incorporate the eggs with the flour, without breaking the outer wall.
After about 5 - 10 minutes it will start coming together into a shaggy mass. Begin using your hands to knead the dough together. Work diligently for another 5 minutes until it is no longer shaggy.
Use the edges of your hands, knuckles, to work the dough until it starts to form a smooth ball. Roll it, applying pressure, into the work surface. Fold it. Roll it again. After about ten minutes it should be a smooth, and ready to rest.
Cut the dough into two and wrap each in plastic wrap. Set into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
The following step revolve around using a pasta attachment on a Kitchenaid - but you could also do this by hand with a rolling pin. Remove one of the dough balls, unwrap, and cut off a portion of the dough. Lightly flour and cover the rest back with plastic. Press gently and form a rectangle.
Pass the dough through the sheet pasta attachment at it’s widest setting. If it feels sticky, add a little more flour. Gradually tighten the settings of the pasta attachment, one click at a time, and pass the pasta sheet through until it is light and delicate. I normally go to the 6th setting.
Allow the sheet of dough (sfoglia) to dry for 2-3 minutes. Use the circle cookie cutter and punch out as many circles as you can on each sheet of pasta dough. Save the scraps for maltagliati.
The next steps become much easier with a visual reference. I have provided a diagram below and the video helps to show the process. Again, it’s easier than you think. Using your metal pastry tip cone, place the large side in the center of one of the pasta circles. The dough should NOT be sticky. You don’t want it to stick to cone.
Fold the sides of the circle over the cone, and gently press them together with your thumb.
Using your other hand, carefully fold down the top of the cone to form what we’ll call the brim of the hat. The metal cone should be concealed inside the shape of the pasta.
Carefully slide the cone out, continuing to press gently at the seem. Flip upside down and allow to air dry for about 15 - 20 minutes before covering and setting into the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. Repeat the process until you have no dough left. It moves quickly once you find your rhythm.
Cook right away of store in the fridge covered with a towel for up to a day.

Lamb Ragu

Ingredients:

1 lamb shoulder (broken down, trimmed, cut into 1 inch cubes)

1 onion (finely diced)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

½ cup celery (finely diced)

½ cup carrots (finely diced)

8 oz tomato paste

32 oz canned tomatoes (crushed)

1 cup red wine

2 cups hot broth

2 tbsp fresh sage (finely minced)

2 tbsp fresh thyme (finely minced)

3-4 bay leaves

Directions:

Break down the rabbit into 6 pieces. Hind legs, forelegs, and split the body into two. Season with salt and pepper.

Brown the meat on all sides in a deep pot. The less oil the better for getting a nice brown crust. Set aside.
Add the garlic, onions, celery, carrots and herbs and cook on medium/low for a few minutes until softened.
Add the tomato paste, a little olive oil, and mix together until well incorporated.
Pour in your red wine and simmer down for another few minutes. Use a wood spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Add tomatoes and bring up to a low simmer. Add about a half a cup of broth and stir.
Add the lamb back into the pot, partially cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours - turning the meat every 15 minutes and stirring the sauce so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If the sauce feels like it’s getting too thick add a little more hot broth to thin it out.
It normally takes me about 5 hours until the meat starts to shred and fall apart. This is how you want the ragu, without any big chunks of meat.
Shred the meat from the bones and pull apart into small pieces. Add the shredded meat back into the ragu and stir together.
Transfer a few ladles full into another pan and set on low heat. After your pasta is cooked, toss it with the pan ragu. Plate your pasta, add some more ragu on top.
Top each plate with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese or pecorino, and some fresh basil.