LUMBERJACK-STYLE HOMEMADE FETTUCCINE

A Creamy, Rustic Italian Comfort for Sunday Lunch with the family

Fettuccine alla Boscaiola, or "lumberjack-style fettuccine," is the kind of hearty, rustic dish that speaks directly to the soul of Italian comfort food. Traditionally served in the cooler months and especially popular in Tuscany and Umbria, this pasta combines the earthy richness of mushrooms with the savory depth of Italian sausage, all brought together in a creamy sauce that clings beautifully to wide, homemade egg noodles.  

The name boscaiola refers to the "woodcutter" or "lumberjack", hinting at the dish’s rural roots and bold, satisfying flavors. When made with nonna’s handmade fettuccine, the result is a meal that’s both refined and rustic, perfect for a Sunday family lunch around the table.  

To elevate it further, some versions add a splash of white wine, a hint of garlic, or even a spoonful of tomato passata for depth. It's typically finished with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan, and best served with a glass of red wine—think Sangiovese or Montepulciano.  

While indulgent, this dish also offers nutritional balance. Egg pasta provides protein and energy-sustaining carbs, while mushrooms add fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants. Sausage contributes protein and iron, and the cream gives the sauce a silky richness that makes this dish so comforting.  

If you enjoy rolling your own pasta why not checking out our Pope-Style Fettuccine recipe?

A little history

Though variations exist across Italy, Fettuccine alla Boscaiola is most often associated with central Italy, where mushroom foraging is a cherished autumn tradition. The dish originated as a way to celebrate the wild ingredients of the forest—especially porcini mushrooms—paired with ingredients commonly found in rural homes like sausage and cream.  

Its deep connection to the land and the family table has made it a nonna’s favorite, passed down through generations as a go-to Sunday recipe. When paired with fresh, hand-rolled fettuccine, it becomes a true celebration of home cooking and seasonality.

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INGREDIENTS👇🏻

For the fettuccine:

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 300g | 10.6oz plain flour

• Re-milled durum wheat semolina, as necessary  

For the sauce:

• 80g | 2.8oz dried Penny Bun mushrooms

• 400g | 14.1oz sausage meat

• 125ml | 4.40fl oz white wine

• 250ml | 8.80fl oz fresh single cream

• 1 clove of garlic

• Sea salt

• Black pepper

• Parmigiano cheese to taste

• Freshly chopped parsley

• Extra virgin olive oil  

• Coarse sea salt for boiling water

The recipe step by step

1. For the fettuccine: create a volcano shape with the flour on the working top and add the eggs in the middle

   
   

2. Incorporate the flour little by little whisking with a fork

   
   

3. When all the ingredients are amalgamated, knead by hand till the dough is smooth and silky

   
   

4. Roll in a ball, wrap it in cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes [start preparing the sauce on point 10!]

   
   

5. Unwrap the dough and cut it into two parts, shape each part into a rectangle and roll it into a sheet less than 0.1” [2mm] thick

   
   

6. Roll in the short ends on both sides of the sheets, like scrolls, then cut strips of circa 0.4”[1cm] to create your fettuccine

   
   

7. Unravel the scrolls with the help of the blunt edge of a knife, then create nest shapes with your fettuccine and dust the nests with generous semolina, so that they won’t stick to each other while drying

   
   

8. Bring the water to a boil and add the coarse sea salt before dropping the fettuccine in; cook al dente, 3-4 minutes only

   
   

9. Drain the pasta and toss it into the sauce pan  

   
   

10. For the sauce: soak the dried mushroom in room temperature water for at least 30 minutes [to speed up the process you can use hot water for 10-15 minutes], then squeeze all the water out of the mushroom and keep it aside

    
    

11. Peel the sausages and break the meat into small lumps

    
    

12. Add a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and sizzle a clove of garlic on low heat for a couple of minutes, then add the meat and sizzle until golden-brown

    
    

13. Remove the garlic clove before adding white wine, stir thoroughly and sauté till it is all evaporated

    
    

14. Add the mushrooms to the pan with sea salt and a couple of ladles of their water, then cook thoroughly on low heat with a lid on  

    
    

15. When the pasta is cooked al dente, add the fresh cream to the pan and adjust the salt before tossing it in

    
    

16. Stir thoroughly while sauteing, add a generous scrunch of black pepper and freshly chopped parsley

    
    

17. Let all the flavors merry up while the cream thickens, then remove from the stove

    
    

18. Before serving, shave parmigiano cheese on top and add more black pepper and freshly chopped parsley to decorate…then enjoy! 😋