Wild Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Porcini are the aristocrats of the Italian woodland, and they cannot be farmed. They are found, in their own season, by people who know where to look — which is precisely why a good porcini sauce costs what it costs.

Cooked slowly to draw out their depth, they give a sauce that is earthy, savoury and unmistakably of the forest floor, with a meaty texture that makes it entirely satisfying without any meat in sight.

Stir through fresh tagliatelle, spoon over soft polenta, or use it to turn a risotto into the sort of thing people remember. Autumn cooking, available all year.