Strudel di Funghi e Mascarpone (Mushroom Strudel)

In Trentino–Alto Adige, mushrooms are cultivated and foraged. The mushrooms found throughout the region have been revered since ancient times and referred to by the ancient Romans as the food of the gods. Found both in cultivation caves and out in the woods growing wild, the bounty lends itself to various uses. Simple buttons, trumpets, morels, chanterelles, and even porcini are found in the woodlands and used in many dishes.

Borrowing from German-Austrian cuisine, strudels celebrate the farms’ ingredients. This buttery lattice dough enrobes these mushrooms, herbs, and speck, the most common cured ham of Alto Adige. If you can source some for this recipe, it adds a bit of smokiness, as it’s part of the curing process. However, prosciutto can be substituted, if needed. I love to assemble all three strudels, bake one for immediate snacking, and save two in the freezer for when friends pop by for a glass of wine before dinner.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Italian Snacking' by Anna Francese Gass. Buy the full book on Amazon.