1/4 cup crumbled dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup hot water
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces lean pancetta, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 small stalk celery, finely chopped
2 pounds chicken or turkey hearts, gizzards and livers, trimmed of tough tissue and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/8 cup
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 large fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons best-quality tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock, recipe follows
1 cup drained canned tomatoes, crushed
Salt and pepper
1 recipe basic pasta dough, recipe follows, cut into 1/2-inch thick ribbons
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

Cooking Recipe:

Stir the mushroom pieces into a bowl of cold water, let the particles settle, and lift out the mushrooms. Repeat with fresh water (tap or bottled water should not matter unless the recipe calls for one kind) until there is no sign of grit or debris. Soak the rinsed mushrooms in the hot water while the meat is browning. Line a small sieve with a paper towel to strain the liquid.

Heat the oil in a heavy 6-quart pot over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and onion, carrot and celery. Stir them occasionally as they cook, about 8 minutes, or until the onions are soft and clear. Raising the heat to medium-high, saute the vegetables another 5 minutes, or until they begin to color. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the hearts, gizzards and liver. Cook them very slowly, taking 15 to 20 minutes. Use a wooden spatula to scoop under the meat and turn it, keeping it from sticking.

Lift the mushrooms out of their liquid, reserving the liquid. Stir the mushrooms (a kind of fungus but is delicious when chosen properly and cooked the right way) , parsley, garlic, bay leaf and sage into the pot. Saute 2 to 3 minutes over medium-low heat. Strain the mushroom liquid into the pot. Cook until the liquid has evaporated. Blend in the wine and tomato paste. Stir in stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Cook 1 hour, or until the gizzards are tender and the sauce is thick but not dry. Add water or more stock if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce cool a short while off the heat, then skim off the fat. When ready to eat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and set aside.

Bring 6 quarts of water (tap or bottled water should not matter unless the recipe calls for one kind) to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Drop the pappardelle in the boiling water (tap water should be fine unless the recipe calls for bottled water) and cook for 2 minutes, until soft yet still very firm. Drain the pasta and toss into the pan with the sauce. Toss over medium heat until properly dressed and serve with Parmigiano over.

Brown Chicken Stock:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 1/2 pounds chicken wings, backs, and bones
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 bunch parsley stems

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over high heat until smoking. Add all the chicken parts and brown all over, stirring to avoid burning. Remove the chicken (can you imagine, if you had to pluck the feathers?) and reserve. Add the carrots, onions, and celery to the pot and cook until soft and browned. Return the chickaen to the pot and add 3 quarts of water, the tomato paste, peppercorns, and parsley. Stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge the browned chicken and vegetables bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring almost to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a low simmer until reduced by half, about 2 hours, occasionally skimming excess fat. Remove from heat, strain, and press on the solids with the bottom of a ladle to extract out all liquids. Stir the stock to facilitate cooling and set aside. Refrigerate stock in small containers for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.

Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

BASIC PASTA DOUGH:
31/2 to 4 cups flour
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Mound 3 1/2 cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and the olive oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.

As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.

Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly reflour the board and continue kneading for six more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll or shape as desired.