Watching the Forest Floor: A July Guide to Rocky Mountain Porcini
Each July, after the first real monsoon rains, I find myself scanning the forest floor a little more closely, not for feathers or tracks but for the rounded, red-brown cap of Boletus rubriceps.
Also known as the Rocky Mountain porcini, it’s one of the best-tasting wild mushrooms in the West—firm, earthy, and deeply satisfying. I usually find them under Engelmann spruce or subalpine fir, tucked into shaded slopes where the soil stays damp.
What I Do When I Find Them
When the timing’s good, I gather enough for a few fresh meals and dry the rest to use in soups and stews later in the year. Their texture holds up, and the flavor deepens over time. My favorite way to use them is in a hand-rolled pasta dish I’ve been making for years—something similar to Croatian pljukanci. The mushrooms go into a white wine, shallot, and cream sauce, finished with fresh Parmigiano and a little cracked pepper.
It’s simple, but the flavor is unmistakable: summer in the high country.
If you’d like to try it yourself, here’s a basic version:
Rocky Mountain Porcini with Hand-Rolled Pasta
Serves 2–3
Pasta:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- ~⅓ cup water (adjust as needed)
Mix and knead until smooth, then rest. Roll dough into thin ropes and flick into short, tapered shapes with your fingers. Boil in salted water until just done.
Sauce:
- 1–2 cups sliced fresh porcini
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or butter
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Sauté the shallot in oil or butter until soft. Add porcini and cook until golden. Deglaze with wine, reduce slightly, then stir in cream. Simmer briefly, then toss with the pasta and finish with plenty of Parm.
It’s the kind of dish I only make in July, when the timing is right and I’ve had the luck and patience to bring a few home.
Paying Attention to Timing
This part of the season always pulls me in. Whether I’m birding in the prairie or scanning shaded slopes for mushrooms, I keep noticing how much depends on timing, water, and the myriad rhythms of nature.
👉 If this season has you tuning into rhythms—whether in the forest or the sky—consider joining the upcoming tour. Each fall, thousands of Mississippi Kites move through Veracruz, Mexico, in one of the world’s most dynamic migrations.
Join us August 28–September 1, 2025, for a guided experience that blends migration, culture, and the richness of late summer birding. You’ll encounter species like Swallow-tailed Kite, Aplomado Falcon, and Keel-billed Toucan—alongside the kites themselves.
🔗 Click here to reserve your spot
(Limited to 10 participants)
See you in the field,
Jeff Birek
Pteravia