Dragoncello wafting through the air with the delightful dishes of Tuscany all without a fire-breathing dragon in sight.
- Pamela Marasco
- Mar 30
- 3 min read
Around 774 Charlemagne stopped near Montalcino in Chianti on his return to Rome. His army was suffering from the plague and he decided to make camp when an angel advised him to collect a particular kind of grass and infuse it with the local wine. The army was cured and Charlemagne built an abbey on the site and dedicated it to Saint’ Antimo. The abbey still stands and the grass Charlemagne collected can still be found today. The grass is called dragoncello (little dragon) better known as Italian tarragon.
Tarragon, native to Central Asia, spread west into Italy after the Crusades. Its pungent taste and twisted serpentine roots were thought to resemble dragon tongues and although it is most often thought of as a “French” herb, contributing to the anise-like flavor of a classic Béarnaise sauce, it is a popular herb in Tuscany, particularly in Siena. Tarragon’s aniseed flavor; a bit like fennel compliments the cooking of Chianti.
Herbs such as menta (mint) and dragoncello (tarragon) may not be as familiar as basil and oregano when thinking of Italian cooking but the regional foods of Siena in Tuscany and certain parts of Umbria make liberal use of these aromatic herbs in dishes like
cannoli di ricotta al dragoncello e pecorino (a short crust pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese, tarragon and pecorino cheese)
gnocchi verdi alle erbette con menta e dragoncello (gnocchi served with a sauce made of mint, tarragon and parsley)
and funghi porcini al dragoncello (porcini mushrooms flavored with tarragon).
It is also used to flavor stewed and stuffed artichokes and is a key ingredient in a popular Tuscan salsa called Dragoncello Sauce that is served with vegetables, fritto misto, poultry, seafood and Italian bistecca.
You’ll need to travel outside the tourist flow to see and savor this side of Italy so make sure to look for local trattorie in towns like Colle di Val’ d’ Elsa, Siena, Artimino and Volterra for dishes made with Tuscan tarragon. Here you’ll find profumato al dragoncello wafting through the air with delightful dishes that are particular to the region all without a fire-breathing dragon in sight.
Tagliatelle with Mushrooms and Tarragon Cream Sauce
Recommended Ingredients
Ingredients
8 ounces of tagliatelle pasta
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
8 -10 ounces mushrooms, cleaned ancut into bite-sized pieces
3 ounces dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon tarragon finely chopped
Fine sea salt and coarse ground pepper to taste
Method
Make pasta according to package directions. While it comes to a boil, start the sauce.
Over medium heat, warm a large skillet on the stove top. Melt the butter, then add shallots and saute until shallots begins to brown. Add the oil and garlic, stirring constantly until garlic is a light golden brown. Do not allow garlic to burn.
Add the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste adding a little more oil if needed. Once the mushrooms start to brown, add the wine and deglaze pan then add the cream and stir, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Stir in the tarragon. Taste and adjust seasonings. Keep the sauce on very low heat until your pasta is ready, stirring occasionally.
Drain the water from the pasta (retaining a cup of pasta water). Using tongs, transfer pasta into the pan with the sauce. If your sauce is too thick, add a bit of the pasta water to thin the sauce until you reach the desired consistency. Twist the cooked pasta into the sauce and serve.
You can visit the Abbey (abbazia) of Sant’Antimo, one of the oldest and most scenic abbeys of Tuscany, near Montalcino. Here you can purchase food products (honey, jams and herbal teas) made according to the centuries-old monastic herbal traditions and experience services at the abbey accompanied by the Gregorian chant.
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