We have pretty much run out of the La Cucina Pasta Issue recipes.  Tonight, Victor made one of their pastas, but the sauce was pure Victor.

In his TV cooking-show-watching, he saw a couple of different pasta recipes with truffles.  One was a Wolfgang Puck dish with billion-dollar-a-pound white truffles.  Another was Ina – the Barefoot Contessa – making a pasta butter or something.

So…

Tagliatelle al Burro al Tartufo  –  Tagliatelle with Truffle Butter – was born.

The sauce is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I tell ya…  if ya have to go, this is the way to do it – with a smile on your face.

And we have to thank Ann and Julie for letting us know that it was okay to have real, fresh truffles in the house in the first place.  They brought us truffles last year when they visited and after using them up, decided I really could buy one myself now and again.

They really are a very special treat!

Tagliatelle al Burro al Tartufo

Tagliatelle Fresche

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • Coarse sea salt

Instructions

On a clean work surface, mound flour and form a well in the center. Add eggs and egg yolks to the well. Using a fork, gently break up yolks and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed, then knead for 10 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes.
Divide dough into 3 pieces. Cover 2 pieces with plastic wrap. Flatten remaining dough piece so that it will fit through the rollers of a pasta machine.

Set rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.
Roll pasta through machine, decreasing the setting, one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta), until pasta sheet is scant 1/16 inch thick.

Cut sheet in half widthwise; dust both sides of sheets with flour. Layer sheets between floured pieces of parchment or wax paper. Cover with paper and repeat with remaining dough.

With the short end of 1 pasta sheet facing you, loosely fold up sheet, folding sheet over two or three times from short ends toward the center. With a large chefs knife, cut folded sheet into ribbons, a scant 1/4 inch wide. Unroll strips and lightly dust with flour; spread on a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pasta sheets.

To cook the tagliatelle, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta, transfer to a large serving bowl and toss with sauce.

In the meantime, in a large skillet:

Sauce

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 7 oz truffle butter

Truffle butter

  • 1 small, fresh truffle
  • 7 oz softened butter

Grate the truffle with a fine plane and in a mixer (or by hand) whip the truffle and butter together. You can do this a day ahead and refrigerate, covered.

While the pasta is cooking, add the heavy cream to the skillet and bring to just a simmer.  Add the butter and let it melt into the cream. Remove from heat and immediately add the drained pasta to the skillet with the grated cheese, reserving some cheese for topping. Serve immediately.

Victor only used about half of the truffle butter.  It was more than adequate.

And better markets will probably have truffle butter already made, if you’re so inclined.