Everything tastes better with butter. Who can deny this fact? Imagine popcorn, potatoes, bread, corn on the cob, lobster and even Paula Deen without butter. Without their better parts, oops, I mean butter pats, they would definitely be less popular. If you love all things butter, like I do, and if you want to treat your taste buds to something indescribable, try this super easy pasta dish that was mentioned in my Cracked Crab with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette post. What could be better than butter? How about truffle butter! It’s the special ingredient in this rich and creamy pasta dish that is easy enough to throw together on a busy night, yet is incredibly delicious to serve to company.
Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter
Recipe by Ina Garten
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 ounces white truffle butter
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8.82-ounce) package Cipriani tagliarelle dried pasta or other egg fettuccine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 ounces Parmesan, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler
Directions:
1. Add 1 tablespoon salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) saute pan, heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add the truffle butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, lower the heat to very low, and swirl the butter until it melts. Keep warm over very low heat.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, exactly. (If you’re not using Cipriani pasta, follow the directions on the package.) When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the saute pan and toss it with the truffle-cream mixture. As the pasta absorbs the sauce, add as much of the reserved cooking water, as necessary, to keep the pasta very creamy.
4. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish each serving with a generous sprinkling of chives and shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once.
Serves 2.
Linnell’s Notes:
1. Because I could not find Cipriani tagliarelle and could only find black pepper and garlic tagliarelle, I substituted fettucine. The recipe calls for an 8.82-ounce package of dried pasta, but I purchased a 12-ounce package of fresh fettucine and cooked all of it.
2. I purchased a 3-ounce container of white truffle butter for $9.99 at Whole Foods.
3. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt to be added to the pot of water, which seemed excessive to me, but I followed the recipe. However, in step 2, I only added 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of the 1 teaspoon called for and in step 4, I did not add any additional salt at the end, only a little bit of freshly ground black pepper.
4. Because I had it on hand, I added a few small slices of prosciutto for garnish on top.
5. This dish is best served immediately after cooking – it isn’t at its best after sitting around for a while or after reheating.
Enjoy!
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