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Pappardelle with Black Winter Truffles

Used with permission from the new BC Seasonal Cookbook

Alterations should be made to fit with your dietary needs. Please consult with your medical team before you attempt to make this recipe.

Pappardelle with Black Winter Truffles Serves 4: Cream Sauce 1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) onion, finely chopped 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) white wine 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) heavy cream (32%) sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese 1 lb (500 g) fresh pappardelle, homemade (see below) or store-bought

• 1 medium black winter truffle, grated, sliced or shaved
• Melt butter in a skillet and sauté onion until soft
• Add white wine and simmer until half the liquid is reduced
• Stir in cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
• add the pappardelle and cook until al dente, for about 5 minutes
• Drain and transfer pasta to the skillet with the cream sauce and add Parmesan cheese
• Toss gently to mix and transfer to a warm serving bowl
• Grate fresh truffle over pasta and serve.

While not specifically B.C., the truffle is enjoying a resurgence in cooking with many of B.C.’s top regional chefs using it to enhance local ingredients and dishes. Often called “the perfume of the earth itself,” the truffle is a coveted aphrodisiac, strongly scented with a musky earthiness that is evocative of sex and mystery. Most truffles are harvested in late fall or winter and you can find fresh truffles at specialty markets across the province, but they will cost you a pretty penny—they run anywhere from $700 to $3000 dollars per pound (half kilogram). If you are more budget conscious, you can more easily find truffle butter, versatile truffle oil or even truffle salt, giving you the pleasure of the flavour at a more reasonable cost. And you can use that truffle oil for tons of dishes from truffle fries to popcorn!

Tip:Have a pot of boiling water ready first, and you can prepare the sauce and cook the pasta at the same time.

Homemade Pasta:

11⁄2 cups (375 mL) semolina flour
2 eggs
2 to 3 tsp (10 to 15 mL) lukewarm water

Instructions

• Mix flour and eggs on low speed in a heavy-duty electric mixer until mixture has a coarse, crumbly look, like corn meal
• Add water in small quantities until the mixture starts to hold together
• Switch to the dough hook on the mixer, or knead by hand 7 to 10 minutes
• Dough should not be sticky or in separate pieces
• Add a little more liquid if needed, or a little more flour if sticky
• Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest 15 to 30 minutes
• Roll through a pasta machine according to the manufacturer's instructions
• To cook, make sure water is at a full boil and very well salted
• Fresh pasta cooks very quickly and will rise to the top of the water when done
• Drain in a colander and do not rinse

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