TRUFFLE PASTA
Whenever I’m in midtown Manhattan, I always love to walk downtown a bit before heading into the subway on my way home. Naturally, I can’t help myself, so I stop into all the different gourmet shops and markets along the way. One of my favorites is Eataly, and I love walking through their pasta section and picking up something new to test out at home. This week, Truffle Pasta* was on sale, so I gave it a whirl with a duck sausage and mushroom ragu. It was delicious!
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
1 lb of truffle pasta*
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 links of cooked duck sausage, sliced (or sub-in cooked sausage of your choice)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (small grate)
2 whole eggs, 2 yolks
2 teaspoons truffle paste*
Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
Chives for garnish
PREPARATION:
In a large pot, boil water. Follow the package instructions for cooking the pasta. Save at least one cup of the pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the red onion and shallot until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Add a splash more oil if too dry. Add in garlic and sausage and cook for one more minute. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
In a small bowl, whisk the whole eggs and yolks together until blended. Add the truffle paste, ¾ of the Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir until the ingredients are well mixed. Set aside.
Remove the pasta from the boiling water using a pasta spoon with teeth and add to the mushroom mixture in the skillet. Keeping the heat on low, gently fold together. Add in the egg mixture and ¼ cup of the pasta water. Fold all together. It’s okay if the eggs seem to scramble a bit.
Taste it and if the pasta seems too dry, continue to add more pasta water a ¼ cup at a time until the sauce comes to a consistency you like, being careful not to make it too watery.
Plate the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish with the remaining ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese and chives. Serve immediately.
(*Note – Truffle pasta and truffle paste are easily available on-line for purchase.)