A seemingly gourmet dish that’s perfect for a romantic date night in made with just 6 ingredients and ready in 20 minutes.  When people hear the words black truffle they automatically think of fine, elegant 5 star cuisine and delicious food. And while chances are you’ve heard of this delicacy, many people haven’t yet had the pleasure of tasting it or even cooking with truffles. This dish really couldn’t be any easier, it truly is quick and easy and not at all ambitious.

So what exactly are truffles? Truffles are a species of fungi that grow underground near the roots of certain types of trees that are native to Southern Europe, in countries such as Spain, France, and Italy. There are two main types: black and white and there are also summer and winter versions of both. In our case we used a winter black truffle which was available at a local Italian grocer. It has a rough bumpy exterior and is great for cooking as the flavors are enhanced. Black truffles give off an earthy aroma from the nature in which they are grown and taste earthy, musky, and can be pungent but more so with white truffles which are usually more pungent and the crème de la crop of all truffles therefore are left raw and shaved at the last minute overtop dishes. Another term used to describe truffles is umami, which is a term used to reference things that are unique and have a distinct taste that are difficult to describe. Because of their unique taste, they can amplify and intensify the flavors of dishes they’re paired with this is why you don’t need to over crowd dishes when adding truffles are you don’t want to mask their taste. Keep it light and simple.

Why did we decide to make something with black truffles instead of just truffle oil which is more commonly found and affordable? Well to be honest we love cooking with truffle oil although not actually used in cooking the oil is added to the dish after the fact as a finishing oil to amplify the flavors in pastas, pizzas, with bread and French fries and of course mushrooms. We wanted to cook with the real deal and get a taste of what it’s like. After all  we like to expand our culinary skills and try different things. It’s nice to treat yourself once in a while. How often do you get to enjoy such a delicacy. Truffles are expensive and we understand not everyone is willing to dish out the dough for one meal. You can easily substitute with truffle oil instead and drizzle it on top of the pasta just before serving. When selecting your truffle oil there are a lot of artificial ones out there that are not made with actual truffles and instead have a chemical that gives off a pungent smell that smells like truffles. There are authentic Italian and  French oil made from actual truffles which are a bit more expensive but since a little goes a long way this is a great alternative and you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Whether your cooking for your significant other, want to impress guests or have a special night in this is a great meal to enjoy on a date night in. It can be just as romantic and cooking together can bring two people even closer. Staying in doesn’t have to be boring you can spice things up by making something you don’t usually get to eat. Isn’t that the point of date night anyway? Pasta is a great option to try out different flavours and combinations. It’s so versatile, it’s a dish that can be easily shared together, it’s simple yet delicious and filling. Our household date nights are all about food. Food is definitely what brings us together. It’s what keeps us connected and time we take to talk to each other about whatever is on our mind. There is nothing better than enjoying food make with love and compassion and of course knowing exactly what went into that dish. I do most of the cooking in the house not because my husband can’t cook it really is because I truly enjoy the personal time I get with myself and the no rules no one telling me what to do that I can be as creative as I’d like and of course sharing that passion with all of you.

I love it when the tables are turned and I am the one who gets treated to a home cooked meal. I could watch people cook all day, I love watching how people do things their way and what the final product looks like. It’s almost like sitting at the bar and watching people mix fun cocktails. This recipe was created to spark a lovely night in. It’s easy to follow along and has very few steps leaving you with a mouth-watering pasta.

When choosing a pasta shape to suit the nature of your sauce, it makes a big difference to the finished dish. Generally the larger shapes work better with thick, robust sauces (think meaty, heavy, usually red sauces), while thinner shapes and longer string like pasta are better for light and cream sauces. In this case, we went with Tagliatelle  but a linguine or fettuccine would be just fine here. We wouldn’t recommend pappardelle because there isn’t enough “meatiness” to the sauce. While our sauce is on the lighter side- it’s made with pasta water to flavor the dish, butter, and some parmesan it creates a velvety sauce that’s great for medium long ribbon with the addition of the black truffle and mushrooms.  When draining the pasta, make sure you reserve a cup of the pasta water. Whether your cooking a pasta where the sauce is essentially pasta water and some cheese or any other sauce adding a splash of the water helps the sauce stick to the pasta from the starch. Each bowl of pasta is finished with freshly grated truffles, parmesan cheese, and sprinkled with parsley for a pop of colour. It’s perfection.

Print Recipe

black truffle pasta

An elegant 5 star dinner made in the comfort of your own home. Each bowl of pasta is finished with freshly grated truffles, parmesan cheese, and sprinkled with parsley for a pop of colour. It’s perfection.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Date Night

Servings: 4

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 1 pound of tagliatelle pasta
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 cup of mushrooms
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-3 Fresh black truffles shaved or very thinly sliced (depending on the size)
• ½ cup parmesan grated
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

• 1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. Drain the pasta.
• 2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned seasoning with salt and pepper, 5 minutes. Add about 1 TBS of shaved truffle and cook with the mushrooms until fragrant about 1 minute. Add a little bit of the reserved water to the skillet, then add the drained pasta, a little parmesan and stir until thicken and heated through. Add more pasta water if dry.
• 3. Serve immediately by spooning the pasta into bowls, add more parmesan and finish with fresh shaved truffles and some parsley.