RECIPE! White Truffle Oil & Porcini Mushroom Cream Sauce

Truffle oil won a permanent place in my heart after our trip this summer to Italy. In Abruzzi and Tuscany, in particular, tagliatelle with white truffle oil and porcini mushrooms was easily found (and frequently ordered.)

I've tried a few variation's on the theme since returning. Sauteing dried porcini in butter and truffle oil then tossing with noodles and sprinkling with shaved Parmesan and black pepper works well enough. This cream sauce recipe owes a debt to my brother, Adam, and his ladyfriend, Elisa; he has more experience that I do with pasta sauce, and she, an Italian, outwits us both.

1-2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, re-hydrated
4 tbsp butter
6 tsp white truffle oil
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, grated
Black pepper

Melt half the butter in a saucepan over medium heat till popping. Strain mushrooms through a filter and rinse; reserve strained broth. Add porcinis to pan with butter and 2-3 tbsp mushroom broth. Reduce heat, simmer till soft, 5-10 minutes.

Stir in truffle oil, remaining butter, cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and dash of pepper. Allow to simmer over low heat, careful to not burn. Taste and adjust with mushroom broth or truffle oil.

We enjoyed this most frequently over thin, broad tagliatelle with shaved cheese, but up in Tuscany came across pinci, a thicker, hollow spaghetti-like noodle. Pinci were usually served with a stewed sauce made from wild boar. But we liked the noodles too much to not try and find them States-side. Here, we've found them called perciatelli, but only in specialty stores or grocery stores with a really big pasta selection.

But whatever noodles you choose, white truffle oil -- admittedly not a budget shopping item -- will wake them up.