My first experience with truffles was in Gubbio, Italy. I was out for dinner and went downstairs to the cellar of a restaurant and tried the “White Truffle Pasta” or “Tartufo di Bianco Tagliatelle.” The recipe itself may have lacked ingredients (as do most Italian recipes – simple yet always delicious!), but it is the one dinner I will never forget. It was certainly the best meal I had ever had!

Truffles seem to melt in your mouth They’re extremely difficult to explain the exact experience you have, but it’s certainly not far from saying that it’s an orgasmic reaction exploding on your taste-buds!

This recipe would have to be my all time favourite. I’ve tried to tweak it to the same flavours in Gubbio, however, it’s just not possible, as we don’t have the freshest of ingredients and real truffles on hand. Instead of real truffles, I use black truffle oil – a blend of olive oil infused with truffles – it’s more readily available and more intense in flavour than white.

This is almost as good as the real thing and is my ultimate indulgement dish. I have this most Friday nights, after a long hard week to spoil myself. Why not spoil yourself too?

Ingredients:

• pasta for two, cooked seperately
• 1/2 tsp garlic sprinkles
• 1/2 tsp parmesan
• 1/2 – 1 tsp massell vegetable stock powder
• 150 grams gourment mushrooms eg. shitake, enoki, oyster etc.
• 1 tbs olive oil or butter
• pepper
• salt
• 1/3 cup water from pasta, retained
• drizzle truffle oil

Instructions:

1. Place the oil in the saucepan and add in the mushrooms and garlic.
2. Once warmed through and the oil is bubbling, add the stock and a little water.
3. Boil the mushrooms until, they’ve softened but still retaining their shape.
4. Add the pasta, the remaining water and salt and pepper to your taste.
5. Stir the pasta and the parmesan cheese whilst still cooking, ensuring the sauce has been absorbed and the mushrooms have spread evenly throughout the dish.
6. Serve and drizzle with black truffle oil.