Creamy Truffle Pasta
Rich, decadent, creamy… this carbonara style creamy truffle pasta will be a hit with your date this Valentine’s Day. It’s quick and easy, and can be adapted depending on how much time you want to spend in the kitchen.
This rich and creamy truffle pasta requires only 7 ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes! Follow the 8 easy steps in the recipe below to recreate this delicious carbonara style pasta.
What is carbonara sauce?
We have taken influence from the classic carbonara sauce to create this pasta recipe. The most important ingredient and hero of this dish is the humble egg. Make sure you have the correct amount of eggs in this recipe to create the perfect creamy texture.
The trick is to add the whisked whole egg and two egg yolks onto the hot pasta while the pan is still hot. Toss it around quickly and make sure it doesn’t cook through completely or curdle. You will want to combine the cooking eggs, cooked into a custard consistency, along with the warm, starchy pasta water to get the perfect balanced sauce.
Cheeky Pici Pasta
While the sauce is an important element, the actual pasta can make a massive difference to your meal. We chose to use a pici pasta noodle as it works well with a thicker, richer sauce. The pici noodles are thicker and bouncy, which allows the sauce to soak up and stick to the noodle – so you get all the flavours!
DIY pasta made easy
You can choose to go simple with this recipe and purchase dried spaghetti. Alternatively, you can cook your very own pici pasta, like we did. It’s the perfect pasta for beginners, and all you’ll need is flour, water, and olive oil. We love this Pasta Social Club recipe for pici pasta here.
This dish is rich and makes a generous portion, so you can enjoy some left over the next day. That’s only if your date leaves you with some!
Create your own creamy truffle pasta!
As always, if you try this recipe let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your photo #theculinarycartel on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. You can also give one of our other pasta recipes a try if you aren’t a truffle lover. See our Instagram recipe video here. Happy cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this gluten-free?
Of course, simply use a gluten-free pasta alternative.
What is the difference between using fresh vs dry pasta?
The texture of fresh pasta is generally smoother and softer than dried pasta. Dry pasta is often cooked al dente, so that it is firmer and more chewy than a fresh pasta.
Do I have to use truffles?
It’s not mandatory, but we do suggest using truffle for this dish. Truffle goes great with rich, egg based sauces, bringing out the delicious flavours. The earthy tone cuts through the richness and works well with a vibrant parmesan cheese.
Creamy Truffle Pasta
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 (very generous) servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Rich, decadent, creamy… this carbonara style creamy truffle pasta will be a hit with your date this Valentine’s Day. It’s quick and easy, and can be adapted depending on how much time you want to spend in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 180g Dried spaghetti OR 300g fresh pici pasta (which we used)
- 1 Whole egg
- 2 Egg yolks
- 50g Grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- Pinch of pepper
- 1 Small truffle
Instructions
- Crack the whole egg and two yolks into a bowl and whisk in the grated parmesan. Reserve the two egg whites for another recipe to reduce waste. Egg whites can be frozen for up to 3 months. Try our meringue recipe here.
- Cook your pasta.
For dried pasta cook as directed, but reduce the time slightly draining the pasta when quite al dente, as the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
For fresh pasta, cook for 2 minutes minutes or until quite al dente. - When the pasta is ready, reserve a cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Working quickly, place a large saucepan or your clean pasta pot on a low heat. Add the oil and heat for 1 minute. Add in a pinch of pepper. It should sizzle in the oil. Add in the drained pasta and about 2 tbsp of pasta water.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture over the warm pasta and shake the pan, while stirring gently with a silicone spatula. The sauce may look watery at first, but the sauce will thicken as the egg gently cooks.
- Continue to add a splash of pasta water as needed, bit by bit, until the cheese has melted and the egg has created a silky, creamy, custard-like consistency around the pasta. If the sauce gets to thick, simply add a little more starchy pasta water
- Once creamy and silky, turn off the heat. Season the pasta to taste. Add grated truffle using a truffle shaver or microplane and stir again to evenly distribute in the sauce.
- Dish up into 2 bowls and finish the dish with a little more truffle. Serve immediately and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Quick and Easy
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Mains
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 (very generous) servings
- Calories: 577.19kcal
- Sugar: 2.67g
- Sodium: 339.01mg
- Fat: 20.84g
- Carbohydrates: 69.18g
- Fiber: 3.06g
- Protein: 26.05g
