Truffle pasta is one of those dishes I’ve wanted to make for a long time. As a budget-friendly person, I tried to figure out how to make this recipe without breaking the bank. After some time, I finally figured out the cheat code for making this delicious pasta. This recipe totally hits the spot and satisfies those truffle cravings on a budget. Ready to dive in? Keep reading!🥰
What is a Truffle?
Truffles are fancy mushrooms that grow underground. These edible fungi are pretty tough to find, which explains the insanely high price tag. Since fresh truffles aren’t exactly an item everyone has lying around, this recipe uses truffle-infused oil, which happens to be a whole lot more affordable. But if you do have the budget for it, white truffles are a great addition to be added as a topping.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Truffle Pasta
Truffle pasta is one of my go-to recipes for impressing my guests at an event or special occasion with something on the fancy side while still being super easy to make. This dish is pure comfort food. The pasta’s warmth and the truffle notes will have you hooked on this dish and coming back for more.
🍲 Ingredients
- Tagliatelle, capellini, or fettuccine pasta
- Olive oil
- Fresh mushrooms (shitake, baby bella, oyster, or a blend)
- Garlic, minced
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- Unsalted butter
- Heavy cream
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Truffle oil
- Fresh truffle, thinly sliced or shaved for garnish (optional)
- Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
👩🍳 How to Make
Step one:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add your pasta and cook according to the packages instructions or until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and put aside.
Step two:
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium to high heat. Add your mushrooms and sautè for around 5-7 minutes or until golden and tender.
Step three:
- Add in your minced garlic and cook for about a minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste
Step four
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet with the mushrooms. Once the butter has melted, add in the heavy cream and stir until fully combined.
Step six
- Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the truffle oil and parmesan cheese. If you find your sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta water we put aside earlier and mix until you have your desired consistency.
Step seven:
- Add your pasta into the saucepan and stir until everything is thoroughly coated.
Step eight:
Top with fresh shaved truffle or chopped fresh parsley if desired.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- All about balance! When first making this recipe, I found myself being a bit too generous with the truffle oil, which resulted in an overpowering truffle flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love that rich, earthy flavor, but believe me when I say a little goes a long way!
- Salt your water! This is an old trick my mom taught me years ago when I was first learning how to cook. Prior to boiling, add about a teaspoon of salt to the water so that when you cook your pasta, the salt infuses itself into the pasta, adding a wonderful touch of flavor.
- Quality is key! When shopping for truffle oil, you’ll most likely come across some “truffle-flavored” oils, which are made with synthetic flavoring to mimic the taste of real truffles. A good quality truffle oil should be infused with real truffles, and they’re usually around $20, so if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
🗒 Variations & Substitutions
- Butter, taken to the next level! If you’re looking to add an extra touch of flavor to any of your savory recipes that use butter, this is a little shortcut I use all the time. For this, you’ll need a couple of cloves of garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Let your unsalted butter warm up to about room temperature, and add it to a small bowl. Mince your garlic and chop your herbs. Add them to the bowl with the butter and mix. Voilà!
- No truffle oil? Don’t sweat it! While you can’t recreate that iconic truffle flavor, there are substitutes you can use that are a whole lot more budget-friendly. Truffle salt is one thing I love to use if I don’t have any truffle oil on hand. It goes for about $10.99 for a container and still has that earthy truffle flavor.
- More cheese, please! If you’re like me, a fan of extra cheesy pasta, this little hack is for you! Start experimenting with adding different cheeses to your pasta. Some personal favorites I love adding are Gruyère, Pecorino Romano, or truffle cheddar.
Check These Out Next!
- Potato Mushroom Chicken Hot Pot
- Seafood Pasta with Rosa Sauce
- Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffed Manicotti
- Piri Piri Chicken with Potatoes
🫙 How to Store Any Leftovers
You can store any leftovers by refrigerating them in a sealed, airtight container for up to 3-4 days. When you’re ready to enjoy, add a splash of water to your pasta and microwave or cook them in a pan over low to medium heat.
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Making this recipe gluten-free is super simple. Swap out regular noodles for your favorite gluten-free pasta, and you’re good to go!
What does a truffle taste like?
Truffles are well known for their earthy, musky taste. They’re usually compared to mushrooms, as they’re both fungi, but in comparison, truffles have a more intense taste. It’s a very unique flavor that’s pretty hard to describe, but once you’ve tasted it, you’ll quickly understand why they’re considered a delicacy.
How do I prevent my pasta from sticking together?
A common misconception I see a lot is adding olive oil to the water to prevent sticking. Adding olive oil to your pasta water can prevent the sauce from sticking to the pasta. To actually avoid sticking, make sure your pot has enough water for the pasta to move freely and stir every few minutes until your pasta reaches al dente.
Truffle Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pasta tagliatelle, capellini, or fettuccine
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms (shitake, baby bella, oyster, or a blend)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Coarse salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ounce truffle oil
- ½ to 1 ounce fresh truffle for garnish optional
- Italian flat leaf parsley fresh
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add your pasta and cook according to the package instructions or until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and put aside
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium to high heat. Add your mushrooms and sautè for around 5-7 minutes or until golden and tender.
- Add in your minced garlic and cook for about a minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet with the mushrooms. Once the butter has melted, add in the heavy cream and stir until fully combined.
- Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the truffle oil and parmesan cheese. If you find your sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta water we put aside earlier and mix until you have your desired consistency.
- Top with fresh shaved truffle or chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Nutrition
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