Pasta with the Best Truffle Oil Ever
Possibly the most delicious thing in the very-quick-to-make category: pasta with truffle oil. But only with genuinely good truffle oil. And yes, it exists!
When I don’t feel like cooking but still want to eat well and also want it muy rapido, there’s one dish I can always count on: a steaming plate of truffle pasta. The budget way. Without real truffles, but with very, very delicious truffle oil.
Nothing Synthetic
Most truffle oils you find in the supermarket are best left out of your basket. This synthetic stuff may give off an overwhelming truffle aroma, but that’s its only connection to the underground-dwelling fungus. The ooh-la-la feeling of the scent lets you down the moment you take a bite. Just as disappointing as that Italian holiday romance you never hear from again once you get home.
So I was as happy as a child when I came across Valderrama’s truffle oil. The real deal comes in a white and a black variety—and this White & Black Truffle Olive Oil is produced with Spanish Ocal olive oil, the mildest and most delicate variety. The natural truffle flavor is obtained by drying the truffles in a controlled process, followed by a maceration process (cold infusion). The truffles are then combined with the olive oil through infusion.
And this is how you make that divine pasta with truffle oil:
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
- 400 grams linguine
- 75 grams Parmesan cheese
- truffle oil (from Valderrama), do a quick Google search to find out where you can buy it
- a small amount of regular, mild olive oil
- arugula
- pine nuts
- pepper and salt
- Optional for extra freshness: a few drops of lemon juice
Method
- Cook the linguine according to the instructions on the package in plenty of salted water.
- Meanwhile, lightly brown the pine nuts over low heat. Remember: low heat. Burnt pine nuts are a no-go.
- Drain the pasta. Cover the plates with a handful of arugula and spoon the linguine on top. Drizzle some regular, mild olive oil over the pasta—and don’t be generous. The beloved truffle oil is still going on top. Go easy on that too; you can always add more.
- Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Grate the Parmesan over the top and sprinkle the pine nuts over the pasta. For some freshness, drizzle lemon juice over the pasta. A tavola!
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