Porcini and Pesto Truffle Pasta - {Recipe}

Ingredients:

1 can Urbani Red Pesto and Truffles or Urbani White Truffles and Mushrooms

250g dried Pasta, fettuccine or linguine

50g Parmigiano Reggiano

50g black truffle butter

25g dried porcini mushrooms

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

smoked sea salt, and ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon quality white truffle oil

Preserved truffle slices (optional)

Yield: Serves 2-4.

Method:

Prep: To reconstitute the porcini mushrooms, soak them in a bowl of tepid water for about twenty minutes. Drain the liquid and excess loose pieces and sediment. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and sauté the porcini until softened (only takes a few minutes). Add the truffle butter, and heat until butter melts.
Pour the contents of the Urbani Red Pesto and Truffles can in the saucepan, add the truffle oil, and the crushed red pepper flakes. Stir the pesto truffle mixture with a wooden spoon until it becomes a semi-thick but liquified sauce, and mix evenly with the butter and porcini. Turn down the heat of the saucepan to low.
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil (just use table salt), then place the pasta in the pot to cook according to the package instructions, al dente.
Drain the pasta, then put the pasta into the saucepan with the pesto truffle sauce. Use a fine grater to freshly grate the cheese, adding in the grated cheese to the pasta, and mix gently by twirling the pasta until evenly coated.
Next, plate the pasta, and add a few pieces of preserved truffle slices to each plate. If you want to add sprigs of fresh parsley, then do so now. Add smoked salt and black pepper to taste. Enjoy!