Pasta with Truffle Butter Cream Sauce - Happy Valentine's Day

     Don't like to cook.  Don't know how to cook?  This is the dish for you.  If you can boil water, then seven minutes later, you will have a lovely first or main course that will definitely impress that sig other.  Save this for next Valentine's Day or have it this weekend.  We have this once or twice a year and it is always a big hit.  And did I mention that it only takes 7 minutes to make?  How easy is that.

     It is Valentine's Day and obviously, since I am writing this blogspot, I am not really celebrating it. Jamie is in Africa and in 45 minutes, I will be driving Cate off to swim practice so it is basically just a regular night in our household.  But I did think that it warranted a nice dinner and while Cate and I twirled our pasta with our forks and spoons, we opened the Valentine's Day cards that Jamie had left for us.  We smiled and laughed at our cards and felt him here with us.

     A note about the truffle butter...this recipe comes from Ina Garten. Her recipe calls for using white truffle butter.  Truffle butter can be a bit challenging to find so when I do, I but it...whether it is white truffle butter or black truffle butter.  We like the recipe with either.  D'Artagnan sells it online in 3-oz containers which is exactly the amount needed for the recipe.  Locally, I have seen it at Penn Mac, Giant Eagle Marketplace and McGinnis Sisters.

Pasta with Truffle Butter Cream Sauce
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

8 oz of egg fettuccine or pappardelle
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 oz truffle butter, black or white
Salt and Pepper
3 oz grated Parmesan
3 T chopped chives (I have used parsley as well)

1.  Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the directions.
2.  Heat cream in a heavy skillet until simmering.
3.  Add butter, turn to low and swirl to let the butter melt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Heat two pasta bowls.
5.  When the pasta is ready, drain but reserve a cup of the cooking water.
6.  Add the pasta to the cream mixture and combine.  If the sauce gets too thick (which has never happened to me), add just a touch of water.
7.  Combine until it is nice and creamy.  Transfer to two bowls.  Garnish with chives and grated Parmesan.

A nice Riesling from France accompanies this dish very well.  Make sure it is a dry Riesling...not too sweet.  Chardonnay also works well...let it sit out a bit to warm up.

Enjoy!