Giro d’Italia - Stage 7: Foligno to Perugia
Today’s stage was a time-trial stage that ended in Perugia, the capital of the Umbrian region of Italy. Perugia is also home to a magical place Megan and I stayed for a couple of nights on our honeymoon through central and southern Italy. Words can’t accurately describe the beauty of this property. Just do yourself a favor and follow Tenuta di Murlo on Instagram and try not to audibly moan when you see their photos. While there, we went on a fun truffle-hunting experience and got to enjoy a truffle-centric meal, at the on-property restaurant, afterwards. I purchased some truffles from Urbani Truffles this week. If unfamiliar, they source their truffles straight from Umbria and will have your order to your door within 24 hours. This is important as you want to use your truffles as quickly as possible. I decided to recreate the meal we had.
While early summer truffles are not as intense as late-summer truffles (nor the more sought-after winter truffles), the flavors came through in this simple preparation. We had a little truffle left over and I decided to try abn alternate take and that was even more flavorful. Below are recipes for both options. Here’s a pasta recipe, if you’d like to make your own pasta (which I’d recommend); just cut into fettuccine. But, as it was a weeknight, I went with some store-bought fresh pasta.
Traditional Fettuccine al Tartufo
Quality extra-virgin olive oil or Urbani Truffle Oil (no others!)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
½ lb fresh pasta
1 anchovy packed in oil, minced
White pepper
2 oz of black truffle
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cover to maintain the boil.
Meanwhile, place a few tablespoons of oil and the garlic in a nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Once the garlic begins to sizzle and lightly brown, flip and lightly brown on the other side.
Drop the pasta into the water and cook for a few minutes until al dente. Be sure to toss the pasta for the first 30 seconds to ensure it doesn’t stick together.
Then, discard the garlic cloves, reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the minced anchovy. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for a few minutes while the pasta cooks.
Just before the pasta is done, stir in the pepper and about a tablespoon of minced truffle, stirring constantly.
Once the pasta is done, drain and add to the skillet with the hot oil. Turn off the burner and toss the pasta for about 20 seconds to absorb the flavorful oil.
Divide the pasta among two plates. Drizzle with a little oil. Then, completely cover with thinly shaved truffle.
For an alternative version: sub-in butter for the oil, anchovy is optional, and add in freshly grated Grana Padano and freshly cracked black pepper. Finish with extra-virgin olive oil and shaved truffle.
______________________________ Copyright 2024, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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