Hannukah Harry brought me a lovely little gift bag from The Truffleist this year. In it was some granola, truffle salt, and a package of truffle brats. While I think truffle oil can be nice, frankly, I think these products showcase that key ingredient even better. Since we had taken a trip to Arthur Ave on Saturday where we picked up fresh pasta from Borgatti’s, I knew I wanted to make a true Sunday Supper with that fettuccine and the brats.
Start by sautéing a package of mushrooms in oil or butter until they’re nice and soft. After about 5 minutes, start boiling your pasta water. If you’re using fresh pasta (I had 1/2 lb), it’ll only take 2-3 minutes to cook. If you’ve timed it right, it should all finish at around the same time. Now, back to those mushrooms. When they look about done, add sliced truffle brats and start browning. At this point, the mushrooms will have started releasing a lot of moisture. This is good; it’s how you get a sauce. Add a bag of fresh spinach and some frozen peas. Now, add a touch of half and half and a bit of grated parm. That half and half and parmesan will latch onto the mushroom juices and, if you let it reduce for a few minutes, will create a lovely and very light sauce. Toss the pasta with the mushroom sausage sauce, add a bit more parmesan, and finish with maldon salt and pepper.
This was the perfect meal to eat by the lights of the tree. I always love how Kate Winslet suggests “Christmas Fettuccine” in The Holiday and this made me feel like I was living one of my favorite seasonal movies. If you don’t have access to truffle brats, simply use chicken sausage and drizzle some truffle oil over the dish before plating – you’ll get the same feel.
Peaches to Apples 