My parents are funny creatures. We seem to have swapped roles over the past few years and we seem to be parenting them somewhat and they’ve taken the role of child. I think the advent of technology and having to teach them about the internet has played a large part as we’ve had to teach them hand and eye coordination (i.e using the mouse) and how to use email. Case in point my mother and Mr NQN’s mother need to be under constant supervision.
At Christmas dinner Tuulikki, Mr NQN’s mum accidentally mistook one of the candle holders as a drinking glass claiming “We thought that it was a very fancy glass”. They then proceeded to pour some drink into one to much raucous laughter. Realising their mistake Tuulikki wanted to put it aside on the windowsill where a breeze and an occasionally flapping blind caused Mr NQN’s cousin Sam to tell them “Not on the windowsill! You’ll spill it!”. A few minutes later my mother then knocked a glass of drink over. “If you two don’t behave, you’ll have to sit on another table” I told them half jokingly.
My father is not immune to it too. I offered him some tomato sauce and he shook his head “I don’t eat tomatoes”. My sister Blythe had to point out to him that tomato sauce was not in fact sauce to eat on top of tomatoes but a sauce made out of tomatoes. How he managed to live here in Australia for almost 40 years and not know this is certainly one for the books. Another thing that completely dumbfounded both of them was when my sister brought me back some truffles from Paris. “Are they really $2,000 a kilo?” my mother asked wide eyed. “Why and how can this be?” she said looking closely at the small bottle containing three tiny truffles. They were fascinated by them and so I decided to prepare truffles the way I love them best: with eggs.
There’s one dish at Buon Ricordo that apparently half of the people order. It is the famous truffle egg pasta. It involves fettuccine (but in this case I used an egg papardelle), a cream and butter sauce flavoured with reggiano and a fried egg on top that had originally been stored raw in its shell in an airtight container with the truffle. The eggs through the shell were to absorb the aroma of the truffles. You can also do this with truffle oil or paste if you need to although I am not fond of truffle oil. These little truffles are really not as powerfully scented as fresh truffles and I think that they would benefit from being stored with the eggs for several days. As it was, I only stored them with the truffles for 24 hours. We also added some shaved truffle to the top. If I were to do this again I’d get a real fresh truffle as I have seen them at markets occasionally.
It is very rich-the sauce is pure cream and butter and Armando Percuco advises ”A lady to have half” of a serve and it is a dish that is to be eaten once every 6 months. He does add that chef Tetsuya manages to eat this dish and then have a T bone afterwards. I don’t know if my parents are any closer to understanding why a truffle is so prized but they did enjoy the dish-and no candle holders were harmed in the process.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried truffles and if you have, what is your favourite dish to eat them in?
Truffle Egg Pasta (Fettuccine al Tartufovo)
Serves 6 as an entree
Adapted from a recipe by Armando Percuoco on Lifestyle Food
- 240 g fresh or dry fettuccine (I used a Barilla egg papardelle)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1.5 cups cream
- 6 tablespoons grated parmigiano reggiano parmesan cheese
- 6 Truffle Eggs* or 1 tablespoon truffle oil
- Truffle salt
- extra Parmesan for serving
1. *Make truffle eggs: At least 24 hours ahead of time, place eggs in a container with truffle to infused the truffle aroma.
2. Boil fettuccine for about six minutes if dry, or four minutes if fresh. Drain.
2. Add butter and cream in a frying pan and simmer for three minutes over medium heat to reduce the mixture. If using ordinary eggs and truffle oil, add truffle oil now.
3. Add cooked pasta and toss, then add parmesan and stir. Divide pasta into four serves on plates.
4. In the meantime smear frying pan with butter and fry egg until whites are firm, but yolks are still runny. Place egg on pasta. Add more parmesan, salt and pepper and toss egg into pasta. Add little slivers of shaved truffle if you are feeling indulgent.
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83 Comments | Add your own
Eggs, pasta and truffle, that is one of the most fabulous combos existing, yummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
How decadent and delicious! Did you do as advised and have only a half serve?
My favourite truffle experience was at Sirromet Vineyard where I had the “once in a lifetime breakfast” it is lobster and truffles with eggs and holandaise sauce. Yummy!
We have a role reversal in our family at times but yours was just too funny
What about texting, haha, have your parents tried that
?
No, never tried truffle. I did spot truffle oil in The Essential Ingredient but sadly my budget won’t stretch that far. You said it’s not that nice?
Heheh funny but I’ve realised the same thing about my parents! ;-D
Gorgeous dish Lorraine, I’ve never tried truffles, but I will – one day!
I loved those parent stories. Too funny!
I’m yet to try truffles. I want the moment to be just right though. Can’t be any old truffle and has to be the right dish. It’s been about 5 years now I’ve been waiting
I’ve only had truffle oil. I’d love to try and make this, it seems easy and yummy, but i don’t know if i’d be able to find truffles in the area where I live.
*kisses* HH
That is my favourite pasta dish from my favourite Italian restaurant! It’s richer than a room full of Bill Gates ….
Nice job!
This looks very yummy!
I must confess to have never having tried truffles. They’re scary looking little beasties, aren’t they? I also feel as if I am becoming a parent to my parents – the tables are turned!
ha ha ha – these stories remind me of my Nan who seriously doesn’t get it. MOST naive person in the world! My Grandfather totally didn’t understand credit cards either – I mean, he knew how to use them but not why you would bother. valid point I guess. glad your parentals enjoyed. I guess it sort of is hard to explain why truffles are so expensive!
I have never tried them – but I am so curious!
I’ve had truffles only once before, in London, and it was served with a creamy sauce over tagliatelle, no egg. Delicious.
I recently gave my husband’s grandmother a drink in a beautiful pink glass, and she said “isn’t this a vase?”. Hmmmm.
Ooooh you ARE a wonderful daughter! Even though they might not have “got” the whole truffle thing, I hope your parents appreciated your sacrifice of truffles for them.
I was lucky enough to have a truffle pasta at Per Se in New York, at that time (late 2009) the No 1 restaurant in the US. We paid extra to have it added to our degustation menu, and our amazing waiter served up the pasta and then brought over a box. The lid flipped open with a flourish, and thousands of dollars of huge black truffles were on display, the aroma wafting up to our nostrils.
He then proceeded to select one, and grate mounds of the truffle onto the pasta. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if he would ever stop, but eventually he did and the dish was SPECTACULAR. It was pricey but (if I could ever get another reservation at Per Se) I’d order it again in a heartbeat.
We went to Buon Ricordo for our anniversary last year and my partner ordered this. I had serious order envy. It would have to be one of the best pasta dishes I’ve tasted in my life.
Truffle oil is on my Birthday wish list this year!
i treated myself, and a select few others to a WA truffle last year. It was posted over to QLD in a foam esky and it was wonderful.
I kept it with eggs and shaved it over homemade porcini pasta – they are truly delicious and well worth the money if only every couple of years!
I’ve never tasted truffles – except possibly for some vague dish ordered in a restaurant once that promised truffle oil but didn’t appear to taste any different to what I expected
Maybe one day. I’m not fond of eggs so it won’t be with them 
I’m sorry but whole truffles still look like something a pig POO’ED out, not something it sniffed out!! Love the taste though and have had the best truffle pasta as well as truffle risotto here in London. I’m sure yours measures up though!!
Haha that is a cute story about your parents.
What I wouldn’t give to eat that right now… Oh the creaminess. I’ve never had truffles
oooh, this is on my list of must try dishes! Though I must admit, reading the list of ingredients makes me think about how rich and fattening the dish is! Maybe even a quarter serve would be adequate?
Now, you’ve done it! Absolutely adore truffles and won’t be able to get the pretend-smell and taste out of my mind all day!
I believe the Tasmanian ones are supposedly as good as the European, but the price is still prohibitively atrocious! If one is allowed to mention Oz TV shows on the blog: for those who missed it, both ‘Poh’s Kitchen’ and ‘Gourmet Farmer’ have had most interesting episodes regarding that black gold! Mmmm!!!
I am definitely going to try your recipe. I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I first had a (whole) serving at Buon Ricordo. I have since gone back several times but not for a while and had forgotten all about. Think it is time for a visit to my favourite Italian restaurant!
Truffles are odd little things to look at aren’t they, I’m still amazed that someone (long time ago in truffleland) dug one up & scratched his head & said…. ‘I must eat this’:) But., despite all that wondering at the how,why….. I sure am glad we have truffles. I do believe every year I see weird & wonderful new ways to eat truffles, but having said all that…., I love the simple truffle egg like this….. a lot.
oh wow – this looks fantastc! i LOVE buon ricordo’s truffle egg pasta. will have to give this ago.
thanks for sharing!
Lorraine, you are going to murder me!! Hang and draw and quarter!!! Have SO enjoyed your two ‘dumpling stories’ this week. So, as a little extra to those blogs – just opened my ‘taste.com.au’ eletter a moment ago – Chinese theme this week naturally! Also a delightful video on how to make gyoza both steamed and fried! Perhaps a little extra info for those who don’t normally use the site?! (OK, I’ll be good now and shut up!!)
You’ll have to come to Canberra to buy some local truffles next winter. Or wait until my little truffle tree grows it own! I have a truffle infused oak tree in my back yard.
I have to admit I have to ask my daughters for help with computers. This week they set up a facebook page for InTolerantChef, very, very basic- but it’s a start. I couldn’t have done it myself.
Oh Lorraine, I LOVE truffles. Apart from preparing it with eggs and pasta my other favorite way is to eat them with potatoes. French fries or mashed…with a sprinkle of truffle salt and grated truffle bits
. bTW, your parents reminded me of my own…they get more juvenile in their manners as they get older….
That’s so funny!! My mum always swore against technology and then one day she decided she needed a computer and now she’s skyping, facebooking and talking to me with abbreviations like LOL and FYI!!
Hmm, I’m actually not a huge fan of truffle because most of the time i’ve had it, it has been overpowering. Saying that, there was once an instance of mashed potato with granny smith apples, sour cream and truffle. That was delicious!!
Don’t think my parents will quite understand the price of truffles either. nor prices of degustation. I have to try this truffle eggs recipe.
Gong Xi Fa Cai to you!
Oh. my. god. this is my idea of heaven! I adore every single ingredient in this dish and will definitely be trying it as soon as the finances allow.
The best truffle experience I’ve had was the parmesan custard with truffled asparagus at Bentley’s in surry hills (part of the vego lunch tasting menu). Seriously amazing!
Don’t hate me, but I’ve tried truffle butter, truffle cheese, and a sliver of truffle from my brother’s plate at a restaurant once, and never have I really been able to taste much of anything. I’m hoping this means that my truffle experiences were lacking, and not that I’m a complete fool?
I love your dad’s comment about tomato sauce – what would he think if you used aussie slang and called it dead horse
Never had fresh truffles – I have had truffle oil on pizza and pasta at restaurants – it is good but a bit too intense and makes food very rich – so I can’t say I understand truffles but I love reading about truffle culture
Gong Xi Fa Cai, Lorraine!
Oh, I have to try this pasta!
SSG xxx
I’ve had a stunning white truffle and nectarine risotto with crispy shredded pigs ear that was sex/heaven on a plate at Duke Bistro. Also love black truffles just shaved over eggs on toast. YUM
I have eaten this dish too many times to remember! Yet somehow, it gets better every time!!
I bought truffles before and for me the best way to eat them, would be with soft boiled eggs.
Sheesh the wicked blend of creamy eggs and musky truffles is one of the most seductive things that my palette ever came across! even better than chocolate itself!
That dish is so deceptive in its simplicity, yet I can imagine how gorgeously rich and flavorful it really is.
I’ve had truffles – in paste form, anyway – on a Wild Mushroom pizza over at California Pizza Kitchen. It’s a treat I look forward to on really special days.
Good job at getting your parents to eat even a cream-based sauce! My parents baulk at the slightest idea (“Is that right? The amount of cream there doesn’t seem natural..”/”Cheese?! In sauce?! That’s crazy speak!”) so I avoid cooking anything of the sort. Mum is willing to try I suppose, but dad, don’t even go there!
Oh and I’m so jealous you have truffle!
I love zee precious truffles! I just came back from France where i visited kitchens that use up to 10 kilos a week. Ah, the aroma! The happiness!
If you look away i’ll snatch that plate from you!!
I’m pretty sure I started drooling the second the top image loaded, my dear! Why must you tempt me so? Especially when my boyfriend hates mushrooms? Oh well, I supposed I’ll just have to have a little truffle egg pasta action on the side. Sorry, boyfriend…
Yummy, sounds divine and quite gourmet mmm
This reminds me of one of my all-time fave dishes at the French Laundry. Housemade tagliatelle in a creamy sauce, with truffles shaved over it all at the table. A friend of mine who had never had a dish like this before had the best description: He said eating it made him feel like he was getting a big hug all over his body. Indeed, truffles will do that to you.
I love truffles – have eaten then all around the world and if they are on the menu, I order them. I visited a truffle farm in Tassie in May i if you want to order fresh Tasmanian truffles in season NOW, go to: Leonie@trufflesoftasmania.com.au. This week, they are $600/kg for extra grade or $50/kg for first grade. Freight is $30 and min order is 100grams. If you have ever wanted to try them this is a great chance. I store mine in a tupperware container with aborio rice and a dozen aggs – that way the truffle taste infuses into the rice and the eggs = more dishes from the one truffle!
oops – sorry that should have been $550 / kg for first grade!
I’ve made this dish many times and I blame it for all my cellulite!
It’s probably my fault for eating it more often than every six months.
How can anything as ugly as a truffle, taste and smell SO DIVINE??!!
$2000 a kilo? I’m fascinated too!! Your tales and mine seem so similar Lorraine. I’m playing the parenting role too to my parents who seem amazed at the smallest of things. They seem to be easier than handling teens. At least the parents shut up & listen. Love what you stirred up for them… well done daughter! You rock!! xo
looks yummy! the best truffle dish i ever ate was in Tuscany – linguine with porcini and truffles…amazing
I love truffles especially with scrambled eggs. Magical.
Oh I so enjoyed reading abt your parents, Lorraine. My parents are similar…my mom still doesn’t know how to turn off a computer! haha!
I’m glad your parents enjoyed the dish though, even if they still don’t understand the precious truffle!
Truffle butter at Tetsuya’s restaurant here in sydney, it was DIVINE
we were lucky to be taken there by a client.
I have to do this. I had the pleasure of eating this dish at BR manyyears ago and it still makes my mouth water reading about it even now.
I better pop into town and get some truffles – would make the perfect dish for a recuperating Hussyband on Valentines.
It is funny sometimes that we have to be the ones teaching our parents stuff. I can totally relate to your story about teaching them about the internet. Boy do I have stories about that!
Your dish looks amazing Lorraine. Papardelle are one of my favorite kind of pasta and the combination with the egg and truffles… delicious!
Magda
I tried truffles once. While doing my thesis in a genetics lab, the supervisors were mad into truffles. I went hiking with a friend and we found 6! We tried 3 different recipes. They were totally delish! I enjoyed the stuffed truffles best.
I can smell the lovely truffle fragrance from the photos! Just beautiful. I love, love truffles with mushrooms or potatoes or risotto or pasta or eggs. This dish would make me very happy!
Truffles are amazing things… supposedly they have a pheromone-like quality in their scent that puts humans (and pigs) in the mood for romance… go figure. Delicious looking recipe, I was lucky enough to have truffles twice this season and consider myself UBER fortunate. They are spectacular in a sauce… creamy or winey. I have just enough arborio left that I stored my truffle in (old style.. they tell you not to do it that way anymore)… can’t wait to make it!
Love this combo , and looks so good!
Lovee that truffle slicer ,i had almost picked one, v similiar for slicing chocolate , infact wanted a chocolate shaver for those super cute curls:-))
Lovee the idea of infusing the aroma in the eggs!
I adoreeeee truffles, although I can’t say I’ve tasted fresh ones. :S The smell of it is just so tempting! My parents are quite similar to your parents – maybe it’s an Asian thing, but they’ve come to enjoy truffle scented food after I bought the Tetsuya’s truffle salt for marinating steak.
Maybe after I get a bit better at cooking.
I love eggs as well, but I don’t know if I have the courage to buy real truffles just yet.
So jealous, I love truffle!
I’ve never had the real thing, so I really look forward to the day I can actually put a decent slice in my mouth! How did your eggs turn out? Did the smell penetrate the shells?
Looks and sounds divine!! Regarding the poached eggs – no, I didnt oil the cling film although I tried and it became a mess – clumsy large hands I have!! Do you have some sort of alert that tells you when someone links to your posts???
Truffles sound delicious, but I’m afraid I’ve never been any closer to them than passing by their little locked box in the grocery and looking at their price tag. One day I’ll indulge.
Yum! This is my all time favourite comfort food. Expensive comfort food nonetheless but I love it.
I am sure the parentals were well behaved when they ate this!
I had a few weeks of truffle overload last year during our truffle season, most notably involving a truffle degustation! I actually didn’t want to go anywhere near truffles again for a long time after that, but happily am truffle greedy again now
Have had truffles on about 2 occasions before, but I can’t seem to remember where and what the dish was =( cloests thing I get to cooking with truffle is my bottle of truffle oil, I know it’s nowhere near the real deal but well… that’s all I can afford.
I agree – truffles served simply with egg or pasta is the best way by far – looks delicious!
i have never eaten a truffle in my life, but don’t cry for me–i’ve eaten a deep-fried snickers bar before.
I love truffles! Even though they may be pricey, you can get quite a few dishes out of just one 50gm piece. By storing them in a glass jar with eggs I made yummy scrambled eggs a couple of times, truffle creme brulee to die for, then with the actual truffle I made a delicious mushroom and truffle risotto and tournedos Rossini. A little bit actually goes a long way!
I’m with you! truffles with eggs!
I had a beautiful truffle oil that i would put a few drops in the pan when i was cooking my eggs for breaky…mmmmm…delicious!
Looks delicious. I am sure the dish tastes even better
Matthew
Ooh that pasta sounds divine! I absolutely adore truffles
had my first taste last year at a truffle degustation at Tabou in Surry Hills. They made the most amazingly creamy truffle hot chocolate!
Looks delicious! I have no idea where I’d even find truffles in Sydney although I’m pretty curious to find out… The best truffles I’ve ever had were at Tetsuya’s. He makes this amazing black truffle butter with ricotta and parmesan and it is just *amazing*, especially with sourdough bread.. I also had truffles at Pilu at with ravioli which was also divine…
this looks just absolutely amazingly delicious. heavenly. *swoon*. I have only had truffle twice. once when working in a kitchen, just a quick little taste. then once, shaved over risotto. mmmmm. I would LOVE to make this.
Heidi xo
I think Armando secretly judged me when I ordered the full serve of this dish at buon ricordo!
It truly is my favorite dish with truffles – and thats a big call because i love truffles in absolutely everything – from scrambled eggs to pizza to truffled honey with some soft cheese..mmm
Tournedos Rossini (with truffles and foie gras) was one of the first really great dishes I tried and it’s still my favourite.
That Armando is just delicious but telling me I should only have half a serve wouldd only make me want to eat the whole thing!
this is such an elegant dish!
Looks gorgeous! I am more of a fan of tomato based pasta dishes, but I won’t say no to the odd decadent creamy pasta!
We love to go to Piedmont in the fall to eat truffles, white ones, and the best way to eat them in my opinion is on a fried egg or on fresh pasta. You combined this in one dish! Yum
If I had truffles I would probably end up just sniffing and looking at them – they’re so precious!!!!! This dish looks like a meal fit for royalty… so indulgent!
I have enjoyed truffles or truffle-infused cuisine at restaurants, but I’ve never been game enough to try it at home!
I definitely agree about the parents acting like kids remark – all of our parents seem to be regressing right now and acting like riotous children. Love this dish – and yes, I order it everytime I’m there too but clearly un-ladylike as I never get the half serve!
I just came back from Italy where I ate a meal at a beautiful restaurant in bevagna, Umbria. The meal was a baked egg with soft yolk in thin filo pastry with a melted cheese (almost soup) with fresh summer truffle all over it. Amazing!
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