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The perfect easy, decadent dish to make right from home, this simple black truffle pasta is made with a creamy mushroom sauce studded with slices of earthy black truffles.
This is the perfect dish for date nights or any special occasion.
We recently got back from Italy where I got a renewed love for black truffles.
If you've never had truffles before, they have such a unique earthy flavor. Every time I eat a dish made with truffles, I fall in love all over again.
This black truffle pasta is such a simple pasta dish, made decadent and fancy by the addition of some sliced fresh truffle right on top! So easy but so delicious.
Try some of these other dishes made with truffles:
- Truffle Mashed Potatoes
- Black Truffle Risotto
- Veal with Black Truffle Butter
- Parmesan Truffle Fries
- Veal Stew
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
- The ingredients are simple and most can be found at your local grocery store.
- The pasta comes together very quickly and easily.
- It's perfect for dates nights or any special occasion, or even just a regular Sunday dinner if you don't mind spending a little more money (truffles come at a cost).
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Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Fresh black truffles are what make this dish so decadent. I have to buy them on Amazon as they are not readily available where I live. If you live in a a place that has them, great!
Note black truffles are typically found in the summer (when I am writing this), but can be used all year if you can find them.
We also use truffle zest in this recipe to add even more truffle flavor to the dish. If you're on a budget, you can just use this truffle zest instead of the fresh truffles and the dish will still come out well.
I like to use fresh pappardelle if I can get it. You can also use dried pappardelle and the results will still be good.
I always recommend using fresh grated parmesan cheese, not the pre-grated stull. And if you have Parmigiana Reggiano, even better!
Any sliced mushrooms will work great for this recipe.
You can also choose to drizzle some black truffle oil over the pasta before serving for some added truffle flavor. Just make sure to use a high quality oil made from real truffles, not chemicals.
Step By Step Instructions
Cook the pasta in salted water according to the recipe instructions. Drain (reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water) and set aside.
Heat the butter in a large skillet and add the mushrooms.
Cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid has released and they are starting to brown.
Add the wine, salt, pepper, truffle seasoning and tarragon and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the cream and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the cooked pasta and add the reserved pasta water to thicken it if necessary.
Remove from the heat and top with fresh grated Parmesan and shaved/grated truffles.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the pasta is cooked al dente - you want a little bite to it.
- Reserve the pasta cooking water to help thicken the sauce if needed.
- Using the highest quality ingredients here will yield the best results. However, I've included some lower cost options in the post above.
- Always fresh grate the Parmesan cheese for the best results.
- Use black truffle oil (see post above for tips on buying) to drizzle over the past at the end for added truffle flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Black truffles have a earthy, nutty, flavor that is somewhat like a mushroom, but not quite. The flavor is pretty strong (as long as they are fresh) and adds an umami quality to the dish. Black truffle pasta tastes creamy, rich, earthy and decadent.
Truffles go very well with aged cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano, aged cheddar, some goat cheese, blue cheese, etc.
Contrary to what many people think, black truffles are not mushrooms. Mushrooms grow above the ground, while truffles are spores that grow on fungus underground.
They have an earthy, pungent flavor that provides a deep umami flavor to dishes. Because they grow underground, harvesting takes a lot of skill, time and effort, which is why they are so expensive and considered a delicacy.
Storage and Reheating Options
While this dish is best served fresh, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat the leftover on the stove or in the microwave. You may need to add additional cream if the sauce is too thick.
You can also make this dish ahead by making the sauce and storing it separately from the cooked pasta. Just heat it on the stove when ready to serve, add the pasta and garnish with the fresh truffle and parmesan cheese.
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Simple Black Truffle Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound pappardelle
- ¼ cup butter
- 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon truffle seasoning/zest
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
- 1 ½ ounce black truffle
- 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the recipe instructions. Drain (reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water) and set aside.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet and add the mushrooms.
- Cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid has released and they are starting to brown.
- Add the wine, salt, pepper, truffle seasoning and tarragon and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and add the reserved pasta water to thick it if necessary.
- Remove from the heat and top with fresh Parmesan and shaved truffles.
Expert Tips:
- Make sure the pasta is cooked al dente - you want a little bite to it.
- Reserve the pasta cooking water to help thicken the sauce if needed.
- Using the highest quality ingredients here will yield the best results. However, I've included some lower cost options in the post above.
- Always fresh grate the Parmesan cheese for the best results.
- Use black truffle oil (see post above for tips on buying) to drizzle over the past at the end for added truffle flavor.
Nutrition
Susan
Excellent dish. My whole family liked it - even the anti- mushroom daughter! The fresh ingredients make all the difference as well as cooking the pasta al dente. We didn't have fresh tarragon, so we made due with dried, but since all of the other ingredients were fresh and authentic (Italian pasta) it didn't seem to make a difference.
Danielle
Yay, I'm so glad to hear it 🙂
stephanie
Soooo good! The truffles really add the perfect earthy flavor. I thought this would be overly expensive, but it actually wasn't bad at all for a family of 4!
Danielle
The truffles really make it 🙂