Pasta with Black Truffle Butter

(Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe and made a wee bit healthier.)

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• *1 tablespoons unsalted butter (Isigny Ste. Mere would be great)
• *1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (or good broth for less fat)
• *2 ounces Fabrique Delices Black Truffle Butter
• *8 ounces Rustichella d’Abruzzo Egg Pappardelle pasta (almost as good as fresh pasta, silky and worth the price!)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish

*available at The Gourmet Cellar

Directions

Boil water for pasta. Meanwhile, melt the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes, tossing often, until the mushrooms are cooked and deep brown. Set aside. Pour cream into sauté pan and heat over medium heat until it simmers, then add the truffle butter and salt and pepper to taste; turn heat down to low and swirl the butter until it melts. Keep warm over very low heat.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes or until al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta in a colander, then add to the truffle cream. Add the chives, mushrooms, and parmesan and toss well with tongs. Add pasta water a splash at a time, mixing to emulsify the sauce until you have the desired consistency. Serve hot in shallow bowls, garnished with extra chives and parmesan.

Serves 4 as dinner with salad, or 6 as a side with roast game. Any of the Wine Club wines would be a good match for this rich dish.