I’ll admit it, I’m what you might call a “Food Snob”. I may pretend that I’m content with the simpler taste of life… but in my mind I’m drizzling it with a generous amount of White truffle infused olive oil.  And by “it” I’m referring to pretty much anything savory you might be thinking of right now.

Very few ingredients gives me this instant feeling of elation. Beyond the flavor, it is the captivating smell that gets me every time. I nonchalantly uncorks the bottle and my kitchen disappears.  A look around to confirm the magic operated again… yes, here I am, at a terrasse in Rome, in the middle of October, the waiter just placed the simple pasta shiny with melted butter in front of me and is now lifting the cloche under which a single white truffle is exhaling its captivating perfume..  My heart races as he precisely shaves the illicit flakes onto the plate in an almost forbidden moment, it envelops everyone around with a scent so unique and clandestine I blush from the excitement and attention it triggers.. It’s silent in the loud restaurant, only me, the shimmering pasta and the slivers of perfection in absolute anticipation.

Despite its sheer simplicity this is the kind of dish I systematically refrain from making at home. To me, there is a joy that come from eating certain food only in the place in which they have been designed and intended for. This is why I am rarely tempted to reproduce this dish, partly because I am convinced the experience is part of the flavor, and that without the translucent glass cloche, the buzzing sound of the Streets of Rome and the loud calling from an annoyed driver down the road, even the white truffle itself would not be enough.

That being said, the possibilities to lift the most humble home-cooked meal with a drizzle of truffle oil* are so numerous, that it would be unfair not to allow the magic to operate every once in a while. To name only a few: scrambled eggs, Mac & cheese, Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, or any root vegetable soup really… simply get your imagination going, you’ll be amazed of the result!

To conclude this post, This is a time proven pasta dish inspired from Nigella I’ve probably made a dozen times. It only takes 20 minutes to complete as all the steps can be completed while the pasta is cooking, This dish is so simple & delicious and always delivers the same satisfying creamy perfection! Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• Good quality durum Pasta
• Parmesan Cheese
• Creme fraiche
• 1 egg (pref. Organic)
• White truffle oil
• Salt & White pepper

Serve with some more shavings of Parmesan, and more Oil if you dare!

How about you, is there a smell or a flavor that makes you travel?

*This particular bottle is a birthday present from my friends, but you can find it fairly easily in Stockmann Herkku or any well stocked Shops nowadays! The prices vary based on the quality ( i.e  whether extract or flavor..) but I am convinced it’s worth it as it goes a long way – You only need a few drops to get the flavor going… and, compared to the real deal …it’s a bargain; 100 g of White truffle will cost you almost 300€ 🙂