GLORIA'S GLORIOUS TRUFFLE PASTA

Oh man, here we go again..

Get ready for another month of elaborate recipes and plenty of cooking content from my side, mainly to preserve my sanity but also to maybe inspire you to get a little creative in the kitchen while life grinds to a hold once again.

From Thursday gyms will close (sighhh) and restaurants will be limited to providing takeaways only BUT there are ways to keep enjoying some eating out favourites at home, particularly with many London restaurants sharing the recipes for some of their most iconic dishes with the general public to keep up moral! 

Gloria, my favourite fabulously over the top Italian restaurant in Shoreditch, did just that and shared the recipe for their infamous truffle, mushroom and mascarpone pasta and tell you what it tasted EXACTLY like the dreamy dish I have ordered so many times at glorious Gloria. 

OK, my room will never quite measure up to the grant interiors that make all of the Big Mamma operations so iconic and insta worthy (in London of course also at Circolo Popolare and in Paris at the interior feast for the eyes that is Pink Mamma) and there is no army of handsome and very charming Italians serving up the dishes, adding that element of service which makes eating out such a delight and experience when done right. 

For now however we will have to do without those elements and this truffle pasta at least means we can enjoy a luxury tasting and awesome looking piece of Big Mamma magic at home, and heck when if not now is the time to buy some truffles for your personal use, not like we will be wasting money at the pub or else where out for quite some time!

Let's cook it out, stay positive and make the most of the next four weeks, honing our culinary skills and having some fun in even the most uncertain of times.

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 400g mafaldine or tagliatelle
• 70g parmesan
• 20g butter
• 3 tbsps of truffle oil
• 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
• 20g black truffle (you can order these online), half finely chopped, half finely sliced
• 200g button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 30ml white wine
• 80g mascarpone

METHOD

FOR THE TRUFFLE CREAM

• Melt the butter with the truffle oil in a frying pan.
• Add the shallot and half of the finely chopped truffle, then the minced/chopped mushrooms.
• Let it brown for a few minutes, then deglaze with white wine, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes, and then stir.

FOR THE PASTA

• In another saucepan, cook your pasta in boiling salted water, until it’s a little less than al dente. 
• Add the mascarpone to your simmering truffle cream, combine and heat gently. 
• Add the pasta, grated parmesan and a little bit of cooking water, if necessary. 
• Serve immediately, garnishing with fine slithers of the remaining truffle (you can use a peeler for this).