FIRST COURSES

Having guests for dinner and short on time? Here's a dish that takes just a few minutes to prepare and will delight even the most discerning palates.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400 g Crioli (square spaghetti)
• 100 g Black Truffle Sauce
• 30 g Minced Black Summer Truffle
• Black Summer Truffle Carpaccio to taste
• 3 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then season with salt and add the pasta.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: drizzle a little oil in a nonstick pan, add 4 tablespoons of the truffle sauce, and mix well, adding a little of the pasta cooking water if necessary.

Add the ground black truffle, parsley, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pan. Stir gently until smooth.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss it in the pan with the sauce.

Plate and garnish with a few slices of Carpaccio.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400 g fresh Tagliatelle noodles
• 50 g fresh black summer truffle
• 200 g cream
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Preparing the cream

A few hours before preparing your dish, pour the fresh liquid cream into a bowl and grate a little black truffle. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preparation

To prepare the tagliatelle with truffle, start by cleaning the truffle. Rinse it thoroughly under cold water to remove any excess dirt. Then brush it with a small brush to remove any impurities and dry it. Slice a few slices and set aside to garnish the dish.

Prepare a pot with plenty of salted water and, once it reaches boiling point, add the pasta. Meanwhile, heat the cream for a few minutes over low heat. Drain the pasta a few minutes before the indicated cooking time and finish cooking it in the cream. Stir the pasta into the sauce, taking care not to let the cream boil, adding a little of the pasta cooking water if necessary.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 kg potatoes
• 500 g mushrooms
• 150 g grated Parmesan Cheese
• 120 g black summer truffle
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt to taste
• Parsley to taste
• 2 cucchiai di olio

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; peel and dice the potatoes and cook them.  

Meanwhile, on a non-stick pan, drizzle a clove of garlic with oil until golden brown. When golden, remove the garlic and add the mushrooms (previously washed and chopped), letting them golden for a few minutes; season with salt and parsley.

Once cooked, transfer the potatoes to a blender and blend on high speed for 2-3 minutes, adding salt, parsley, oil, Parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs until smooth.

Take some molds, grease them and flour them, fill them with the mixture, and bake for 20 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes.

Plate and garnish with mushrooms and shavings of black summer truffle, if desired.

Ingredients (for 4 wafers)

• 200 g Parmesan cheese
• 400 g Cantaloupe melon
• 200 g Raw ham
• 50 g Black summer truffle
• Salt to taste

Preparation

To prepare the wafers, grate the cheese and pour it into a 20 cm nonstick pan, covering the entire surface. Heat over low heat until the cheese has completely melted. Let the wafer cool before carefully removing it from the pan.

Place it in the bottom of a glass and let it cool.

Proceed by dicing the ham and melon.

Rinse only the truffle you will use to season the wafer under running water. Store the remaining truffle wrapped in paper towels in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Change the paper towels daily to prevent mold. This way, the truffle will keep for about 7–8 days.

For the raw meat lovers, here's a quick and gourmet appetizer.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 slices of homemade bread
• 300 g of beef carpaccio
• 60 g fresh black summer truffle
• 20 g of fig jam
• Salt to taste

Rinse under cold water only the amount of truffle you'll use to season your bruschetta.

Store the remaining truffle wrapped in paper towels in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Change the paper towels daily to prevent mold. This way, the truffle will keep for about 7–8 days.

Ingredients (serves 5)

• 50 g fresh black summer truffle
• 15 fresh eggs
• Butter
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Preparation

24 hours before: Place a truffle of about 50 g with 15 fresh eggs in an airtight container and leave it closed for at least one night.

One hour before serving: crack the eggs into a bowl, grate a third of the truffle, add salt and pepper and whisk the mixture. Let it rest at room temperature.

A few minutes before cooking: from the remaining two-thirds of the truffle, dice half and slice the other half using a truffle slicer.

In a pan, heat a knob of butter over low heat, being careful not to brown it. Pour the mixture into the hot pan and use a spatula to form an omelette, bringing the edges toward the center of the pan.

Add the diced truffles and fold the omelette into a roll that encloses the filling. Cook for a few more minutes over low heat. Brush with a little melted butter and top with the previously set aside truffle slices.

Your dish is ready to serve.

Ingredients (for 14 crêpes)

• 3 medium eggs
• 250 g plain flour
• 500 g whole milk
• 40 g butter
• 14 slices raw ham
• 14 slices Caciocavallo cheese
• 100 g fresh black summer truffle
• Parsley to taste

Preparation

To make the crêpes, gently melt the butter into a saucepan and let it cool. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and, using a whisk, stir vigorously, gradually adding the milk. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth. Now pour in the cooled butter and stir again. Place a sieve over the bowl and sift the flour into the bowl. Stir vigorously with a whisk to absorb the flour until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After the indicated time, stir to reinvigorate the mixture and heat a crêpe pan or a greased nonstick pan. Once the mixture reaches the required temperature, ladle the mixture into the pan, covering the entire surface. When you notice a light golden brown color around the edges, use a spatula to flip the crepe. After about 1 minute, your crêpe will be ready to be filled.

Spread a layer of raw ham, add the caciocavallo cheese, and bake at 220°C (425°F) for 2 minutes. After the indicated baking time, serve and garnish with fresh parsley and flakes of fresh black summer truffle.