Recipe of the week: Jacob Kenedy’s tagliolini with butter and truffle

The large amount of butter and egg yolk in this dish does make it rich, says Jacob Kenedy. But that is why it’s so great. It is a version of a Piedmont recipe, tajarin al tartufo – my adaptation being that I like to serve it with a poached egg yolk on top.

Serves four people as a starter, or two as a main

Ingredients

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• 260g fresh tagliolini (made with 200g flour and 5 egg yolks) or 200g dried tagliolini
• 160g butter
• 60g black winter truffle or 30g white truffle
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan

Method

• You will need three pans for this dish – one filled with boiling, well-salted water for the pasta, one with simmering salted water for the eggs, and a frying pan to melt the butter. Everything needs to be done in quick succession:
• Put the pasta on to boil. Then, melt the butter over a low heat with two tablespoons of the pasta water (and 40g grated black truffle, if using).
• When cooked to your satisfaction, drain the pasta and toss it into the butter.
• Poach the egg yolks in the simmering water. Cook for just 20 seconds, until the thin film of egg white turns into a cloudy veil around the still-raw yolks.
• Portion the buttered pasta into bowls, and make a well in the centre of each. Using a slotted spoon, carefully place the yolks into their nests of tagliolini.
• Dust with a little parmesan, then cover with thinly shaved (or grated) truffles.

Jacob Kenedy was born in London in 1980. After reading natural sciences at Cambridge, he toyed with several careers – biologist, glassblower, percussionist – before settling on cooking. He had stints at Moro in London, and Boulevard in San Francisco, before opening Bocca di Lupo (literally “mouth of the wolf” in Italian) in Soho in 2008.

Described by Boulevard head chef Nancy Oakes as “the most gifted natural cook I have worked with”, Kenedy is renowned for his bold reinterpretations of Italian regional dishes. This winter, Bocca di Lupo is inviting diners to BYOT – Bring Your Own Truffle – to shave over dishes at the restaurant. Truffles are available to buy from Kenedy’s neighbouring ice-cream parlour, Gelupo.

Bocca di Lupo, 12 Archer Street, London W1 (boccadilupo.com).