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
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- 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).
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailoutTalking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Crossword: October 5, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipeThe Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite booksThe Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 millionFeature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classicThe Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period dramaThe Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thrillerThe Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiryThe Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’
