Spaghetti alla Norcia | Spaghetti from Norcia

One fall, we decided to let our truffle addiction lead us to a new town in Umbria, the truffle capital of Italy, Norcia. Norcia is known for its truffles and the horrific magnitude 6.6 earthquake that shook this charming little town to destruction back in 2016. It destroyed the entire village. When we visited in 2021, the poor town was under construction but mostly still rubble. We stayed at Palazzo Seneca, a lovely hotel, built in the 16th century. The Michelin-starred hotel restaurant, Vespasia, is outstanding. I encourage you to visit this town to support them in their efforts to rebuild their businesses, homes, and lives. Every day I was in Norcia, I would order their local black truffle dish of the day. This recipe is my version of a black truffle and anchovy pasta I enjoyed very much. I pair this pasta with a glass of Elve’, an Umbrian Grechetto wine from Madrevite.

To make this vegan-friendly, omit the anchovies.

Receipt Date: May 24, 2022

Difficulty: Easy

Measurements: Imperial (US)

See ingredients, directions and pairings.

Ingredients

1 pound pasta, I use Spaghetti, cooked per directions al dente

5 tablespoons EVOO

2 Anchovy Fillets, mashed with a fork

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

10 tablespoons Black Truffle Paste, I like Urbani and Sabatini

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water with a large pinch of sea salt until al dente. Reserve a 1/4 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.

Heat the EVOO in a saute pan over medium heat. Stir in the anchovy paste and garlic. Cook until garlic is golden, about 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the truffle paste.

Add the pasta directly into the pan and toss to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick add the reserved pasta water, bit by bit until you achieve the consistency you like most.

Serve immediately. Feel free to sprinkle some Parm on top, I prefer not to because of the anchovy.