Royal Osetra Truffle Pasta
for a classic caviar serving
Fresh handmade noodles tossed in an emulsified truffle butter sauce, finished with chives and a generous crown of Royal Osetra caviar. The ingredients are simple, but every step needs care: the sauce is a butter emulsion, with just a touch of cream for silkiness.
It's a classic caviar serving, reimagined as an evening centerpiece.
Serves: 2 · Time: about 1 hour 15 minutes, including resting the dough (about 25 minutes with store-bought pasta)
Ingredients
For the fresh pasta (or use 10 oz store-bought fresh spaghetti or tagliolini)
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1¼ cups (170g) 00 flour or all-purpose flour
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2 large eggs
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1 tbsp olive oil
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Pinch of salt
For the truffle butter sauce
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6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
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1 small shallot, very finely minced
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2 tbsp heavy cream
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1–2 tsp white truffle oil, to taste
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1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan (optional, for a touch of body)
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Salt and white pepper, to taste
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½ cup reserved starchy pasta water
To finish
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1–1.5 oz (30–45g) Royal Osetra caviar
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2 tbsp finely chopped chives
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Fresh white truffle, thinly shaved (optional, if in season)
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A few flakes of edible gold leaf
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Freshly cracked black pepper
Method: Crafting a Classic Caviar Serving
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Make the pasta dough (skip if using store-bought). Mound the flour on a work surface, make a well in the center, and add the eggs, olive oil, and salt. Gradually work the flour into the eggs with a fork, then knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
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Roll and cut. Roll the dough thin, by hand or with a pasta machine at about setting 6–7, and cut into spaghetti or tagliolini. Dust with flour and set aside on a floured tray until ready to cook.
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Sweat the shallot. In a wide sauté pan, melt 1 tbsp of the butter over low heat. Add the shallot and cook gently, without browning, for 2–3 minutes, until soft and translucent.
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Cook the pasta. Boil in generously salted water until just al dente. Fresh pasta cooks fast, in 2–3 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.
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Build the emulsion. Keep the heat low. Add a splash of the pasta water to the shallots, then whisk in the remaining cold butter a few cubes at a time, letting each addition fully emulsify before adding more. This is the key to a silky sauce that won’t break. Whisk in the cream.
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Toss. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to coat, adding pasta water as needed so the sauce clings glossily to the noodles. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the truffle oil and the Parmesan, if using. Season with salt and white pepper, and taste to adjust the truffle.
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Plate. Using tongs or a carving fork, twirl the pasta into a tall nest in the center of a wide, shallow bowl.
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Finish. Scatter the chives over the pasta. At the last second, spoon a neat mound of Royal Osetra on top of the nest. Add a few shavings of fresh truffle if using, a flake or two of gold leaf, and a final crack of black pepper.
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Serve immediately. The caviar sits on top rather than being stirred in, so it stays cool and distinct against the warm pasta.
Notes:
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Why Royal Osetra? Its firm pearls and rich, buttery depth with a whisper of hazelnut stand up to the truffle butter without being overwhelmed.
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Truffle oil varies widely in quality. Look for one with real truffle content rather than purely synthetic aroma, and always add it off the heat to protect its aroma.
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Fresh truffle: a truffle slicer gives paper-thin, even shavings that melt slightly into the warm pasta.
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Add the caviar at the very last moment. Never stir it into the pasta, since heat cooks the delicate pearls.