Tagliatelle a La Hudson

Tagliatelle is flat ribbon pasta very similar to fettuccine, except it is almost always served as fresh pasta.  I used my own homemade fettuccine in this recipe.  I wanted to try it to use some gourmet, Iowa-made prosciutto that folks like Mario Batali, Bon Appetit, the New York Times, Saveur and the like rave about.  You can read about La Quercia HERE.   Like some other Iowa specialties, I suspect it’s quite a bit cheaper here than in Los Angeles or New York City, and I don't have to leave our small town to buy it. 

This recipe is so simple, you can make it in minutes; boiling the water for the pasta takes the longest.  I did heat my prosciutto in a little bit of the butter before adding and heating the cream and continuing with the recipe.  If you can’t afford or can’t find prosciutto, good ham is delicious too.  So is orange peel instead of lemon peel for a different flavor that I think we liked even better.  I keep both homemade pasta and citrus peel in the freezer, so this dish is a winner for me.  Remember that prosciutto is very salty; you don’t want to add any salt to the dish.   Buy good Parmesan, not the green can stuff for this recipe.          

Tagliatelle a La Hudson

  2             Teaspoons  Lemon or (Orange Peel) -- finely shredded

  2             Tablespoons  Butter -- softened

  8             Ounces  Fresh Tagliatelle or (Fettuccine)

  1             Cup  Heavy Cream -- heated

     1/3      Pound  Prosciutto -- cut in thin strips (or ham)

     3/4      Cup  Parmesan Cheese -- freshly grated

In a small bowl, combine lemon peel and softened butter, set aside.  Cook the pasta in boiling salted water just until tender, drain.

Heat cream; add softened lemon butter and pasta.  Stir gently to coat, off heat.  Add the prosciutto.  Serve pasta in warm bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

(Save a small amount of hot pasta water to loosen mixture, if needed).

6 Servings

  "Midwest Living Comfort Food"