Tagliatelle with Saffron Cream Sauce, Prosciutto, and Mushrooms

When I travel, I find some of the most memorable moments (and meals) are the ones that are unexpected. This was the case when my friends and I went to Lake Como. I ate lots of delicious pasta while I was there. But, the pasta recipe I’ve been obsessed with recreating since I got back was from one of those unexpected meals.

After a beautiful, but hot, tour of the gardens at Villa Carlotta, we were starving. On our walk home, we grabbed a lake-side table at Red & White Wine Bar in Tremezzina. I ordered the €10 pasta special. Everything about that meal was exactly what I wanted in that moment: the housemade tagliatelle with saffron cream sauce, speck, and procini mushrooms, the crisp, cool white wine, and the amazing view.

I know I can never recreate that moment. However, I’ve come close to recreating the tagliatelle with saffron cream sauce. It is hard to find speck and porcini here, so I use prosciutto and whichever mushrooms look good. This recipe is best made with fresh tagliatelle or fettuccine. If you don’t make your own, you can buy fresh pasta in the refrigerator section at the grocery store. If you want to try making fresh pasta, the least expensive route is to get a hand crank pasta roller. However, I love the pasta roller attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. It dramatically speeds up the pasta rolling process.

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5 from 1 reviews

Tagliatelle with Proscuitto, Mushrooms, and Saffron Cream Sauce

April 3, 2022

Servings: 3-4

Difficulty: Moderate

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

2 pinches saffron threads
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2.5 oz. prosciutto or speck
1/4 c. shallots, diced
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. white wine
3/4 c. cream or half-and-half
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese + extra to sprinkle on top
1 lb. fresh fettuccine or tagliatelle

Directions

Step 1 Bring water for the pasta to a boil and 1 Tbsp salt. Slice mushrooms. Cut prosciutto into pieces. Dice shallots.
Step 2 Over medium heat, toast saffron in 1 Tbsp. olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3 Add shallots & prosciutto and sauté 2-3 minutes until shallots soften and start to turn brown.
Step 4 Add mushrooms, 1 Tbsp butter, and 1/4 tsp salt. Sauté 5-7 minutes until mushrooms start to brown.
Step 5 De-glaze the pan with wine. Cook for 2-3 minute until almost evaporated. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan while it simmers down.
Step 6 Add half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to med-low. Simmer for 3 minutes.
Step 7 While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to package instructions until almost done. (Fresh pasta should only take 2-3 min to cook.) Reserve 1/2 c. of pasta water. Drain pasta and add to pan with the sauce. Toss so cover pasta with sauce. Let simmer another minute or two until pasta is finished cooking. Add pasta water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce to your liking.
Step 8 Remove pasta from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Top with extra Parmesan if desired.

Detailed Instructions

Step 1. Bring water for the pasta to a boil and 1 Tbsp salt. Slice mushrooms. Cut prosciutto into pieces. Dice shallots.

Step 2. Over medium heat, toast saffron in 1 Tbsp. olive oil for 2-3 minutes.

Step 3. Add shallots & prosciutto and sauté 2-3 minutes until shallots soften and start to turn brown.

Step 4. Add mushrooms, 1 Tbsp butter, and 1/4 tsp salt. Sauté 5-7 minutes until mushrooms start to brown.

Step 5. De-glaze the pan with wine. Cook for 2-3 minute until almost evaporated. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan while it simmers down.

Step 6. Add half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to med-low. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Step 7. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to package instructions until almost done. (Fresh pasta should only take 2-3 min to cook.) Reserve 1/2 c. of pasta water. Drain pasta and add to pan with the sauce. Toss so cover pasta with sauce. Let simmer another minute or two until pasta is finished cooking. Add pasta water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce to your liking.

Tagliatelle with prosciutto mushroom and saffron cream sauce — Serve

Step 8. Remove pasta from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Top with extra Parmesan if desired.