King of Mushrooms: The Mysterious and Elusive Truffle
The Italian harvest of the prized white truffle begins in October 

Tartufi hunters in Italy use a knee-high, curly-furred dog called a Lagotto Romagnolo to help them find the elusive white truffle buried in the forest duff. The dogs are specifically bred for the purpose, and their keen noses are trained to identify ripe truffles, sometimes buried as much as eighteen inches deep. Pigs were once the truffle-hunter’s animal of choice, but they tended to eat their find, whereas dogs can be trained to merely lead the hunter to the treasure.

This fall, throughout forests in Tuscany, Piedmont, and the Marche, legions of truffle hunters and their dogs will be combing the forest floor for the world’s most sought-after mushroom. Hunters have passed secret spots and techniques from generation to generation. Chefs worldwide, filled with truffle excitement, are planning seasonal specials as they await this year’s shipment of the knobby, lumpy fungi that can command prices as high as $3000 per pound.

 

What is it that drives such enthusiasm? First, it’s the flavor. Truffles have a powerful and unique fragrance. It’s pungent, garlicky, and earthy. Just shavings of the mysterious mushroom have enough intensity of flavor to elevate an entire dish. Secondly, it’s their scarcity. Truffles must be foraged from underground. Black truffles are more widespread and can be harvested year-round but remain rare enough to command high prices. European white winter truffles are the king of the fungus world, and by weight, they’re among the most expensive foods on the planet. Unlike black truffles, white truffles have never been successfully cultivated. They grow wild, like the enthusiasm they inspire.

In Italy, there are festivals celebrating truffles throughout the fall, especially in cities famous for their truffle harvests—Alba, San Miniato, and Acqualagna. Chefs and food lovers visit to sample foods showcasing the aromatic mushroom and purchase a precious supply of their own.

Cooking with truffles doesn’t have to be reserved for those willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a single truffle. At DeLaurenti, we carry a variety of products made with truffles, ranging from Ritrovo Selections Truffle & Salt, which can be used to flavor everything from pasta to popcorn to filet mignon, to cheeses flavored with the mushroom. Another way to impart truffle flavor is to add a truffle-infused oil in dishes. We carry a white truffle oil and a black truffle oil made by Regalis, perhaps the most revered importer and supplier to the majority of Michelin-starred restaurants in the U.S. Both are excellent, and a little goes a long way. Drizzle the oil over vegetables, meats, or add some to a mushroom pasta. Before you’ve even tasted the dish, your nose will tip you off to the reason chefs go wild for truffles this time of year: the mysterious, revered fragrance of what Italians call tartufi.

Click on the image above to shop all our truffle products! 

Truffle Tagliolini with Mushrooms 

This simple pasta is an elegant way to sample truffles. Ritrovo’s delicate egg pasta is made with truffle and porcini mushrooms from the Piedmont region of Italy. Regalis’s White Truffle Oil is deliciously fragrant. Best of all, you can fix this Michelin-worthy dish in about 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
Serves 4
1 Tbsp butter
½ pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ cup heavy cream
1 package Ritrovo Selections Truffle Tagliolini
2 Tbsp Regalis White Truffle Oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

Directions:
Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until they’re just browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the heavy cream. Stir while slightly reducing the cream, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving a bit of the pasta water. Add the tagliolini to the mushroom cream sauce and turn heat to low. Add the white truffle oil and toss to coat. If the sauce feels too dry, add a little pasta water. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve with Parmigiano Reggiano.