Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Orange: A Quick and Easy way to Eat Luxuriously

 

While we're on the topic of putting somewhat unusual ingredients (like corn) into tagliatelle, how about we try an orange? Truthfully, this probably wouldn't have occurred to us without a little help from Bon Appetit magazine, but we're glad we came across it because this is a perfect example of how a few simple ingredients can come together to make a wonderfully delicious new culinary experience.

I could go for a new culinary experience right about now...

Now this is certainly not a fat free dish - what with the prosciutto and the heavy cream - but it is important that you use the heavy cream and not try to lighten it up with half and half or light cream. If you do, there's a good chance the citrus will curdle it, and we can't be held responsible for curdy pasta. If you're worried about your health, simply use less of the heavy cream and orange and loosen the sauce up later on with more pasta water.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need

(Serves: 2)

1/2 lb tagliatelle
1 orange juiced and zested
2 oz prosciutto
1/4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated pecorino
freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

This is a perfect after work dish because it comes together so quickly and requires very little prep. The only ingredients you'll need are the pasta, and orange, prosciutto, butter, cheese and cream. Start by chopping up your prosciutto into the size you'd like. Bon Appetit recommends one inch pieces, we chopped up ours a little smaller because we like it that way. Bring your water to a boil and add some salt, and then drop your pasta in (if using dried pasta - if you're using fresh pasta, drop it in at the end). Cook it until one minute shy of the package directions.

..... yum?

In a non stick pan start to melt the butter, and once it's melted add in your prosciutto and cook it until it's crispy and the fat has rendered. That's right folks - we're cooking prosciutto in butter today. Good for the heart.

Squeezing an orange into the mix.

Once the prosciutto is nicely crisped, add in a ladle of pasta water, the juice from your orange, and half of the zest of the orange. Bring it to a quick boil and then add in the cream and reduce the heat to a simmer. Season with touch of salt and pepper, and then taste.

Seasoning the orange cream prosciutto mixture with salt and pepper

Add in grated pecorino cheese and stir to incorporate.

Grating the pecorino right into the sauce.

Then, add in your pasta and toss, covering the pasta with the sauce completely. Add more pasta water if needed to loosen things up.

Artfully tossing the pasta with the sauce

Serve in a warm bowl sprinkled with the remaining zest of the orange and more grated cheese. Enjoy!

The Result
This bright, smooth, luxurious sauce is the perfect coating for the flat chewy noodles. It gets an earthy flavor from the prosciutto that pairs wonderfully with the flavor from the orange, and it's creamy to boot.

The fact that this can be made in as little time as it takes to cook the pasta only adds to the perfection of this dish. It's a must try for a weeknight dinner.

What are some unusual pasta combinations you've tried? Let us know in the comments!