We’d tried the local Gutturnio wine….the good, and the less good… and we found that the wine growing area had a castle at its historic centre, a small village called Bardi, and we thought we’d go and have a look at it.

It didn’t disappoint, particularly not when viewed against a backdrop of dramatic thunder and lightening. But before we began to explore it we needed some lunch. Nestling at the base of the castle we found a homely restaurant, Le Due Spade (‘the two swords’). It was heavingly busy, full of chattering locals and taciturn workmen.

We thought it was bound to be good, and it was. We both had the tagliatelle con tartuffo nero locale – excellent (especially washed down with a glass or two of the local hooch – the Gutturnio). And the best thing about it was that it is not at all difficult to replicate approximately in your own kitchen. Here’s how.

This is particularly good followed by a good bit of matured pecorino, or cheddar.

Tagliatelle with a black truffle sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 200g/7 oz black truffle sauce – there is a whole selection on Amazon, but I think the best is D.O.S. 
• a few leaves of sage
• smoked salt
• a pinch of Urfa pepper – this is optional, but it gives a wonderful chocolatey, tobacco, bright richness – go here for more on Urfa pepper. Otherwise use Indonesian long pepper which has a lovely musty smell which goes well with truffles…or ordinary freshly ground black pepper.
• butter – couple of walnuts
• 4 x tbsps. truffle oil
• 2 x black summer truffles – of course, if you can source fresh, you are in luck, otherwise buy a jar of them
• 500g/18 oz tagliatelle
• ordinary olive oil
• peppery, finishing oil

Method

1. Boil a kettle full of water.
2. Empty the sauce into a dish and warm in the microwave for a minute.
3. Empty the kettle into a large saucepan, add more water if necessary, bring to the boil and add salt and olive oil. Cook the tagliatelle according to packet instructions – probably about five minutes. Stir just after adding the pasta to ensure the strands don’t get stuck together.
4. Meanwhile slice the truffles very finely and chop the sage.
5. Drain the pasta and add the butter and truffle oil. Add a little salt, mix in well.
6. Serve the pasta immediately (don’t let it get lukewarm), topped with the warm truffle sauce and scattered over with the slices of truffle, the chopped sage, and, if using the urfa pepper, otherwise a grind of freshly ground black pepper.
7. Put a bottle of good, peppery finishing oil on the table for people to help themselves.