Apr 10, 2012

Tagliatelle with Poppy Seeds and Prosciutto

Poppy seeds lend their toasty aroma to this creamy pasta dish, based on one served by chef Matthew Accarrino at SPQR in San Francisco. This recipe first appeared in our April 2012 issue along with Gabriella Gershenson's story Flower Power.

Credit: Maxime Iattoni

SERVES 4�6

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
½ cup white wine
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup heavy cream
1 lb. tagliatelle or fettucine
2 oz. prosciutto, thinly sliced
½ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more to garnish
4 scallions, cut into ½″ slices
Juice of ½ lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat butter and oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add poppy seeds; cook, stirring, until fragrant and shallots begin to brown lightly, about 3 minutes. Add wine; cook until almost all liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add buttermilk and cream; cook, stirring, until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving a little cooking water, and add to sauce in skillet. Add prosciutto, Parmesan, half the scallions, and lemon juice; toss to combine, adding water if necessary to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with remaining scallions and more Parmesan.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #146

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Ratings & Reviews (6)

by katabeta on 2012-04-07

I had to make this after seeing that gorgeous close-up photo of poppy seeds in the magazine, and indeed this is a beautiful dish. The poppy flavor is definitely subtle. Made with meyer lemon since that's what I had; I think regular lemon might stand up better to the creamy and nutty flavors. I'd also think about adding some lemon zest next time.

by ejm on 2012-04-11

This is fabulously good. We made it with smoked ham rather than prociutto and used butter and milk in place of the heavy cream (only because we didn't have any cream on hand). It was so delicious the first time that we made it again two nights later. This is definitely a keeper.

by ROBYNSF on 2012-04-16

This was one a the easiest, most delicious recipes I've ever made. I used all buttermilk instead of buttermilk and cream so it was a little lighter. I'll definitely make this again.