Tagliatelle with Prosciutto & Olives

I think it is fairly obvious that I love pasta and am constantly on the lookout for delicious looking new recipes that I can try (see also soups and broths although I tend to cook those less often for some reason). Often, those that look mopst appealing to me are a spin, basically, on something that I already cook.

I think that is the case here really: I often cook sauces with bacon or pancetta or prosciutto or ham and olives and of course the triumvirate of tomatoes, Shallots / onions and garlic and I think that was exactly what attracted me to this recipe.

That and the quite artful way the original is arranged. This then is adapted from here but I’m afraid I had to concede defeat with the presentation.


Tagliatelle with Prosciutto & Olives
serves 2

250-300g fresh tagliatelle
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 shallot, finely chopped
65g black olives, pitted & roughly halved
2 tomatoes, diced
65ml dry white wine
2 tsp tomato purée
20g unsalted butter, cubed
6 slices prosciutto, roughly torn
40g freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
a small handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

In a heavy sauté pan warm the olive oil over a medium low heat and when hot add the garlic and shallots. Sauté until the shallots are softened and translucent: about 5-10 minutes.

Increase the heat a little and add the olives and tomatoes. cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add the wine and cook until it has all but evaporated and then add the butter and tomato purée.

Meanwhile cook the pasta according to packet instructions and when it is cooked drain, reserving a little of the cooking water, and add to the sauté pan with the sauce.

Mix well, but gently, adding a little of the pasta cooking if necessary to loosen the sauce and make it silkily coat all the pasta strands.

Stir through the prosciutto and parmesan then serve immediately sprinkled with the chopped parsley and a little extra parmesan.