This Month’s Featured region is Friuli-Venzia Giulia, known for it’s incredibile Prosciutto di San Daniele as well as Alpine influences from neighboring Austria and Slovenia.  

Tagliolini al Prosciutto di San Daniele 

Tagliolini

Wine Pairing: I Clivi Galea or other Friulian white, preferable based on the Tocai (Friulano) grape.  THe bright acidity and soft fruit of the tocai is a perfect complement to the prosciutto and cream.

Recipe adapted from the Consorzio di Prosciutto di San Daniele (prosciuttosandaniele.it)  

Read on for the recipe…

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs fresh tagliolini pasta (long, thin pasta similar to spaghettini)

¾ lb Prosciutto di San Daniele

5 tbs butter

1 cup heavy cream or “panna da cucina”

6 whole slices Prosciutto di San Daniele to serve

2 tbs of poppy seeds

Preparation:

Thinly slice the prosciutto into strips and gently brown in melted butter.  When just turning brown add the cream or panna to the sauce pan and stir well. Add salt and pepper.  In plenty of boiling, salted water, cook the tagliolini until just ¾ cooked, reserve some of the pasta cooking water.  Combine the drained pasta with the cream and prosciutto sauce and gently toss, add some of the cooking water to soften the sauce.  On each plate lay one slice of whole prosciutto and top with the pasta.  Garnish each dish with a pinch of poppy seeds.