Pasta with taleggio, slow cooked sweet onion, walnuts and chive oil

This was my main course that I put on my Valentines special menu as part of my pasta meal kit deliveries. It’s such a deliciously rich pasta dish and can be easily achieved with a few good quality ingredients. I drizzled over some chive oil for the final flourish that I find cuts through the richness of the dish. I followed Ed Smith’s method for making chive oil which I will definitely be replacing for wild garlic as soon as it starts to pop up everywhere.

| Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course |

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce 

1 tbsp butter 

1 red onion, finely sliced 

100ml double cream

200g taleggio, rind removed and cut into chunks

Whole nutmeg

A handful of lightly roasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Chive oil (optional) see here for recipe 

METHOD

Add the butter and a tsp of olive oil to a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions when it starts to foam and give a good stir. Turn the heat down to low and allow to caramelise, this could take up to 30 minutes. Be sure to stir the onions regularly to prevent them catching.

Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions, we will be cooking it for those extra two in the sauce.

Pour the double cream and taleggio into the onions and gently heat until the taleggio melts into the cream and grate in as much nutmeg as desired.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the starchy water. Transfer to the frying pan with half the cupful of water and turn the heat up to high, tossing or stirring vigorously to combine. Check the seasoning and add more pasta water to loosen, if needed.

Spoon into plates or bowls and scatter over the walnuts and a light drizzle of chive oil if using.