Vatican City in Rome is the smallest country in the world! Therefore, it was not very easy to find a typical recipe from this country. The recipe for Fettucine alla Papalina (or Fettucine for the Pope) came up most often in Google searches, so I decided to make it. However, I was unable to find fresh fettucine in London, at least near my flat. Instead, I substituted with tagliatelle. Although Italians can probably taste the difference, I couldn’t really distinguish. This recipe for Fettucine alla Papalina is a combination of two recipes that sounded tasty when I read them. One is from La Cucina Italiana and the other is from Giallo Zafferano. In fact, most of the recipes I found were very similar, because there are not many ingredients in this dish.
It is important to use good ingredients. For example, use fresh pasta instead of dried. And get real prosciutto and parmesan cheese. The final dish is similar to a fancy version of pasta carbonara!
Ingredients
500 g fresh fettuccine with egg
50 g unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
100 g prosciutto, cut into pieces
300 g single cream
3 medium eggs
60 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Salt and black pepper to taste
About 150 ml water
Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
First, slice the prosciutto into strips. Set aside.
Next, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 7 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Then add the 150ml water and ham. Cook for another 3 minutes. Then turn off the heat and set aside.
Fill a large pot about halfway full with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cook the fettuccine for about 3 minutes or according to the package. In the meantime, break the eggs into a bowl and add the cream, and whisk together well. Add the grated cheese and mix well.
Drain the fettuccine and pour the drained fettucine directly into the frying pan with the onion and ham sauce. Toss to coat. Then quickly add the egg mixture and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the pasta hot. Garnish with parsley for colour.
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