Rigatoni with Truffle Creme

I actually had this dish twice while I was in France. I loved it so much when I had it on our first night in Paris at Cafe du Marche that I ordered it again at a cafe at Versailles. It was delicious, it was cheap (all things considered), and it was vegetarian.


Here's the thing: I'm not much of a meat eater. I never have been, much to the chagrin of my large, meat-loving Portuguese family. I will try virtually any vegetable, fruit, or grain; with meat and seafood, I am more wary. I quickly discovered in Paris that even when I got a piece of meat I could readily identify, it was much fattier than I liked. (Yes, I know that fat equals flavor. I've heard it all before. Animal fat, unless it is in the form of crispy strips of bacon, gives me the heeby-jeebies.)


The sauce was lightly dotted with grated bits of truffle and the flavor infused the whole dish. It was incredibly savory, simple, and satisfying. Not to mention that I spent about 14 American dollars on the meal -- expensive for pasta, but cheap when you consider that truffles cost anywhere from $250 to more than $1000 a pound.