One of my favourite foods ever is a pasta dish I get a restaurant here in London called Bancone that features thin sheets of homemade pasta in a salty buttery sauce topped with chopped walnuts and confit of egg yolk. It’s divine and I order it every time I go. It’s literally the best thing I’ve ever tasted. Home Alone Poached Egg Yolk Pasta With Butter & Walnuts is inspired by this dish and while it’s not exactly the same, it certainly hits the spot when I’m home alone and want something indulgent, delicious and so satisfying!
I did spend a day once making my version of my favourite restaurant dish and it worked – it wasn’t as nicely presented, but the flavours were the same. It only took me the whole day… This hack is a lot easier and faster – it only takes minutes and it’s so delicious. Rather than spending an hour waiting for a confit of egg yolk, I can poach a couple of egg yolks in about a minute and a half. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s pretty darn close and if you buy high-quality eggs, it tastes amazing when it amalgamates with the butter, salt, walnuts & pasta. The textures and flavours are just so good!
This recipe really is one of those plates of food that’s easier to make when it’s just for one. The timing of poaching the egg yolk and then placing it on top of the pasta is delicate – you don’t want to be doing this for 10 people. In that case, it would be much easier to do a confit of egg yolk instead. But this little restaurant recipe hack is special – it’s just for one. It’s a little something to get you excited to cook just for yourself, because the most important person you will ever cook for is yourself.
If you can’t find Schiaffioni or Pacheri, don’t worry. You can use any kind of pasta you like. Even spaghetti or linguine would work if you’re not too stocked up on short pasta shapes. And one final tip – the best way to eat this dish is to break the egg yolks and sort of stir it around so the butter, walnuts, salt and runny egg yolks mix together to make a silk sauce. You’re in for a treat!
Ingredients
- 150g Schiaffioni or Pacheri (or other pasta of your choice)
- 50g unsalted butter
- 5 to 10g walnuts, crushed or finely chopped
- Sea salt flakes
- 2 egg yolks
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve (optional)
- Additional sea salt flakes on the side (as needed)
Method
- Boil the pasta according to packet instructions and before straining, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water. Also put a smaller pot of water on to boil for the poached egg yolks.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter over low or medium-low heat. When it starts to sizzle a bit, add 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and stir to combine. Remove from the heat but keep warm.
- Poach the egg yolks – it’s best to do this one at a time in my opinion to prevent breaking the yolks. Drop the egg yolk gently into the boiling water and poach until the outside of the yolk starts to change colour and any clinging egg white looks cooked. It should be just about a minute or two. Gently remove with a spoon to a ramekin with a little cooking spray or oil in the bottom to stop it sticking. Repeat with the other egg yolk and when it’s cooked appropriately, you might want to remove it to its own ramekin, again to prevent breakage.
- To assemble the dish, layer your pasta into a pasta bowl or onto a plate. Drizzle the butter all over the pasta. Now sprinkle across the top with the chopped walnuts and some sea salt flakes. Gently place the two poached egg yolks on top and serve with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese & more sea salt on the side to sprinkle as you eat if needed.
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