Ingredients

Method

For the pea purée:
• 200 g fresh peas, blanched
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 T mint, chopped
• 1 cup crème fraîche or mascarpone
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 250 g Woolworths streaky wood-smoked bacon
• 2 x 250 g packets Woolworths fresh tagliatelle pasta, cooked al dente
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 100 g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
For the cured egg yolk:
• 50 g sugar
• 100 g salt
• 4 free-range egg yolks

Method

Ingredients

1. Blend the peas, garlic, mint and crème fraîche until chunky. Add a little stock if it’s too dry. Season to taste.
2. Fry the bacon until very crispy. Drain and chop finely.
3. Toss the hot pasta with the pea purée and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Scatter over the toasted hazelnuts, bacon and grate over the cured egg yolk using a fine grater.
4. To make the cured egg yolk, mix the sugar and salt and place ¾ of the mixture into a glass dish. Using something round and small, such as a lime, make indentations in the cure. Place the egg yolks in the indentations, making sure that any bits of egg white are removed. Sprinkle over the remaining salt and-sugar mixture. Cover with clingwrap and chill for 4–6 days. Carefully remove the yolks and dust off the cure. The eggs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or frozen.
5. To speed up the process, you can dry out the yolks in a low oven (120°C) for 2 hours.

Cook's note: Cured egg yolks are a great way to season pasta instead of using Parmesan. Once you’ve cured the yolks, they can be stored in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to three months.

Discover more pasta recipes here.