Creamy Pork Tenderloin Pasta (Tagliatelle alla Castellana)

Method8 steps · about 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add cooking-water salt and return it to the boil.

   Uses Water for boiling the tagliatelle · Salt for the pasta cooking water

2. 2

   Step 2: Peel and finely chop the onion (1) and garlic. Melt the 50 g butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to soften.

   Uses 50 g unsalted butter · 1 small onion · 1 garlic clove

3. 3

   Step 3: Clean and slice the fresh mushrooms. Add them to the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned. Cut the pancetta (100 g) into small cubes if necessary, add it to the pan and cook until it begins to brown.

   Uses Onion and garlic in butter from step 2 · 140 g sliced fresh mushrooms · 100 g cubed pancetta

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Cut the pork tenderloin into small cubes if necessary. Add it to the mushroom and pancetta pan and cook briefly for a few minutes until the pieces are just cooked and still tender. They will cook a little further with the cream; avoid prolonged cooking that dries them out.

   Uses Sautéed mushrooms, pancetta and aromatics from step 3 · 140 g cubed pork tenderloin

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Increase the heat and pour in the 25 ml brandy, scraping up any browned bits. Let the strong brandy aroma subside, then reduce the heat and stir in the 200 ml cream. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly reduced, and season with sauce salt and black pepper.

   Simmer cream sauce · 4 minUses Tenderloin, pancetta, mushrooms and aromatics from step 4 · 25 ml brandy · 200 ml cream · Salt to taste, for the pork sauce · freshly ground black pepper. (to taste)

   
6. 6

   Step 6: While the sauce simmers, cook the 340 g tagliatelle in the salted water until al dente according to their packet. The source guide is about 4–5 minutes for fresh pasta or around 10 minutes for dried; use the actual packet and texture as the guide.

   Cook tagliatelle: fresh or dried · 5 minUses Cooking water prepared in step 1 · 340 g tagliatelle

7. 7

   Step 7: Before draining the tagliatelle, reserve 1 cup of their cooking water. Drain and toss them in the creamy pork sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add only as much of the reserved cup of water as needed to loosen it.

   Uses Pasta cooked in step 6 with its hot cooking water · Finished tenderloin and mushroom sauce from step 5

8. 8

   Step 8: Serve the dish immediately, optionally garnished with grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano.

   Uses Tossed pasta and creamy pork sauce from step 7 · Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, for serving if desired