Tajarin al burro e salvia

Step 1: Heap 10 ½ oz Italian 00 flour on a board, make a deep well and drop in 12 egg yolks. Beat them with a fork, pulling in flour from the walls little by little until a shaggy dough forms.

Step 2: Knead for 10 minutes until smooth, firm and deep yellow. It should feel stiffer than ordinary egg pasta; add 1 tbsp water only if dry crumbs refuse to come together.

Step 3: Wrap the dough and leave it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, so the gluten relaxes and it rolls without springing back.

Step 4: Roll a quarter of the dough at a time, by machine or with a long pin, until about 1 mm thin and you can see the board through it. Dust each sheet with ⅔ oz fine semolina.

Step 5: Leave the sheets on the board for about 10 minutes, until they feel leathery but still bend without cracking.

Step 6: Dust again with 1 ⅜ oz fine semolina, roll each sheet up loosely and slice it into 2–3 mm strands with a sharp knife. Shake them loose into little nests. Common mistake: cutting the sheets while they are still damp; the strands glue themselves into clumps.

Step 7: Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tbsp salt.

Step 8: Meanwhile melt 3 ½ oz butter with 16 leaves fresh sage in a wide frying pan over a medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, until it foams, turns pale hazelnut and the leaves crisp.

Step 9: Drop the tajarin into the boiling water and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until they float and lose their raw bite.

Step 10: Lift them straight into the butter with tongs, add a small ladle of the cooking water and toss over a low heat for 1 minute until glossy.

Step 11: Serve at once, scattered with 1 ¾ oz Parmigiano Reggiano and ¼ tsp black pepper, and shave ½ oz fresh truffle over the plates if you have it.