This easy oven baked tagliatelle pasta with Fontina recipe takes very little time to make and calls for just a handful of ingredients. Perfect for last minute meals, busy weeknights and as a side dish with white or red meat.
A recipe from the Aosta Valley.
This cheesy baked tagliatelle with Fontina comes from the Aosta Valley (Val D’Aosta), a small mountainous region in Northwest Italy that borders with France and Switzerland.
Because of its mountainous terrain and cold winter climate, the food of the Aosta Valley is mainly based on hearty soups and filling dishes containing meat, sausages and salumi (mostly from game, pork and beef) and freshwater fish such as trout.
Potatoes, polenta, bread (often rye bread), risotto, spaetzle, gnocchi and cheese are the other main staples! In fact, this region is famous for its cheeses, particularly Fontina which is used in lots of recipes like this baked tagliatelle al gratin.
Pasta dishes from the Aosta Valley.
As with other mountainous Northern Italian regions, pasta is not as big a part of the local cuisine in Val d’Aosta as it is in other parts of the Italian peninsula. However, tagliatelle is popular either as made in the rest of Italy, or with other types of flour like chestnut flour.
Probably the most popular pasta dishes from the Aosta Valley are pasta alla valdostana recipes! ‘Alla Valdostana’ is a name given to many dishes that include Fontina cheese and often ham or mushrooms. I have recipes for both penne alla Valdostana and lasagna Valdostana worth checking out, both also made with Fontina.
Fontina cheese.
Fontina has been made in the Aosta Valley since the 12th century and is traditionally produced with unpasteurized cow’s milk from a single milking. This cheese has a high fat content because it’s usually made with milk from cows which are grazing on flower-filled mountain pastures during the summer! But that’s what makes it such a great melting cheese and perfect for this tagliatelle bake.
Authentic Italian Fontina from the Aosta Valley is a DOP product (Protected Designation of Origin), meaning it is certified to have been produced in the Val d’Aosta according to strict regulations. However, Fontina is also made in other countries such as Denmark, Sweden, France, Canada, Argentina and the USA.
The Fontina from these countries often has a milder flavor and softer texture than Italian Fontina DOP but in general they are also good melting cheeses which can be used in this baked tagliatelle recipe.
Ingredients in this baked tagliatelle recipe.
The pasta.
Tagliatelle is the pasta of choice for this easy recipe, although fettuccine egg noodles would work as well. I used homemade tagliatelle. If you would like to do the same, do check out my homemade tagliatelle recipe.
Of course, you can use store bought dried, or fresh tagliatelle. The dried pasta will need to be parboiled longer than the fresh pasta which only takes a minute or two. The tagliatelle finishes cooking in the oven.
The cheese.
Italian Fontina is the star of this oven-baked tagliatelle recipe. However, you can use other types of Fontina or good melting cheeses. Gruyere is the most similar to Fontina. Emmental is a mild swiss cheese that has a similar nutty flavor and can be used as a cooking cheese.
Tallegio is softer, but has a similar texture to Fontina. It has a stronger aroma, but the actual flavor is mild & slightly fruity. Fresh mozzarella is another alternative but it is a lot milder.
Parmigiano Reggiano: This recipe calls for a little bit of Parmigiano (parmesan cheese) sprinkled on the top of the tagliatelle before baking. You can also use another hard cheese like Grana.
The butter.
Here in Italy, we use mostly unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, I suggest cooking the pasta without salt or with just a pinch of salt.
Step by Step instructions.
1)Parboil your tagliatelle in a large pot of salted water that has come to a boil until it’s very al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven.
2) Cut the Fontina cheese into small pieces or cubes and grate the Parmigiano (parmesan cheese). Freshly grated Parmigiano has a creamier taste and texture than ready grated cheese. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
3) Drain the pasta and mix it with the melted butter. Make a layer of tagliatelle in an oval or rectangular oven dish. Cover with pieces of Fontina. Then make another layer of tagliatelle with more cubes of Fontina on top.
4) Add freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano.
5) Bake in a preheated oven at about 200°c (390°F) for just 10 minutes until the top is slightly crispy and browned. Serve your baked tagliatelle pasta with Fontina immediately.
Serving suggestions.
If you want to add some extra protein, cooked ham or precooked bacon of pancetta cubes would be a delicious addition. Add before baking.
This baked tagliatelle with Fontina is also served with a side of tomato sauce. A delicious must-try idea which adds so much flavor to the dish!
Alternatively, you can serve this dish as a side dish. It’s delicious with both red meat and white.
What to do with leftovers.
Like other similar Italian recipes, the cheese sauce in leftover baked tagliatelle pasta with Fontina will start to thicken as it cools. Reheating the leftovers is best in the microwave or even fried with some more butter. You can keep the leftovers sealed in the fridge for a couple of days. However, I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers.
FAQs
When made with Italian Fontina DOP and Parmigiano Reggiano, this recipe isn’t vegetarian as both cheeses contain animal rennet. However, there are versions of vegetarian Fontina and parmesan which you can use to make this tagliatelle bake vegetarian friendly.
Yes, this recipe can be made with a number of good melting cheeses, for example Gruyere or Emmental.
Let me know what you think.
If you make this baked tagliatelle pasta with Fontina recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. So, please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
Pin for later.
Some other really good tagliatelle pasta dishes worth trying!
- Tagliatelle with creamy pork tenderloin
- Creamy lemon salmon tagliatelle
- Authentic tagliatelle Bolognese
- Tagliatelle with chicken livers
- Pasta with fresh peas and pancetta.
- Tagliatelle with rabbit ragu.
Easy Baked Tagliatelle Pasta with Fontina Cheese.
Equipment
- 1 large pot to cook pasta
- 1 oven dish to bake pasta
- 1 large bowl to mix cooked pasta and butter together.
Ingredients
- 1 pound tagliatelle fresh, dried or homemade
- 9 ounces Fontina cheese or Gruyere or Emmental
- 2 ounces butter unsalted
- 2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano or vegetarian parmesan.
Instructions
- Parboil your tagliatelle in a large pot of boiling salted water until it’s very al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven. Fresh pasta only takes a minute or two.
- Cut the Fontina cheese into small pieces or cubes and grate the Parmigiano (parmesan cheese). Freshly grated Parmigiano has a creamier taste and texture than ready grated cheese. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Drain the pasta and mix it with the melted butter in a large bowl. Make a layer of tagliatelle in an oval or rectangular oven dish. Cover with pieces of Fontina. Then make another layer of tagliatelle with more cubes of Fontina on top.
- Add freshly ground black pepper and a good sprinkling of grated Parmigiano.
- Bake in a preheated oven at about 200°c (390°F) for just 10 minutes until the top is slightly crispy and browned. Serve your baked tagliatelle immediately.
Tell us what you think