Tagliolini with Taleggio and Black Truffle
With just one mouthful of this Northern Italian recipe for tagliolini with taleggio and black truffle, you will fully understand why truffles are the most prized of foraged foods and have been called the diamonds of the kitchen!
Tagliolini al tartufo con taleggio.
The other day my hubby came home with a bag of black truffles! Yes a whole bag! 20 truffles! In many parts of the world you’d pay a fortune for that! In fact, black truffles are often referred to as ‘black gold’! But, we are lucky enough to live in a part of Italy where these truffles are quite plentiful, especially in the autumn.
My hubby is a family doctor in a mountain village and his patients often bring him presents of foraged foods or homemade yummies! Last week it was black truffles; the week before, honey mushrooms with which I made a wonderful pasta with white ragu and wild mushrooms!
Truffles in Italy.
There are two kinds of truffles found in Italy; white and black. Black truffles are harvested in autumn and winter. So it’s truffle season now! These truffles can be found in a number of parts of Italy. Because they are more common than white truffles, they cost less, but are still highly valued in the kitchen.
White truffles are rarer. They are found mostly in Piemonte/Piedmont. The most famous white truffles come from the countryside around the cities of Alba and Asti. However, they are also found in la Marche near Urbino, in Molise and Abruzzo and in Tuscany.
So, what is a truffle?
In short, truffles are a fungus that grows near tree roots. In fact, this subterranean mushroom is found among the roots of chestnut, oak, hazel, and beech trees. The word truffle comes from the Latin ‘tuber’, meaning outgrowth. Truffles date back to as early as the Sumerians and ancient Egyptians, who loved them and ate them coated in goose fat!
A little truffle history.
In the Middle Ages, truffles became unpopular. This is because, the church believed that because of the exotic aroma, truffles were the creation of the devil. They were even known as the ‘witch’s fare’. And, for centuries, very few people ate them. During the Renaissance, truffles became popular again. Louis XIV of France was fascinated by truffles and even tried, unsuccessfully, to cultivate them!
In the 1700s the white truffle from Piemonte was considered by all the European courts to be a choice delicacy. Truffle hunting became court entertainment. Guests and foreign ambassadors to Turin were invited to take part. Between the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century, the Italian kings Vittorio Amedeo II and Carlo Emanuele III were serious truffle hunters.
Today truffles are considered among the most sought after delicacies. Although there is some truffle farming in France, Italy and other countries, it is an expensive undertaking. It takes up to 30 years for a truffle orchard to reach full production because truffles have to be farmed with their host tree!
Pasta recipes with truffles.
Most Italian pasta recipes for black or white truffles are pretty simple. Truffles are rarely cooked in the sauce. Instead, truffle shavings are added to the finished dish and the truffle is eaten raw. Because truffles have a strong umami flavour they are usually paired with only a few other ingredients. Among the few other strong flavoured competing ingredients you may find in a truffle dish is porcini mushrooms. But since both are foraged fungus, they actually go together really well. Double the deliciousness!
The cheese.
Different types of cheese are often paired with truffles. In fact, you can buy cheese made with truffle in it here in Italy! So delicious! In this tagliolini with taleggio and truffle recipe, I have used taleggio, a typical Northern Italian semi-soft ripened cheese from the Val Taleggio in Lombardy. Although taleggio smells quite strong, it has a relatively mild taste. It is also is a great melting cheese.
Taleggio has been produced in Italy since Roman times and production normally happens in autumn and winter. This cheese is aged on wooden shelves in special chambers, sometimes caves, and matures within six to ten weeks. It is washed once a week with a seawater sponge to prevent the growth of mold and to form an orange or rose crust. If you can’t find it, you can use Fontina, Robiola or even Brie.
This recipe for tagliolini with taleggio and black truffle.
This recipe is super simple and really easy and quick to make. The ingredients are few and you can have this dish on the table in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. I used fresh tagliolini which took 1 minute to cook. While the water was boiling, I made the cheese sauce. This involves just melting the taleggio with some butter and fresh cream, 5 minutes! Then all you need to do is mix the pasta with the cheese sauce, plate and add some truffle shavings.
The ingredients may be few and the cooking process simple but, this is a dish that you will be dreaming about for days! This is 5 star food! If you are able to source a black truffle or two, I recommend you try this tagliolini with taleggio and black truffle. You’ll think you died and went to foodie heaven!
If you do make this tagliolini with taleggio and black truffle 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!
Other delicious authentic Italian pasta recipes for you to enjoy!
- Neapolitan tagliolini pasta pie
- Tagliolini in Mediterranean sauce
- Tagliolini au gratin with cream and ham
- Pasta arancini
- Summer tagliolini with marinated vegetables
- Pasta with Mascarpone
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Tagliolini with taleggio and black truffle
Ingredients
- 400 g tagliolini pasta (14oz) You can also use tagliatelle
- 1-2 black truffle
- 300 g taleggio cheese (10oz) you can also use fontina, brie or robiola
- 200 ml fresh cream (6oz)
- 50 g Parmesan cheese (2oz) grated
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 knob butter
Instructions
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
- Cut the taleggio into small pieces and melt it in a pan with a knob of butter and the cream. Stir continuously. As soon as the sauce has become creamy, season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet, drain and add to the pan with the cheese sauce. (My fresh tagliolini from Giovanni Rana took 1 minute!)
- Serve immediately with shavings of black truffle and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
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“The most learned men have been questioned as to the nature of this tuber, and after two thousand years of argument and discussion their answer is the same as it was on the first day: we do not know. The truffles themselves have been interrogated, and have answered simply: eat us and praise the Lord.” ~ Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870)
If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of my newly published autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!?
Suze says
An excellent, and simple, way to use my precious Perigord truffle.
Chris D says
Have a question. Is Fresh Cream in America, light cream or heavy cream.
Thanks!
Jacqui says
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment. As far as I know, fresh cream is light cream in USA not heavy cream. It usually has 18%-25% fat content. It's not good for whipping but great for sauces, soups etc.
Dee says
One more question. Is Black truffle oil from Italy the real deal and if so, how to use it in the Tagliolini with Taleggio and Black truffles recipe? How much to use? Brands you like? Would this be better than black truffle paste? What about black truffle butter? How would you substitute that in this recipe instead of the black truffles? Much like the black truffle oil that many chefs dislike, there is an issue with black truffles in a jar - can these be trusted to be good in your recipe, and if so, what brands. I have hrown a lot of questions at you, here, and in my previous comment. This dish looks so good and I am trying to figure out how it can be made without buying fresh and terribly expensive black truffles. Thanks again for your thoughtful consideration and gracious reply.
Jacqui says
Hi Dee, thanks for your comments. To be honest, I've never used a truffle substitute so I can't really recommend a particular product. I think, whatever you decide to use needs to actually have truffle in it. I have read that there are truffle oils made with real truffles, but of course they are the most expensive ones. If you use oil, I would add it at the end since experience chefs say cooking it spoils the flavour. For this recipe, I would try a truffle butter added to the pan when melting the cheese. I don't know how strong it is or whether you can substitute the normal butter with it or just add a little. Here's a link to an article I came across about different truffle substitutes. I hope it's helpful https://truffleaddict.com/whats-great-substitute-truffle-oil-everything-needed-know/
Dee says
Hi Jacqui! How wonderful to hear from you! Thank you for your thoughtful and helpful reply. I have worked with truffle butter before, and as I recall, it was from Italy, had little pieces of black truffles in it and the pasta dish turned out great! So, may try to do that with your recipe and follow your suggestions. And I will look into the expensive truffle oils that are infused with real truffle pieces. Still out in left field about how to use a truffle paste, which is also pricey, but may work much like using a truffle butter. I appreciated reading the article you enclosed. Finally, should I have a problem finding the Taleggio cheese, is Fontina a good substitute, or what would you recommend. And now I am off to subscribe to your newsletter. I have a new friend!
Jacqui says
Hi Dere, sorry for the late reply but am currently on holiday! Re truffle paste, yes I would say use it like the butter. But once again, I have never used it so am not an expert. Yes fontina is a good substitute for taleggio. Needs to be a creamy good melting cheese. Hope you enjoy the newsletters. All the best from Montenegro!
Dee says
Jacqui: How wonderful for you to have been gifted with truffles, and also, that you can readily get your hands on them!!! No so in the USA, but might be easier if you robbed a bank first - very expensive!!! To that end (the truffles, not robbing a bank!) wondered if you would be so kind as to advise how to make this pasta dish using truffle paste, and if so, what Italian or French brand you would suggest? I have seen some paste online, in jars, from Italy - many are over $100 a jar. Are the jars better than the tubes? How much paste would I add and where in the process of making this dish would I add it? Is truffle paste a good substitute for fresh truffles? I have read that truffle oil is despised by great chefs because it is nothing more than olive oil with a chemical added to it that has a truffle-like flavor, so no truffle oil for me. What about truffle butter? How could I use that as an adaptation to your recipe? Thanks so much for your gracious assistance.
Tim says
I just made this over the weekend after buying a couple of black truffles at our local Market. Absolutely outstanding!!!!!!
All 4 of us managed to devour the lot, so thanks for a great recipe - simple, tasty and the truffle was just stunning. Thanks for such a delicious recipe Jacqui 😉
Lucia says
Off the hook! So simple and so amazing! Thank you!
Jacqui says
So pleased you enjoyed this recipe Lucia! We love it too!
Deborah says
Wow, how exciting to have a bag of truffles brought home to you! Here in the US they are a luxury and one I have never tasted, other than in a very small and expensive jar that I bought on Amazon. And honestly, I thought it smelled pretty horrid. I'm sure yours were amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe and also the story behind your truffles!
Jacqui says
Thanks for your comment Deborah! I know we are lucky that truffles are easily sourced here in Italy and not so expensive. At least not the black ones. I hope you'll be able to find some good truffles and make this dish. It's definitely worth it.
Andrea Metlika says
I absolutely love that your husbands patients give him food. It reminds me of better times when bartering was a way of life. The pasta sounds delicious.
Heidy L. McCallum says
Tagliolini with taleggio and black truffle sounds very decadent and delish! I bet this would be perfect for our dinner party.
Cindy Gordon says
Made this with gf noodles for an at home date night recently! 5 stars!
Noelle says
A great comfort good dish! The flavors are so good and filled the whole family right now!
Tara says
Such a wonderful use for all of those truffles! I love how you included the history as well.