Tagliolini al Tartufo – Truffle pasta with summer truffle

Tagliolini al Tartufo by Pasta Morelli, fine egg ribbon pasta with summer truffle from Tuscany

Fine, thin egg tagliolini from Antico Pastificio Morelli, refined with real summer truffle and fresh wheat germ in the dough. Bronze-drawn, slowly dried at 50 °C. 250 g in a cardboard box, cooking time 4 to 6 minutes. The uncomplicated truffle pasta for everyday use, without having to buy fresh truffles.

The Tagliolini al Tartufo from Pasta Morelli are fine, thin egg ribbon noodles made from Tuscan durum wheat semolina and fresh egg, with real summer truffle (Tuber aestivum) in the dough. In addition, there are the fresh wheat germ, which Morelli has been incorporating into every dough since 1860 and which gives the pasta a bready, cereal aroma when cooked. Tagliolini are the thinner sister of tagliatelle, just 2 to 3 millimeters wide. This makes them the ideal carrier for delicate sauces and for the fine, unobtrusive character of the summer truffle.

Fine Tagliolini with real summer truffle

When you open the box, a subtle mushroom scent wafts out – not overpowering, not perfumed, but with the fine, woody tone that summer truffles have. The difference to the aggressively sweet smell of cheap truffle oils is immediately noticeable: here, real Tuber aestivum is in the dough, not chemical flavoring. The tagliolini are significantly narrower than tagliatelle, about 2 to 3 millimeters wide, with the typical rough bronze surface to which sauce and butter will later adhere perfectly.

When cooked, the truffle aroma gently unfolds, like a veil that settles over the kitchen. The pasta water remains almost clear with a slight yellow tint from the egg. On the palate, the delicate egg sweetness first appears, then the subtle truffle note – woody, ripe and earthy, without overpowering –, finally the malty depth of the wheat germ provides the finishing touch. A pasta that doesn't trumpet its luxury content, but gently unfolds it.

Which sauce goes with Tagliolini al Tartufo?

The short answer: butter and Parmesan, nothing else. The classic preparation according to Italian home cooking: toss the cooked tagliolini in brown butter, add a spoonful of cooking water, serve with coarsely grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a hint of freshly ground pepper. That's enough – the truffle aroma from the dough plays the main role, the butter binds, the Parmigiano rounds it off.

If you want more creaminess, sauté shallots in butter, deglaze with a splash of white wine, add cream and reduce briefly. Then toss the tagliolini in it and serve with Parmesan. For special occasions, you can shave fresh summer truffle slices over the plate after serving – that takes the pasta to the next level, but it's not necessary.

Also excellent: with pan-fried scallops, with poached egg and spinach, or as a side dish to roast veal. Not recommended: strong tomato sauces, Pesto alla Genovese or spicy meat ragouts – they overpower the delicate truffle aroma.

For cooking, bring 2.5 liters of water per 250 g of pasta to a rolling boil, salt with a tablespoon of sea salt, and add the tagliolini. Fine egg noodles cook quickly: 4 to 6 minutes are enough. Save half a glass of cooking water before draining – this will make your butter sauce perfectly creamy.

Morelli's wheat germ secret from Tuscany

Wheat germ is the heart of the grain, rich in vitamin E, vitamin D and vegetable proteins. In industrial pasta production, it is removed during milling because it shortens the shelf life of the flour. Morelli takes the opposite approach: the freshly sieved germ is incorporated back into the dough immediately after milling. The family's motto is "Siamo fatti di altra pasta," loosely translated as "We are made of different stuff."

Antico Pastificio Morelli was founded in 1860 in San Romano (Province of Pisa) and is now run by the fifth generation of siblings Lucia, Antonio and Marco Morelli. The production hall is located in Montopoli V/A, 30 kilometers from Pisa.

Three steps define the process: The dough is bronze-drawn, spread on traditional racks and dried for 36 hours at a maximum of 50 °C. The rough bronze surface later binds every sauce better, the slow drying preserves the aromas of the wheat and the ingredients of the germ.

The sister egg noodle from our Pasta Morelli collection also shares the same dough structure: the Tagliatelle ai Funghi Porcini with porcini mushroom extract instead of truffle. For the pure durum wheat varieties without egg, there are the Linguine al Limone with lemon and black pepper. So you have the choice: fine egg tagliolini for a delicate truffle evening, wide egg tagliatelle for autumn sauces, pure durum wheat linguine for light everyday cooking.