Easy Fresh Black Truffle Pasta Tagliatelle Recipe

This simple black truffle pasta recipe will make you fully appreciate the earthy taste of the famous black truffle, which is effectively a wild mushroom. Homemade tagliatelle, butter, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh truffles are all you need to make the most of its oaky, nutty, and world-celebrated flavor. This is an easy fresh pasta dish for special occasions or date nights.

Jump to:

• What is a truffle
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Top tips
• Why are truffles so expensive?
• What to pair with truffle and how to keep it
• Alternative to fresh truffle
• Frequently asked questions
• More recipes with truffle and wild mushrooms
• 📋Black Truffle Pasta: Fresh Tagliatelle al Tartufo Recipe

We didn't have truffles at home when I was a child, as my mother never liked them.

I discovered them in Spoleto in the early 80s, in my teenage years, and you can read more about the Italian truffles in my Black and White Italian Truffles: A Buying Guide.

What is a truffle

Truffles are wild mushrooms that grow underground, their taste is very special, and either you love or hate it...I LOVE IT!

The flavor of truffles is hearty and nutty and can be more or less intense, depending on the variety.

The black truffle (Tuber melanosporum), also called the black winter truffle, is black and wrinkled on the outside and blackish purple inside with a white grain.

In this recipe I used the summer truffle (Tuber aestivum), which is black outside and light brown inside, and is the most accessible, but you can use any Italian truffle.

To know the four types of Italian truffles, their seasons and their prices, you can read my Black and White Italian Truffles: A Buying Guide.

Ingredients

This truffle mushroom pasta recipe is very simple, made with only four simple ingredients:

• Whole truffle: any of the Italian truffles (see the types of truffles)
• Fresh tagliatelle: you can use store-bought or homemade tagliatelle. If you want to use dry pasta, you can use spaghetti or linguini. You want a pasta shape that will wrap each bite of truffle
• Butter
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Dry white wine: optional

Hint: if you want a creamy sauce, add some heavy cream. However, if you are using fresh tagliatelle, which are made with fresh eggs, the cream will make the dish too rich. Best to use heavy cream if you use dry pasta like linguine or spaghetti.

Instructions

How to clean a truffle

1. Immerse it in a bowl of lukewarm water and brush off the dirt with a vegetable brush
2. Change the water and rewash a second time until all the dirt is gone

Making the truffle sauce

1. Once cleaned, shave the truffle into thin slices

2. Melt the butter in a frying pan at a medium/low temperature

3. Add the shaved truffle and let it saute in butter for a few minutes

4. Now you can add the white wine if you wish; this is optional

Seasoning the tagliatelle

1. In the meantime, boil the fresh tagliatelle for 3 minutes, and when it is ready, add the drained pasta to the frying pan

2. To make a creamy sauce without cream, you can add 1 tablespoon of the pasta cooking water

3. Stir well until the pasta is well seasoned with the truffle and the butter

4. Transfer into a serving dish and add the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Hint: To cook pasta to perfection, you can read the article: How To Cook Pasta Like An Italian

Top tips

• Use the truffle as soon as possible as their flavor diminishes with time once they are picked from underground.
• Use a good quality butter
• The best pasta to use is fresh tagliatelle. Either make it yourself or buy it fresh from a shop
• Use the original Parmigiano Reggiano and grate it freshly over the finished dish.

Why are truffles so expensive?

Truffles are expensive because they are hard to find, and the most precious one still cannot be farmed.

Black truffles and summer truffles are cultivated in truffle orchards, while the white truffle from Alba is still found almost only in the wild.

You can read more about how truffles are found and how much they cost in my truffle buying guide.

What to pair with truffle and how to keep it

Because you want to preserve and enhance their flavor, truffles should be served with ingredients that will not overpower their taste. Their best companions are:

• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, you can also use different types of cheese, the best are mild flavored cheese like Taleggio or Brie
• Butter
• Eggs
• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Gnocchi
• Pork
• Rice

I was never successful in keeping the flavor of fresh truffles for long, no matter how I stored them. It is best to use them immediately.

Usually, I cook truffles at low/medium heat with butter to release their flavor.

I always add some freshly shaved raw truffles to the final dish.

Alternative to fresh truffle

You don't have to spend a fortune to buy black or white truffles.

Many other alternatives exist, such as the less expensive and still delicious Summer black truffles.

You can also find black truffle oil, white truffle oil, truffle-infused salt, black truffle butter, truffle paste or truffle cheese.

However, they may use a synthetic truffle flavor that is not the real deal.

It is, therefore, crucial to read the labels and buy only a proper brand.

I like the Valnerina tartufi, a small producer based in Umbria, and I want to specify that I have not been sponsored nor offered products to mention their brand.

To know how to read the label of a truffle product, you can check my truffle buying guide.

If you want to see how I use the truffle cream, look up the recipe: Creamy Truffle Gnocchi With Parmesan Sauce

Frequently asked questions

What truffle should I use for this pasta?

In this recipe I used the summer truffle, which is the most accessible, but you can use any Italian truffle.

Can I use dry pasta instead of fresh tagliatelle?

If you want to use dry pasta, you can use spaghetti or linguine. You want a pasta shape that will wrap each bite of truffle.

Can I add cream to truffle pasta?

If you want a creamy sauce, add some heavy cream. However, if you are using fresh tagliatelle, which are made with fresh eggs, the cream will make the dish too rich. It is best to use heavy cream if you use dry pasta like linguine or spaghetti.

Should I cook the truffle or use it raw?

I cook truffles at low or medium heat with butter to release their flavor, and I always add some freshly shaved raw truffle to the final dish.

How long does fresh truffle keep?

I was never successful in keeping the flavor of fresh truffles for long, no matter how I stored them. It is best to use them immediately.

More recipes with truffle and wild mushrooms

If you are making this Black Truffle Pasta, leave your comment below and give it a rating, I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.

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