Tagliatelle with chicken livers is a quick pasta of egg noodles, slivered livers and sweet onion in a tomato and sherry sauce, ready in 30 minutes. It feeds 4, and the sauce cooks in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
Why This Recipe Works
Cut the livers into small slivers before they hit the pan. Thin pieces cook through quickly and spread through the noodles, so each forkful gets a little liver instead of one big chunk.
The onion goes in first and cooks very gently for 5 minutes. Low heat softens it and brings out its sweetness, which balances the strong, mineral taste of the livers.
Sherry and tomato paste build the sauce. The sherry lifts the browned bits off the pan. It adds a nutty edge once the alcohol cooks off. The tomato paste gives the sauce body and a touch of acidity.
Tagliatelle with Chicken Livers Ingredients
- 11 ounces chicken livers, trimmed
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and very finely sliced
- 4 bay leaves
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- About 2 tablespoons stock or water
- 1 pound fresh tagliatelle
- 3 ounces freshly grated pecorino cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Tagliatelle with Chicken Livers
Make the sauce
- Sliver the livers: Cut the trimmed chicken livers into small slivers. Thin pieces cook fast and mix evenly into the pasta.
- Soften the onion: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and fry it very gently for 5 minutes, so it turns soft and sweet without browning hard.
- Cook the livers: Add the livers and the bay leaves. Fry over low heat for another 6 minutes, until the livers are cooked through.
- Add sherry and nutmeg: Stir in the pinch of nutmeg and the sherry. Let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes so the alcohol cooks off.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the tomato paste, then add just enough stock or water to loosen the sauce until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the pasta and serve
- Boil the tagliatelle: While the sauce cooks, boil the fresh tagliatelle for 3 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so stay close to the pot.
- Toss together: Drain the pasta and toss it well in the sauce, so every strand gets coated.
- Top with pecorino: Divide the pasta among 4 bowls and sprinkle the grated pecorino over the top.
Recipe Tips
- Trim the livers well: Cut away any green spots and the tough white sinew. Both taste bitter and chewy.
- Keep the heat low: Livers turn dry and grainy when they cook too hard. Low heat keeps them tender and soft.
- Loosen with pasta water: If the sauce clings too tightly to the noodles, a splash of the pasta cooking water loosens it without thinning the flavor.
- Fish out the bay leaves: Take the bay leaves out before you toss the pasta, so nobody bites into one.
What To Serve With Tagliatelle with Chicken Livers
A bowl of this pasta needs little beside it. A green salad with a sharp lemon dressing cuts through the richness, and a glass of dry red wine suits the livers well.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Warm the pasta gently in a skillet with a splash of water or stock, until hot all the way through. High heat makes the livers tough.
- Freezer: Fresh pasta and livers lose texture after freezing, so this dish is best eaten within a couple of days.
FAQs
Can I use dried tagliatelle instead of fresh?
Yes. Cook it according to the package time, which is longer than the 3 to 5 minutes for fresh pasta. Use about 12 ounces of dried pasta for the same four servings.
What can I use instead of dry sherry?
Dry white wine or Marsala work in the same amount. Cook it for the same 1 to 2 minutes so the alcohol evaporates and only the flavor stays.
Is this dish gluten free or dairy free?
No. Tagliatelle is made with wheat flour, and the pecorino is a dairy cheese. Use a gluten free noodle and skip the cheese if you need to avoid either.
How do I keep chicken livers from tasting bitter?
Trim off any green spots and the white sinew, and don’t overcook them. Livers that stay tender and slightly pink inside taste mild, while overcooked ones turn bitter and dry.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 780 kcal
- Total Fat: 36g
- Total Carbohydrate: 76g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 36g
Tagliatelle with Chicken Livers
4
servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesFresh tagliatelle tossed with slivered chicken livers, sweet onion, sherry and tomato paste, finished with grated pecorino. A fast pasta for 4 that cooks in about half an hour.
Ingredients
11 ounces chicken livers, trimmed
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and very finely sliced
4 bay leaves
Pinch of nutmeg
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons tomato paste
About 2 tablespoons stock or water
1 pound fresh tagliatelle
3 ounces freshly grated pecorino cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Sliver the livers: Cut the trimmed chicken livers into small slivers. Thin pieces cook fast and mix evenly into the pasta.
- Soften the onion: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and fry it very gently for 5 minutes, so it turns soft and sweet without browning hard.
- Cook the livers: Add the livers and the bay leaves. Fry over low heat for another 6 minutes, until the livers are cooked through.
- Add sherry and nutmeg: Stir in the pinch of nutmeg and the sherry. Let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes so the alcohol cooks off.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the tomato paste, then add just enough stock or water to loosen the sauce until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil the tagliatelle: While the sauce cooks, boil the fresh tagliatelle for 3 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so stay close to the pot.
- Toss together: Drain the pasta and toss it well in the sauce, so every strand gets coated.
- Top with pecorino: Divide the pasta among 4 bowls and sprinkle the grated pecorino over the top.
