Tagliolini with Veal Recipe is a quick pasta of veal strips, onion, white wine and sage with fresh noodles, ready in 30 minutes. It feeds 4 and works for a weeknight dinner that still feels special.
Why This Recipe Works
Cut the veal into very fine strips before it hits the pan. Thin pieces cook through in 5 to 7 minutes and stay tender, and they twist through the noodles instead of sitting on top.
The wine goes in after the meat has browned. It lifts the browned bits off the pan and cooks down in a minute or two. The sauce tastes savory and slightly sharp, not boozy.
A spoonful of the pasta cooking water is the only liquid you add at the end. The starch in it loosens the sauce just enough to coat each strand. The oil clings to the noodles instead of pooling on the plate.
Tagliolini with Veal Recipe Ingredients
- 9 ounces lean veal
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 8 sage leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 pound fresh tagliolini or tagliatelle
- 3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Tagliolini with Veal Recipe
Make the veal sauce
- Slice the veal: Cut the 9 ounces of veal into very fine strips. Thin strips cook fast and stay tender.
- Soften the onion: Heat the 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Fry the chopped onion until it turns transparent, so it adds sweetness without any raw bite.
- Brown the veal: Add the veal strips and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Stir now and then so the strips color evenly.
- Add wine and sage: Pour in the 3 tablespoons of white wine and let it evaporate for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped sage, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the pasta and finish
- Boil the tagliolini: Cook the fresh pasta in boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, until al dente. Fresh noodles cook very fast, so stay close to the pot.
- Save the water: Before you drain, scoop out 1 tablespoon of the cooking water. It will loosen the sauce at the end.
- Toss everything: Stir the drained pasta into the skillet with the reserved water and heat it through. Sprinkle with the 3 ounces of Parmesan and toss well, then serve right away.
Recipe Tips
- Slice thin, not thick: Chunky pieces of veal turn tough and dry in this short cooking time. Fine strips stay tender and mix evenly into the noodles.
- Watch the fresh pasta: Fresh tagliolini is done in 1 to 2 minutes. Start tasting at 1 minute, because a few seconds too long makes it soft.
- Swap in chicken: Chicken breast works in place of veal for a similar, cheaper dish. Slice it into the same fine strips and cook until no pink is left.
- Grate the cheese fresh: Freshly grated Parmesan melts into the hot noodles. Pre-grated cheese in a tub tends to clump and taste flat.
What To Serve With Tagliolini with Veal Recipe
Serve the pasta in warm bowls with extra Parmesan on the side. A simple arugula salad with lemon and a glass of dry white wine suit it well.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm the pasta in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water, stirring until hot all the way through. The water keeps the noodles from drying out.
- Freezer: Fresh egg pasta turns soft after freezing, so this dish is best eaten within a few days instead.
FAQs
Can I use chicken instead of veal?
Yes. Chicken breast makes a similar and cheaper dish. Cut it into the same very fine strips and cook until browned and no longer pink inside.
Can I use dried pasta instead of fresh tagliolini?
You can, but follow the package time, which is much longer than for fresh pasta. Dried tagliatelle or fettuccine is the closest match.
What can I use in place of white wine?
Use a little chicken broth or water with a few drops of lemon juice. You lose some depth, but the sauce still works.
Why is my sauce dry?
The pasta soaked up the oil, or you drained it too well. Stir in a little more of the cooking water and toss over low heat until the noodles look glossy.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 780 kcal
- Total Fat: 42g
- Total Carbohydrate: 68g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 36g
Tagliolini with Veal Recipe
4
servings15
minutes15
minutes30
minutesFine strips of veal fried with onion, white wine and sage, tossed with fresh tagliolini and Parmesan. A fast pasta for 4 that is done in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
9 ounces lean veal
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 tablespoons dry white wine
8 sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 pound fresh tagliolini or tagliatelle
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Slice the veal: Cut the 9 ounces of veal into very fine strips. Thin strips cook fast and stay tender.
- Soften the onion: Heat the 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Fry the chopped onion until it turns transparent, so it adds sweetness without any raw bite.
- Brown the veal: Add the veal strips and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Stir now and then so the strips color evenly.
- Add wine and sage: Pour in the 3 tablespoons of white wine and let it evaporate for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped sage, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil the tagliolini: Cook the fresh pasta in boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, until al dente. Fresh noodles cook very fast, so stay close to the pot.
- Save the water: Before you drain, scoop out 1 tablespoon of the cooking water. It will loosen the sauce at the end.
- Toss everything: Stir the drained pasta into the skillet with the reserved water and heat it through. Sprinkle with the 3 ounces of Parmesan and toss well, then serve right away.
