Tajarin with butter and truffle is fresh egg noodles in a creamy Parmesan sauce, topped with white Alba truffle, ready in about 20 minutes. It feeds 4 and works as a special-occasion plate that takes almost no effort.

Why This Recipe Works

The sauce is only butter, cream, Parmesan and a little pasta water, so each one shows. Use good unsalted butter and freshly grated Parmesan. Pre-grated cheese tastes flat and can turn grainy in the sauce.

Save a little of the cooking water before you drain. The starch in it ties the butter and cream to the noodles and thins the sauce to a smooth, glossy coat. Add it a splash at a time, so the sauce never turns watery.

Put the truffle on at the very end, on top of each plate. Heat dulls its smell fast, and raw slices warm just enough from the pasta to give off their aroma at the table.

Tajarin with Butter and Truffle Ingredients

1 pound fresh tagliolini or tagliatelle
2 ounces unsalted butter, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
2 to 2 1/2 ounces white Alba truffle, very finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Tajarin with Butter and Truffle

Cook the pasta

Boil the pasta: Cook the 1 pound of fresh tagliolini or tagliatelle in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, until al dente. Fresh noodles cook fast, so stay by the pot.
Save the water: Scoop out a little of the cooking water before you drain the pasta. You need it to loosen the sauce in the next step.

Make the sauce and serve

Coat in butter: Toss the drained pasta with the chopped butter until every strand is coated. The heat from the noodles melts the butter, so you don’t need a separate pan.
Add cream: Add the 3 tablespoons of cream, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Pour in the reserved water a splash at a time, until the sauce looks smooth.
Add the cheese: Sprinkle in the 3 ounces of Parmesan and toss well, so it melts into the sauce instead of clumping.
Top with truffle: Divide the pasta among 4 warm plates. Lay the fine truffle slices over each portion and serve right away.

Recipe Tips

Slice the truffle thin: A truffle slicer or a very sharp knife gives slices thin enough to soften on the hot pasta. Thick pieces taste woody.
Season lightly: Parmesan and the salted pasta water both add salt. Taste the sauce before you add more.
Warm the plates: A warm plate keeps the sauce loose for longer. A cold one makes it tighten up fast.
Don’t stop to prep: Grate the cheese, chop the butter and slice the truffle before the pasta goes in. Fresh noodles don’t wait.

What To Serve With Tajarin with Butter and Truffle

Serve this as a first course on its own, so the truffle gets all the attention. A simple arugula salad with lemon, or a glass of dry white wine, goes well next to it.

How To Store

Fridge: Truffle pasta is best eaten right away. If you have leftovers, keep them covered in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Reheat: Warm the pasta gently in a skillet with a splash of water or cream, until hot all the way through. Add fresh truffle slices on top after reheating.

FAQs

Can I use dried pasta instead of fresh?

Yes, but the dish changes. Dried pasta takes longer to cook, so follow the package time for al dente. Fresh egg noodles give a silkier texture that suits this light sauce.

What can I use if I can’t find white truffle?

Fresh white truffle is costly and seasonal. A drizzle of good truffle oil or a little black truffle can stand in, though the flavor is different. Add either at the end, not in the pan.

Is Tajarin with Butter and Truffle vegetarian?

It has no meat or fish, so it is vegetarian in practice. Parmesan is made with animal rennet, so check the label if you want a strictly vegetarian cheese.

Why did my sauce turn clumpy or oily?

Too much heat is the usual cause, or cheese added with no pasta water. Toss off the heat, add the reserved water a splash at a time, and use freshly grated Parmesan.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.

Calories: about 720 kcal
Total Fat: 32g
Total Carbohydrate: 78g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 28g

Tajarin with Butter and Truffle

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Fresh egg noodles tossed in butter, cream and Parmesan, then topped with thin slices of white Alba truffle. A simple pasta for 4 that comes together in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh tagliolini or tagliatelle
2 ounces unsalted butter, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
2 to 2 1/2 ounces white Alba truffle, very finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Boil the pasta: Cook the 1 pound of fresh tagliolini or tagliatelle in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, until al dente. Fresh noodles cook fast, so stay by the pot.
Save the water: Scoop out a little of the cooking water before you drain the pasta. You need it to loosen the sauce in the next step.
Coat in butter: Toss the drained pasta with the chopped butter until every strand is coated. The heat from the noodles melts the butter, so you don’t need a separate pan.
Add cream: Add the 3 tablespoons of cream, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Pour in the reserved water a splash at a time, until the sauce looks smooth.
Add the cheese: Sprinkle in the 3 ounces of Parmesan and toss well, so it melts into the sauce instead of clumping.
Top with truffle: Divide the pasta among 4 warm plates. Lay the fine truffle slices over each portion and serve right away.