Tajarin Pasta with White Truffle
What is Tajarin pasta?
Tajarin is the Piedmontese name for tagliolini (or taglierini) and is a type of egg pasta typical of the Piedmont region and, in particular, of the Langhe and Monferrato areas.
It is a particular shape of egg pasta with a width a little thinner than tagliatelle and a little thicker than angel hair. In fact, it measures from two to three millimeters wide.
Tajarin noodles are irregular because they are strictly cut by hand. In addition, they are flat, a little longer than spaghetti, and less than a millimeter thick, and for this reason, they are cooked quickly for two to four minutesspaghetti.
The egg flavor, like the golden yellow color, is more or less strong based on the amount of eggs used in the dough.
The traditional recipe calls for one egg yolk for every 100 grams of flour, but there are recipes that include an exaggerated abundance of egg yolks and others that “stretch” the dough by reducing the number of eggs.
The dough is rolled by hand with a rolling pin, rolled up on itself, and then, with a very sharp knife, cut into thin strips.
Consumption and seasoning
This pasta is suitable for light, fresh, and delicate sauces and is excellent served plain with butter or even enjoyed in broth.
The sauce par excellence to combine with tagliolini is one with chicken livers, or various chicken and rabbit offal. Traditionally, this sauce also consists of oil, butter, lard, chopped celery, carrot, onion, garlic, parsley, sage, and rosemary and has to be prepared two hours before.
Another typical sauce to pair with tagliolini is ragù alla langarola (red ragù with minced beef and pork, minced mushrooms, bay leaves, parsley, and garlic).
Tajarin is also excellent garnished with a nice grating of white truffle to create a fine and elegant first course.
Among the recipes in which tajarin is used, we also find tagliolini with lemon, tajarin with vegetables, tajarin with porcini mushrooms, tagliolini from Alba (with parmesan, truffles, butter, and a little broth), tajarin with roast sauce, tajarin with salmon, tajarin with baby octopus, and tajarin with asparagus.
There is also a particular recipe called tajarin alla Vittorio Emanuele II, precisely because it was so loved by Vittorio Emanuele II. It is prepared with cooked ham, butter, lard, onion, mushrooms, white wine, lamb sweetbreads, eggs, cream, and grated cheese.
Tajarin with White Truffle
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Ingredients
- 250 grams flour
- 8 egg yolks
- 80 grams butter
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 white truffle
- salt to taste
Instructions
How to make Tajarin from scratch:
- Arrange the flour on a pastry board.
- Combine the egg yolks.
- Add the egg yolks to the flour and mix everything with patience until you get a solid and elastic dough.
- Cover the dough with cling film and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
- Dust the work surface with flour and roll out the dough thinly with a rolling pin.
- When the dough has reached a thickness of 2 mm, fold it on itself: start from one edge, folding it over until you obtain a rolled strip.
- Then with a very sharp knife, cut this rolled strip into very thin slices that will unroll to become tajarin.
How to prepare the Tajarin:
- In a large pot, bring plenty of salted water to a boil and cook the tajarin until al dente, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- In the meantime, scrub the truffle with a brush or damp cloth to remove any earthy residues, peel it, and grate half of it. Slice the other half with a truffle slicer and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pan and add the grated truffle, then add the cooked pasta.
- Add a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and let the flavors mix for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Transfer the seasoned tajarin to a serving dish and serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining sliced truffle and a pinch of salt.
Nutrition
Source: Tajarin Pasta with White Truffle
