Tagliolini al Tartufo – Truffle pasta with summer truffle

Tagliolini al Tartufo by Pasta Morelli, fine egg tagliolini with summer truffle from Tuscany

Fine, thin egg tagliolini from the Antico Pastificio Morelli, refined with real summer truffle and fresh wheat germ in the dough. Bronze-drawn and slowly dried at 50 °C. 250 g in a clear bag, cooking time 4 to 6 minutes. The uncomplicated truffle pasta for everyday life, without needing to buy fresh truffles.

The Tagliolini al Tartufo from Pasta Morelli are fine, thin egg ribbons made from Italian durum wheat semolina and fresh eggs, with real summer truffle (Tuber aestivum) in the dough. They also feature fresh wheat germ, which Morelli has been incorporating into every dough since 1860, giving the pasta a bready, cereal aroma when cooked. Tagliolini are the thinner sister of tagliatelle, just 2 to 3 millimeters wide. This makes them the ideal vehicle for delicate sauces and for the fine, unobtrusive character of the summer truffle.

Fine tagliolini with real summer truffle

When you open the box, a subtle mushroom scent drifts out—not overpowering, not perfumey, but with the fine, earthy tone characteristic of summer truffles. The difference from the aggressively sweet smell of cheap truffle oils is immediately apparent: real summer truffle (Tuber aestivum) is in the dough, with a content of just over one percent. The tagliolini are significantly narrower than tagliatelle, about 2 to 3 millimeters wide, with the typical rough bronze-drawn surface that allows sauce and butter to adhere perfectly.

During cooking, the truffle aroma unfurls gently, like a veil settling over the kitchen. The pasta water remains almost clear with a slight yellow tint from the egg. On the palate, you first notice the fine sweetness of the egg, followed by the restrained truffle note—earthy, ripe, and mushroomy, without overpowering—and finally, the malty depth of the wheat germ provides the finishing touch. A pasta that doesn't shout about its luxury, but unfolds it quietly.

Which sauce goes well with Tagliolini al Tartufo?

The short answer: butter and Parmesan, nothing else. The classic preparation according to Italian home cooking: toss the cooked tagliolini in brown butter, add a spoonful of pasta water, and serve with coarsely shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and a hint of freshly ground pepper. That is completely sufficient—the truffle aroma from the dough takes the leading role, the butter binds, and the Parmigiano rounds it off.

If you prefer more creaminess, sauté shallots in butter, deglaze with a splash of white wine, add cream, and let it reduce briefly. Then toss the tagliolini in the mixture and serve with Parmesan. For special occasions, you can shave fresh summer truffle slices over the plate after serving—this takes the pasta to the next level, but it is not necessary.

Also fine: with seared scallops, with a poached egg and spinach, or as a side dish for veal loin. What doesn't work: robust tomato sauces, Pesto alla Genovese, or spicy meat ragùs—they will drown out the delicate truffle aroma.

For the cooking time, bring 2.5 liters of water per 250 g of pasta to a rolling boil, salt with a tablespoon of sea salt, and add the tagliolini. Fine egg noodles cook quickly: 4 to 6 minutes are enough. Save half a glass of pasta water before draining—it will make the butter sauce perfectly creamy.

Morelli’s wheat germ secret from Tuscany

The wheat germ is the heart of the grain, the part from which the new plant grows. It contains fat, which quickly turns rancid—flour without the germ has a longer shelf life. Morelli takes the opposite approach and incorporates the freshly sifted germ back into the dough immediately after milling. The family motto is "Siamo fatti di un’altra pasta," roughly translated as "We are made of different stuff."

Antico Pastificio Morelli was founded in 1860 in Lastra a Signa near Florence. In 1924, Teresa Giomi Morelli, the grandmother of the current owners, brought a branch of the business to San Romano in the province of Pisa, right by the train station. The pastificio still operates there today, managed by Dino Morelli and his three children, Lucia, Antonio, and Marco, in the fifth generation.

Three steps define the process: the dough is bronze-drawn, laid out by hand on traditional racks, and dried for 36 hours at a maximum of 50 °C. The rough bronze surface binds every sauce better, and the slow drying process preserves the aromas of the wheat and the germ in the dough.

The sister egg pasta from our Pasta Morelli collection shares the same dough composition: the Tagliatelle ai Funghi Porcini with porcini mushroom extract instead of truffle. For the pure durum wheat varieties without egg, there are the Linguine al Limone with lemon and black pepper. So the choice is yours: fine egg tagliolini for a delicate truffle evening, wide egg tagliatelle for autumn sauces, or pure durum wheat linguine for light, everyday cooking.