The one ingredient that makes even the most delicious pasta better

3 days ago 12

The dish

Tajarin al tartufo, Italy

Plate up

You think you have an indulgent dish already. You have fresh pasta made not just with eggs but extra egg yolks to heighten the silky, rich flavour of the tajarin (the Piedmont version of tagliolini). You then have a sauce made from butter – sometimes just pure butter, melted and tossed with hot pasta, though that butter can also be mixed with finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to really boost the umami and the fat content. That, right there, is one indulgent bowl of pasta. But now, how about you take an Alba truffle, found only from September to December around the Langhe region of northern Italy, prized for its rarity and flavour. How about you shave thin slices of that truffle over your buttery, eggy pasta, allowing it to heat softly and release its aroma and flavour. Now you have tajarin al tartufo, one of the most heavenly and indulgent dishes on the planet.

First serve

This type of pasta, tajarin, has been made in Piedmont since the 1500s, and was originally served with a basic ragu made with cheap cuts of meat: offal, poultry or rabbit. Truffles, meanwhile, are edible fungi that have been around for several hundred million years, and have been consumed by humans since about 2000 BCE when ancient Egyptians developed a taste. Truffles were later consumed by Greeks and Romans, fell out of favour during the Middle Ages, but then regained popularity during the Renaissance. The underground fungi have been cultivated, somewhat successfully, since the early 1800s.

Order there

During white truffle season in northern Italy, make a booking at La Ciau del Tornavento in Treiso, near Alba (laciaudeltornavento.it).

Order here

In Sydney, go for one of the true classics, the Fettuccine al Tartufovo at Buon Ricordo (buonricordo.com.au). In Melbourne, Osteria Ilaria has seasonal truffle specials (osteriailaria.com). And in Brisbane, 1889 Enoteca is a great choice (1889enoteca.com.au).

One more thing

Though people tend to think of truffle hunters using pigs to help find these fungi, their use is increasingly rare. That’s because pigs’ hooves damage the earth and inhibit future truffle growth; and, pigs like to eat the truffles. Dogs are now preferred.

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