Tajarin Al Tartufo Recipe

Bring water to a boil

In a large pot bring 4 liters of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon coarse salt when boiling.

Cook tajarin

Add 400 g fresh tajarin to the boiling water. Fresh tajarin cooks very quickly — usually 1.5–3 minutes depending on thickness. Stir gently to prevent sticking. Begin testing for al dente at 1.5 minutes.

Reserve pasta water: before draining, scoop out and reserve about 1 cup (240 ml) of the starchy cooking water; you will use this to loosen the sauce. Drain the pasta quickly and transfer to the pan with the sauce (do not rinse).

Prepare the butter base

While the water is heating (or while the pasta rests briefly), melt 120 g unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a wide sauté pan over low–medium heat. The oil helps prevent the butter from browning too fast.

Sauté aromatics

Add 1 crushed garlic clove and 1/2 finely minced shallot to the butter. Sweat gently on low heat for about 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant but not colored. Remove and discard the garlic clove after it has flavored the butter (this keeps the garlic subtle).

Finish the sauce with truffle

Turn heat to the lowest setting. Add 10 g thinly shaved black truffle to the warm butter so the truffle releases aroma but is not cooked hard. Stir in 1 teaspoon white truffle oil for an extra truffle perfume. Add 40 g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and 10 g grated pecorino (if using), stirring until the cheeses melt and combine into a glossy emulsion. If the sauce appears too thick, add 1–3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water at a time to loosen it into a silky sauce. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; taste and adjust.

Toss pasta in sauce

Add the drained tajarin directly into the sauté pan with the truffle butter sauce. Toss gently and continuously over very low heat for 30–60 seconds so the pasta warms through and the sauce coats each strand. If needed, add small amounts of reserved pasta water to reach a glossy, clingy consistency (the sauce should lightly coat the strands without pooling).

Check seasoning and texture: taste a strand for seasoning and doneness. Adjust salt and pepper, and if you want more truffle aroma add a few drops more white truffle oil (be conservative).

Plate

Divide the tajarin among 4 warm shallow bowls (about 100 g pasta per serving). Use tongs to twirl nests for an elegant presentation.

Garnish

Top each portion with additional thin shavings of fresh truffle (about 2–3 g per plate). Sprinkle a few microgreens or a small amount of chopped flat-leaf parsley for color if desired. Finish with a whisper of lemon zest (about 1/4 teaspoon divided among plates) to brighten the flavors — optional.

Serve immediately

Serve hot so the truffle aroma is at its peak. Offer extra grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a small bottle of white truffle oil on the side.