Italian · Piedmont · main

Tajarin al Tartufo Bianco d'Alba

Tajarin al Tartufo Bianco d'Alba reads richness 6.4, umami 6.1 and salinity 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian · Piedmont main, about 1 hr 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 1.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 1.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.4 · Umami 6.1 · Salinity 5.4 · Earthy 3.8 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Nutty 1.8 · Allium 1.5 · Sweetness 1.2 · Sourness 0.7 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (10)

• all-purpose flour — 300 g
• yolk — 220 g
• egg — 100 g
• salt — 5 g
• semolina — 20 g
• unsalted butter — 120 g
• parmesan cheese — 40 g
• broth — 30 g
• white truffle from alba — 20 g
• salt — 5 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 45 min (45 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 264.5 kcal, 11.6 g protein, 21.6 g fat, 30.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Tajarin are defined by their yolks: forty to a kilo of flour in the extravagant Langhe versions, twelve here for 300 g, which gives a pasta the colour of an egg yolk itself and a rich, almost custardy bite. It is the northern answer to the durum-and-water pasta of the south, and the difference between the two is one of the real dividing lines of Italian cooking.
2. Heap the flour, make a well, add the yolks, the whole egg and the fine salt, and work them in with a fork before kneading by hand for 12 to 15 minutes. This dough is stiff and unfriendly at first; keep going until it is smooth and satiny. Wrap it and rest 1 hour at room temperature, which lets the gluten relax enough to roll.
3. Roll the dough out in sheets as thin as you can get them, about 0.5 mm, dusting with semolina. Let the sheets dry on a cloth for 15 minutes, until leathery but not brittle, then roll each loosely and cut across into ribbons 1 to 2 mm wide. Unfurl them at once and toss with semolina so they do not knit together.
4. Buy the truffle within a day or two of eating it, keep it in a closed jar with rice or eggs, and never wash it: brush the dirt off with a soft brush. A white Alba truffle is only ever shaved raw over hot food. Heating it destroys the volatile compounds that make it worth its price, so no truffle goes in the pan.
5. Melt the butter gently in a wide pan with the broth and swirl until you have a pale, slightly thickened emulsion, about 2 minutes. Keep it below a simmer; browning the butter is a different, also good, dish, but it will drown the truffle.
6. Cook the tajarin in abundant salted water for 60 to 90 seconds only, until they float and are just tender. Fresh, thin, egg-rich pasta cooks faster than most people believe.
7. Drag the pasta into the butter with a spider, add the Parmigiano and toss for 30 seconds with a spoonful of pasta water until glossy. Plate immediately and shave the truffle over each portion at the table, so everyone is hit by the smell at the same moment.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Best yet Southern Chicken Stuffing — Southern
• Pineapple Beef Teriyaki — Vietnamese
• Corned Beef And Cabbage — Irish
• Potato Dumplings (Raspeball / Klubb) — Scandinavian
• Lasagna al Forno — Italian

Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.