What Is Tagliatelle and How Can I Use It?
If tagliatelle has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 11 recipes to try it in.
Key Points
- Tagliatelle is a flat egg-pasta ribbon from Emilia-Romagna, about a quarter inch wide.
- The egg dough makes it richer and more tender than plain semolina strands.
- It is the classic partner for a slow meat ragu, the real bolognese.
- Fresh ribbons cook in 2 to 3 minutes; dried nests run 5 to 7.
- Fettuccine is the nearly identical swap; thin watery sauces slide off the flat surface.
What is tagliatelle?
Tagliatelle is a long, flat egg-pasta ribbon from Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. The name comes from tagliare, "to cut," because the rolled sheet is sliced into ribbons roughly a quarter inch wide.
It is traditionally made with egg in the dough, which gives it a richer, more golden, more tender strand than plain semolina pasta. That tender egg ribbon is its whole character.
Tagliatelle and fettuccine are close cousins, nearly the same width, and the two swap freely. Tagliatelle is the northern, egg-rich version; fettuccine is more associated with Rome.
Sauces for the Ribbon
A wide, flat ribbon wants a sauce with body that can coat it. In Bologna, its home, tagliatelle is the classic partner for a slow meat ragu, the real "bolognese," which clings to the broad surface far better than it would to a round strand.
Beyond ragu, it loves butter and cream sauces, and anything with chunky, clingy substance. A stinging nettle tagliatelle with hot sausage shows how the ribbon carries crumbled meat, and it stands up to richer seafood like tagliatelle with salmon and horseradish or a red seafood sauce.
Skip thin, watery sauces. A light marinara slides off the flat surface and pools in the bowl.
Cooking and Substitutes
Most tagliatelle is sold fresh or as dried nests, and the egg dough cooks quickly. Fresh ribbons need only 2 to 3 minutes; dried nests run 5 to 7. Reserve a little starchy pasta water and finish the ribbons in the pan so the sauce grabs on.
Fettuccine is the obvious swap, almost identical in shape. Pappardelle is the wider cousin for heartier, meatier sauces, while linguine is a narrower, flatter stand-in when you want something lighter.
Buying and Storing
Dried tagliatelle nests keep a year or two sealed in a cool, dry cupboard. Fresh egg tagliatelle is sold refrigerated and lasts only a few days; freeze it if you will not use it soon and cook it straight from frozen.
Egg pasta is more perishable than plain dried pasta, so check the date on fresh packs and do not leave them at room temperature.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 面条
- British (UK) term
- Tagliatelle
- en français
- tagliatelles
- en español
- tagliatelle
Recipes using tagliatelle
There are 11 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Tagliatelle with Mange-Tout
Tagliatelle tossed with crisp-tender snow peas, shallot, and garlic in a light cream sauce, topped with Parmesan and browned under the grill. A quick dinner for two in 25 minutes.
Fresh Tagiatelle with Garlic, Rucola & Sundried Tomatoes
Fresh tagliatelle with golden garlic, sundried tomatoes, white wine, and wilted rucola. A 6-ingredient Italian pasta that cooks in minutes with bold, simple flavors.
Lemon Tagliatelle
Lemon tagliatelle, a simple Italian pasta tossed with Greek yogurt, lemon zest, nutmeg, and olive oil. A fresh, summery vegetarian pasta in under 20 minutes.
Garden Squash & Nasturtium Butter Pasta
Garden squash and nasturtium butter pasta with tagliatelle, squash blossoms, and a compound butter made from fresh nasturtium flowers, shallots, thyme, and savory. A seasonal garden-to-table dish.
Stinging Nettle Tagliatelle with Hot Sausage
Tagliatelle tossed with crispy hot Italian sausage, wilted kale, chicken stock, and sharp pecorino cheese. A rustic Italian pasta that comes together in 40 minutes flat.
Tagliatelle with Salmon & Horseradish Sauce
Tagliatelle with poached salmon and a cream cheese horseradish dill sauce, finished with bright herbs for a pasta dinner that tastes like a smoked salmon bagel in bowl form. Ready in 40 minutes.
Turkey Goulash
Turkey goulash with paprika, caraway seeds, and tomatoes, oven-braised until fork-tender and served over tagliatelle. A lighter take on the Hungarian classic with lean turkey.
Tagliatelle with Red Seafood Sauce
Shrimp, cod, and calamari sautéed with garlic and tossed with tagliatelle in a simmered tomato-wine sauce with mussels on top. A showstopping Italian seafood pasta for a crowd.
Fresh Tagliatelle with Garlic, Rucola & Sun
Fresh tagliatelle tossed with golden garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, white wine, and peppery rucola (arugula). A simple Italian pasta ready in minutes with bold, clean flavors.
Tagliatelle with Pan-Fried Pumpkin & Red Pepper Oil
Tagliatelle tossed with golden pan-fried pumpkin, peppery rocket, lemon zest, and a homemade roasted red pepper chili oil. A vibrant autumn pasta with serious kick.
Fabulous Pasta E Fagioli
Pasta e fagioli the proper Italian way: dried red kidney beans slow-baked with sage and garlic, then simmered with pancetta and a sofrito of carrot, celery, and onion. Half the beans get pureed for that signature silky, stew-thick body.
