Tagliatelle: The Traditional Italian Pasta
Image Credit: Shutterstock, Tagliatelle

If you’ve ever dined at an authentic Italian restaurant you must have come across the option of having handmade tagliatelle. Tagliatelle is a ribbon shaped long and flat pasta from the traditional cuisine of Italy. The root word of tagliatelle is tagliare, which means ‘to cut,’ in Italian. The hallmark of an authentic tagliatelle is the measurement of its width. The pasta ribbons of tagliatelle are traditionally about 6 mm (1⁄4 in) wide. Resembling the fettuccine visually, while tagliatelle can be consumed with a wide variety of sauces, it best goes with the bolognese and pork ragu sauce. 

The story of this delicious pasta is an amusing one. Legend has it that this pasta was invented by a talented court chef who got inspired by the hair braids of a Royal princess when she had come as a bride to marry an Italian warrior of royal descent.  This tale dates back to 1487. Traditionally tagliatelle is made by hand. Dough is rolled in to flat sheets and then cut in to ribbons using a knife. You could find the tagliatelle in stores either in the shape of straight ribbon like strands or coiled up like rose petals. 

Source: Shutterstock

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If you’re tempted to cook traditional tagliatelle in an easy sauce, give this recipe a try: 

Tagliatelle with cremini mushrooms:

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons butter chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 230 grams of cremini mushrooms sliced
  • ½ cup whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
  • 230 grams of dried Tagliatelle
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese for serving

Method:

  1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until almost al dente. 
  2. Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying wok, add onions and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
  3. Next, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add the cream, simmer for 5 minutes, then add the parsley. 
  5. Toss the pasta through the sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and enjoy.