Slow cooking
Truffle Butter Tagliolini, the Tuscan Way
What the hunters actually cook after a morning in the oak woods: butter, pasta water, and a lot of shaving.
11 November 2026 5 min read Serves 2
Foraging notes
Black winter truffle, found with a trained dog and never a rake.
Truffle is aroma, not flavour — heat kills it. Everything is done off the heat, at the last second.
Brush truffles dry with a soft brush; washing them waterlogs the flesh and dulls the scent.
Best months
Ingredients
- 200g fresh tagliolini
- 80g good unsalted butter
- 30g Parmigiano, finely grated
- 1 black truffle (15-20g)
- Sea salt, black pepper
Method
Perfume the butter
Grate a third of the truffle into soft butter an hour ahead and leave it covered at room temperature.
Cook and emulsify
Boil the pasta 90 seconds. Off the heat, toss with the truffle butter, cheese and a ladle of pasta water until glossy.
Shave at the table
Shave the rest of the truffle over each bowl as you set it down. Pepper, no more cheese.
Kitchen tip: Store truffles in a sealed jar with eggs for two days — you get a second, free truffle breakfast.
