Tagliatelle and
tagliolini (from the Italian
tagliare, meaning "to cut") are the classic
pastaPasta is a generic term for foods made from an unleavened dough of flour and water, and sometimes a combination of egg and flour. Pastas include noodles in various lengths, widths and shapes, and varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini...
of the
Emilia-RomagnaEmilia-Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of 20,124 km² and about 4.3 million inhabitants.- Geography :...
region of
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
. Individual pieces of tagliatelle are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to
fettuccineFettuccine is a type of pasta popular in Rome. It is a flat, thick noodle made of egg and flour, similar to what is called tagliatelle elsewhere in Italy....
and are typically about 0.65 cm to 1 cm (0.25 to 0.375 inches) wide. Tagliatelle can be served with a variety of
sauceIn cooking, a sauce is liquid or sometimes semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods. Sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to another dish. Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsus, meaning salted...
s, though the classic is a meat sauce or
Bolognese sauceBolognese sauce is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy...
.
Tagliatelle and
tagliolini (from the Italian
tagliare, meaning "to cut") are the classic
pastaPasta is a generic term for foods made from an unleavened dough of flour and water, and sometimes a combination of egg and flour. Pastas include noodles in various lengths, widths and shapes, and varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini...
of the
Emilia-RomagnaEmilia-Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of 20,124 km² and about 4.3 million inhabitants.- Geography :...
region of
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
. Individual pieces of tagliatelle are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to
fettuccineFettuccine is a type of pasta popular in Rome. It is a flat, thick noodle made of egg and flour, similar to what is called tagliatelle elsewhere in Italy....
and are typically about 0.65 cm to 1 cm (0.25 to 0.375 inches) wide. Tagliatelle can be served with a variety of
sauceIn cooking, a sauce is liquid or sometimes semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods. Sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to another dish. Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsus, meaning salted...
s, though the classic is a meat sauce or
Bolognese sauceBolognese sauce is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy...
. Tagliolini is another variety of tagliatelle that is long and cylindrical in shape, not long and flat.
Origins
Legend has it that
tagliatelle was created by a talented court chef, who was inspired by Lucrezia d'Este's hairdo on the occasion of her marriage to
Annibale II BentivoglioAnnibale II Bentivoglio was an Italian condottiero, who was shortly lord of Bologna in 1511-1512. He was the last member of his family to hold power in the city. He was the son of Giovanni II Bentivoglio....
, in 1487. The recipe was called
tagliolini di pasta e sugo, alla maniera di Zafiran (tagliolini of pasta and sauce in the manner of Zafiran) and it was served on silver plates. Over the years, tagliatelle has acquired a much less sophisticated tradition, as tradition wills it to be eaten by simple folk.
Texture and serving suggestions
Since tagliatelle are generally made as fresh pasta, the texture is porous and rough, making it ideal for thick sauces, generally made with beef,
vealVeal is the meat of young cattle . Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal comes from male calves of dairy cattle breeds. Compared to beef, veal has a delicate taste and tender texture.-Types:...
, or pork, and occasionally with
rabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit , Cottontail rabbit , and the Amami rabbit...
, as well as several other less rich (and more vegetarian) options; such as
briciole e noci (with breadcrumbs and
nutNut is a general term for the large, dry, oily seeds or fruit of some plants. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts. Nuts are an important source of nutrients for both humans and...
s),
uovo e formaggio (with eggs and cheese - a less rich
carbonaraPasta alla carbonara is an Italian pasta dish based on eggs, pecorino romano, guanciale, and black pepper...
), or simply
pomodoro e basilico (with tomatoes and basil).