Eggs Tagliolini

Tagliatelle and tagliolini (from the Italian tagliare, meaning “to cut”) are a traditional type of pasta from Emilia-Romagna and Marche, regions of Italy. Individual pieces of tagliatelle are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to fettuccine and are typically about 6.5 mm to 10 mm (0.25 to 0.375 inch) wide. Tagliatelle can be served with a variety of sauces, though the classic is a meat sauce or Bolognese sauce. Tagliolini is another variety of tagliatelle that is long and cylindrical in shape, not long and flat.

Both tagliolini and tagliatelle are made with egg pasta. The traditional ratio is one egg to one hundred grams of flour.

Bavette are also available, and are thinner than tagliatelle; an even thinner version is bavettine.

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 Bentivoglio, in 1487. In reality, this was a joke invented by humorist Augusto Majani in 1931.

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 become considered a more common food.

A glass case in the Bologna Chamber of Commerce holds a solid gold replica of a piece of tagliatelle, demonstrating the correct dimensions of 1 millimeter by 6 millimeters.

Since tagliatelle are not made with pasta, the texture is porous and rough, making it ideal for thick sauces, generally made with beef, veal, or pork, and occasionally with rabbit, as well as several other less rich (and more vegetarian) options, such as briciole e noci (with breadcrumbs and nuts), uovo e formaggio (with eggs and cheese—a less rich carbonara), or simply pomodoro e basilico (with tomatoes and basil).