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This easy, creamy truffle pasta is the only recipe you need for truly perfect truffles with pasta. It’s rich and indulgent, laced with fresh truffles, butter and Parmesan to make the most luxurious, glossy pasta. You will want to eat the whole pan just to yourself.
The combination works because pasta, butter and cheese create a neutral, rich base that lets the truffle’s flavour really shine. When everything is emulsified properly with pasta water, the sauce becomes glossy and really fragrant.
This post walks you through exactly how to make truffles with pasta properly: the classic Italian way, with only a handful of ingredients and a technique that makes all the difference.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- Impressive results with only five ingredients.
- Quick yet delicious, perfect for a quick dinner or last-minute entertaining.
- No cream required – the sauce becomes silky through emulsifying cheese and butter.
- You can adapt the recipe to use any truffles with pasta such as fresh truffle, truffle butter or truffle paste.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Tagliatelle – I like the long, flat shape of tagliatelle for this truffle pasta but any shape works well.
Black truffle – I used half a small black truffle here, bought fresh from a local supplier. Scroll down for all the information you need on choosing, buying and storing fresh truffles.
Substitutions and Variations:
Budget Substitutes
If fresh truffle isn’t available, use:
- High-quality truffle oil (sparingly drizzled just before serving)
- Truffle butter (stir through at the end)
- Truffle paste (½-1 teaspoon added to the butter before the pasta goes in)
Here’s how to make easy truffle pasta:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a low–medium heat. Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it straight into the melted butter using tongs.
TWO: Add a small splash of pasta water and a generous handful of grated Parmesan. Toss well until the cheese melts and the pasta begins to look glossy, and the sauce thickens.
THREE: Grate in plenty of black truffle, stirring well. Taste and season with salt if needed.
FOUR: Scoop into bowls. Top with a few extra shavings of truffle and a good grating of freshly ground black pepper.
Cooking Tips:
Use pasta water: the starch in pasta water helps emulsify the butter and cheese, giving you a silky sauce that clings to every strand.
Add cheese gradually: Dumping it in all at once creates clumps. Adding it in stages melts the cheese evenly and builds thickness slowly to make a perfect plate of truffles with pasta.
Keep the heat gentle: High heat can split the sauce and mute the truffle’s aroma. Low to medium heat is key.
How to Choose the Best Truffle for Pasta
Black vs White Truffles
- Black truffles (winter or summer varieties) have a deeper, earthier aroma and can be gently warmed or grated into butter-based sauces. This is what I used.
- White truffles (like Alba) are far more delicate and should be shaved raw over finished dishes, rather than grated right into the pan of pasta.
What to Look For
- Ideally bought from reputable seasonal suppliers
- Firm texture
- Strong, clean aroma
- No soft or overly damp patches
Where to Buy Fresh Truffles
- Specialist grocers
- Farmers’ markets
- Reputable online truffle sellers
- Delis that stock seasonal produce
When They’re at Their Best
- White truffles: October–December
- Winter black truffles: December–March
- Summer black truffles: May–August
How to Store Fresh Truffles
Fresh truffles lose aroma quickly, so proper storage is essential.
- Wrap in a paper towel
- Place in an airtight jar
- Change the paper daily
- Refrigerate and use within 7-10 days
- For longer storage: make truffle butter or freeze thin shavings
Frequently Asked Questions
Black truffles can handle a bit more heat and can be grated into the sauce. White truffles should always be shaved raw over the finished dish as they are not as potent so it tastes better when not heated.
You can, but use it little by little. I would start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to taste. Choose a high-quality oil and add it only at the end.
Around 5-10g of fresh truffle per serving is ideal, but it is really up to personal preference and budget. Taste as you go, add more as you like.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you like recipes with truffles and pasta, you will love my creamy sausage pasta, easy beef shin ragu or my creamy spinach mushroom pasta. Or try my beef shin ragu.
Easy Pasta Recipes
Quick Creamy Courgette Pasta
Easy Pasta Recipes
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Recipes
Buttery Lemon Pasta
Easy Pasta Recipes
Spicy Nduja Pasta
If you tried this recipe for Truffles with Pasta or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Easy Creamy Truffle Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g tagliatelle
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 75 g Parmesan, finely grated
- ½ small black truffle, plus extra shavings to finish, if you like
- Flaky salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook until al dente, according to the packet instructions. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over low–medium heat. Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it straight into the melted butter using tongs.
- Add a small splash of pasta water and a generous handful of grated Parmesan. Toss well until the cheese melts and the pasta begins to look glossy. Continue adding Parmesan and little splashes of pasta water, tossing between each addition, until the sauce is thickened and glossy. If it looks too thin from too much pasta water, just keep it on the heat and keep tossing and bubbling.
- Grate in plenty of black truffle, stirring well. Taste and season with salt if needed, the parm will be quite salty already.
- Scoop into bowls. Top with a few extra shavings of truffle and a good grating of freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- Truffle butter (stir through at the end)
- Truffle paste (½–1 teaspoon added to the butter before the pasta goes in)
- High-quality truffle oil (sparingly drizzled just before serving)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I dream of this simple truffle pasta. It requires just a few ingredients and a truffle, to make the most indulgent and rich pasta. So good.