Langhe and Monferrato, Piedmont — tajarin are the defining pasta of the Langhe wine zone (Alba, Barolo, Barbaresco country). The extreme egg yolk content is specific to the Langhe tradition. Served with sugo d'arrosto, white truffle (in season), or ragù di coniglio, tajarin is the emblematic Sunday primo of the Piedmontese hill country.
Tajarin (Piedmontese for taglierini — the finest cut egg pasta) are the defining pasta of the Langhe and Monferrato hills — made with an extraordinary proportion of egg yolks (20-40 yolks per kilogram of flour depending on the producer), no whole eggs, and no water, producing a pasta of brilliant golden colour and extreme richness that cooks in 2-3 minutes and has a silkiness that standard pasta cannot approach. The definitive sauce is sugo d'arrosto — the pan drippings and scrapings from a Sunday roast (beef, veal, or rabbit) deglazed and slightly enriched: the concentrated Maillard crust dissolved into the roast fat, creating a sauce that is simultaneously simple and extraordinarily complex.
Tajarin al sugo d'arrosto in the bowl is golden — the brilliant yolk colour of the pasta unmistakable. The sugo is minimal and deeply concentrated — a thin veil of roast essence and brown butter that coats each fine thread. The pasta itself is silky and rich; the sugo makes it extraordinary. It is the most elegant demonstration of the principle that simple sauce + excellent pasta = perfection.
Tajarin dough: 1kg 00 flour, 30+ egg yolks (no whole eggs, no water — yolks only; the exact number depends on egg size and desired colour). The dough will be very stiff — sustained kneading is essential (15 minutes minimum). Rest 30 minutes wrapped. Roll progressively to the finest setting — almost translucent. Dry 15 minutes on cloth. Roll up loosely; slice into very thin ribbons (2mm). Sugo d'arrosto: after removing the roast from the pan, add a glass of white wine and a small amount of broth to the hot roasting pan; scrape all browned bits; reduce to a slightly syrupy consistency. Mount with a knob of cold butter. Pour over drained tajarin; toss gently.
The number of yolks is not fixed — 20 yolks per kg produces a good tajarin; 40 yolks produces an exceptionally rich, vibrantly yellow tajarin. Commercially produced Langhe tajarin (dried) are available and are of excellent quality; the drying process is done at low temperature to preserve the egg character. The sugo d'arrosto is the key sauce — it cannot be made without a prior roast; it is the leftover perfection of the Sunday meal.
Using whole eggs or adding water — the yolk-only formula is the tajarin identity; diluting with whole eggs reduces colour and richness. Rolling too thick — tajarin should be almost translucent; 1-2mm is the target. Sugo d'arrosto too thin — the pan drippings need significant reduction to concentrate; a watery jus is not sugo d'arrosto.
Giorgio Locatelli, Made in Italy; Oretta Zanini de Vita, Encyclopedia of Pasta