Spotlight Series: All About Pappardelle

A plate of fresh pappardelle pasta bears a striking resemblance to a pretty jumble of ribbon. The wide, flat noodles originated in Tuscany, and are often paired with rich, meaty sauces and ragùs. The substantial, rough surface of the graceful noodles makes them an ideal canvas for hearty ingredients and just plain fun to eat.

What Is Pappardelle?

Pappardelle is a long, flat, and very wide noodle, between 2 and 3 centimeters in width. The pasta dough is made using fine durum wheat (such as 00 or semolina flour) and is enriched with eggs.

Pappardelle, which originated in Tuscany but is now eaten all over Italy, has a slightly rough surface, making it ideal for tossing with thick, hearty sauces that can stand up to its size. As with many pastas, it is available dried, and can also be purchased fresh or made at home. The dried pasta is often sold in nests, which helps to protect the noodles from breakage and ensures they separate (rather than stick together) when they are added to the boiling water.

How Do I Pronounce Pappardelle?

Pappardelle is pronounced “pah-pahr-dell-eh,” with a slight emphasis on the last two syllables. The word comes from the Latin word “pappare,” which means to eat, and the Italian (Tuscan dialect) word of the same name, which means to gobble up or eat with gusto. This may allude to the sheer deliciousness of the pasta, which is quickly devoured. It might also reference the charm of eating pappardelle—the oversized noodles can be a bit challenging to eat without making a small mess.

How Is Pappardelle Made?

Pappardelle is made by making a dough of wheat flour (usually a finely milled flour, like 00 flour) and eggs. Some homemade pasta recipes call for whole eggs, while others use a mix of whole eggs and egg yolks. Some also include oil, typically olive oil, and a bit of salt.

Homemade pappardelle dough is mixed by hand, first slowly incorporating the flour into the eggs, then kneaded until a smooth dough forms. Portions can be rolled out by hand using a rolling pin or run through a pasta maker until nice and thin. The sections are then dusted with semolina to keep them from sticking and rolled up before being hand-cut into 2- or 3-centimeter wide ribbons.

Manufactured pappardelle is typically made using an industrial mixer and is then extruded using a bronze die before being cut, dried and packaged. It is often piled into little nests before drying, which helps the pasta keep its shape and makes it easier to cook.

How To Cook Pappardelle

Pappardelle should be cooked like other pastas: in a large pot of salted, boiling water. When cooking homemade or fresh pappardelle, add the nests, one at a time, to the boiling water and gently stir. Cook until al dente, between 3 and 7 minutes.

To cook store-bought, dried pappardelle, add the noodles to a big pot of boiling water and gently stir. Cook until al dente according to the package directions, about 9 minutes. The pasta should be tender with a bit of bite, not overly chewy (undercooked) or mushy (overcooked). Drain the pasta and then and toss with hot pasta sauce in the saucepan. Cook together to marry flavors.

The Best Pappardelle Pasta - The Delallo Difference

DeLallo’s pappardelle pasta is made in Northern Italy using high-quality durum wheat and a high proportion (28%) of farm-fresh eggs for a rich taste and golden color. The dough is extruded using bronze dies for the best texture, making the pasta perfect for coating in sauce.

Our pappardelle is formed into loose nests and dried, making the noodles easy to portion and cook at home. All you need to do is boil water, then combine with your favorite sauce. We recommend 2 pappardelle nests per person.

Pappardelle Pasta Recipes And Usage Ideas

While pappardelle is most commonly paired with rich, meaty sauces, it is a versatile pasta. You can go the more traditional route, tossing the wide ribbons with tender Short Rib Ragù made with braised, fall-off-the-bone beef. Or cook up a slow-cooked, flavorful veal and pork sauce to make Pappardelle Bolognese.

If you want to try something a little different, try Mushroom Pappardelle, made with a tomato-based sauce with balsamic vinegar, garlic and a generous dusting of Parmesan cheese. Or go for something lighter, like this Pappardelle with Shrimp and plenty of garlic and olive oil, Burst Tomato Pappardelle with fresh zucchini and summer corn and topped with pan-fried chicken, Pappardelle With Prosciutto, Arugula and Peas or Pappardelle with Creamy Butter Sauce.

Still looking for pappardelle recipes? You’ll find plenty of ideas here.

Recipe: Braised Short-Rib Ragu with Pappardelle

Pappardelle Substitutes

The best swap for pappardelle is another egg-based flat noodle, like Tagliatelle or Egg Fettuccine. Made with the same kind of dough, the only difference between these three pastas is their size. Pappardelle is the widest of them all by far at 2 to 3 centimeters wide. Fettuccine and tagliatelle are extremely similar in size, within 1/8 of an inch, but both are quite a bit skinnier than pappardelle. When swapping fettuccine for pappardelle, look for pasta made using a high percentage of egg. Traditional fettuccine pasta is usually made without egg.

All three noodles are well-suited to thicker sauces, like cream sauces and meaty sauces like bolognese, and can be swapped interchangeably. Reserve pappardelle for the heartiest of sauces, like rustic ragùs.

Delallo Pappardelle: FAQ

Is Pappardelle The Same As Egg Noodles?

Yes, pappardelle is a type of egg noodle. The pasta contains a high percentage of egg in the wheat dough, giving it a robust texture and flavor that can stand up to flavorful sauces.

Pappardelle Vs Tagliatelle - What Is The Difference?

Pappardelle and tagliatelle are both egg noodles made of wheat pasta dough enriched with eggs. They’re also both flat noodles, and when sold dried, are frequently packaged as loosely coiled nests rather than flat packed like spaghetti. The big difference between pappardelle and tagliatelle is their width. Pappardelle is much wider than tagliatelle—tagliatelle is around 6mm wide, or just over 1/2 a centimeter. Pappardelle is 2 to 3 centimeters wide.

Pappardelle Vs Fettuccine - What Is The Difference?

Fettuccine noodles are not as wide as pappardelle noodles. Traditional fettuccine is sold in flat packages like spaghetti and is made using a similar type of dough as other flat-packed pastas. It’s not quite as rich and hearty as an egg noodle sold coiled into nests. Fettuccine is most famously used to make fettuccine Alfredo, but can also be served with a variety of sauces or swapped in recipes that call for pappardelle.

How Do Italians Eat Pappardelle?

Pappardelle originated in Tuscany in the 14th century, and has traditionally been served there with very Tuscan-style sauces, including wild boar ragùs and creamy sauces featuring foraged mushrooms, rabbit and freshly grated cheese. These hearty sauces make pappardelle especially popular in the wintertime, aligning with the Tuscan hunting season.

Pappardelle is also served in other parts of Italy, and while you still find many of the same kinds of wintry sauces, you’ll also find a wider variety of dishes.

Can I Make Pappardelle At Home?

Pappardelle is a fun pasta to make and is frequently homemade to preserve the fresh taste of the eggs. The dough is made like a typical pasta dough with the eggs cracked into a well in the center of the flour and slowly whisked in, then formed and kneaded by-hand into a smooth dough. After a quick rest, the dough is divided up into workable portions and either rolled out using a pasta machine or by-hand with a rolling pin.

Once the pasta dough is rolled into nice, thin sheets and dusted well with semolina flour, roll it up the long way into a spiral and cut into 2 or 3-centimeter strips using a sharp knife. Unravel and form into a nest, then repeat until all of the pasta has been cut. Cook until al dente, 3 to 7 minutes.

View our blog on making homemade pasta!

Where To Buy Delallo Pappardelle?

Order DeLallo Pappardelle online or find it at most major supermarkets across the country.