Tagliolini

This is the finest of the flat pasta belonging to the tagliatelle family (the ini suffix is a diminutive), and you will also find other variations on the name, for example taglierini or tajarin (j as an emphatic ee), the delightful hand-made pasta of the Langhe in Piemonte, which is often served with drippings from a roast, or simply butter and shaved white truffle.

The sauces for tagliolini tend, in any case, to be smooth and rather liquid, in part because the pasta will absorb some of the liquid during its journey to the table.

The cooking time for tagliolini is brief: -- A minute if they're fresh, and 2-3 minutes if they're dried, though you should start checking for doneness sooner.

Possible substitutions: linguine, fine tagliatelle, fettuccine.

Here's a tasty, less expensive -- no white truffle -- recipe. For 3-4 people:

• 10 ounces (250 grams) tagliolini
• 5 ounces (125 g) mascarpone cheese, which is a delicate cream cheese with a velvety texture and a fresh cream taste
• 1 egg yolk, from a farm-fresh organically produced egg
• Grated Parmigiano
• Salt and white pepper
• A grating of nutmeg (optional)
• Heated plates

While the pasta water's heating, beat the mascarpone with the yolk until the mixture becomes a smooth cream. Season it with salt, pepper, and, if you want, one grating of freshly ground nutmeg (don't overdo it).

Salt the pasta water, cook the pasta, drain it, stir the sauce into it, and serve.

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