andrejthechef
CroatiaPastaDinnerVegetarian

Istarski Fuži s Tartufima

Small folded pasta tubes tossed in a simple sauce of local truffle, butter and cream. An Istrian specialty built around the region's prized fungus.

prep
40 min
cook
15 min
total
55 min
serves
4
level
medium
Istarski Fuži s Tartufima, a dish from Istria

Istria sits on some of the best truffle ground in Europe, and fuži, small hand-folded pasta tubes, is the regional pasta built to let that truffle do most of the talking.

The sauce stays deliberately short: butter, a little cream, and truffle added at the very end so the heat never burns off its aroma.

Part of our 20 best Croatian recipes list.

method

  1. Make the pasta dough: mix the flour, eggs and salt into a smooth dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, then rest covered for 30 minutes.

  2. Roll the dough thin and cut into small diamond or square shapes, about 4cm across. Fold each piece diagonally and press the corners together to form the characteristic fuži tube shape.

  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fuži for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender, then drain, reserving a little pasta water.

  4. Melt the butter in a wide pan over low heat. Add most of the truffle, shaved or grated, and warm gently for a minute, don't let it fry hard.

  5. Add the cream and a splash of pasta water, and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.

  6. Toss the drained fuži through the sauce, add the Parmesan, and stir until glossy, adding more pasta water if needed.

  7. Serve immediately, with the remaining truffle shaved over the top.

chef's tips

  • Istria is one of the few places in Europe where both black and white truffles are found locally, and the region takes real pride in a short, simple sauce that doesn't bury the truffle.
  • Add raw truffle at the very end, off the heat if possible. Cooking it hard burns off a lot of its aroma.
  • Fresh fuži hold their shape and texture far better than dried; if making fresh is not practical, a good egg pasta like tagliatelle is a reasonable substitute shape-wise.
  • Good truffle paste is a fair, more affordable way to get the flavor if fresh truffle isn't in season or in budget.