Pasta with Truffles
This creamy truffle pasta brings together two of Istria’s most iconic culinary treasures: fuži, the region’s signature hand-rolled pasta, and local truffles, once a hidden secret beneath its distinctive red soil.
Today, truffles are synonymous with fine dining, but their Istrian story began far from Michelin stars. A hundred years ago, locals didn’t even know truffles were growing right beneath their feet. Few outsiders ventured into Istria’s remote backcountry, with its stone cottages, vineyards, dry-stone walls, and wild woodlands—so the fragrant treasures remained undiscovered, both literally and figuratively.
That began to change in the 1920s. As Italian engineers worked on a water supply project in the Istrian interior, they stumbled across the first white truffles. Some say it happened during pipeline excavation; others credit a wealthy Italian woman with introducing truffle hunting to locals. Either way, the land—so reminiscent of Tuscany—revealed its secret, and the discovery stuck.
In Slovenian Istria, truffle hunting was officially banned for years, turning these earthy, aromatic fungi into a forbidden delicacy. Still, foragers quietly kept the tradition alive, using trained dogs to sniff out truffles beneath oak and hazel trees. Up to 200 kilograms were harvested annually, often shared through local markets or home kitchens. It wasn’t until 2011 that the ban was lifted, finally allowing local taverns to serve truffles sourced from their own forests.
By the late 20th century, Istrian truffles had begun to attract international attention—especially after a few record-breaking white truffles were unearthed in the Motovun forest. Today, both the Slovenian and Croatian sides of Istria celebrate their truffle heritage with autumn festivals, guided hunts, and tasting menus. If you’re ready to bring a taste of this tradition into your own kitchen, scroll down for the recipe and discover how fuži with truffle cream sauce captures the essence of Istria on a plate.
Recipe
Dough for about 600g of fresh pasta (3-4 people)
400 g flour
4 medium sized eggs
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
a wooden kebab stick or a wooden skewer
Truffle Sauce
2 tsp truffle oil
30 g butter
120 g tartufata sauce
80 g parmesan cheese
200 ml heavy cream
salt, fresh truffles
Instructions:
Dough
Place the flour onto a clean work surface and shape it into a mound.
Make a well in the center and crack in the eggs. Add the olive oil and salt.
Using a fork or your fingers, gradually mix the flour into the eggs from the inside out until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If it feels too sticky, add a bit more flour; if it’s too dry, a few drops of water.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover it with a bowl. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Making fuži pasta
Divide the dough into four portions. Take the first one to work with, and keep the remaining three covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
Flatten the portion slightly with your hands or a rolling pin so it can fit into a pasta machine. Set the machine to the widest setting and pass the dough through. Fold it in half, rotate it, and pass it through again a couple of times to smooth it out. Then, begin reducing the thickness one setting at a time, passing the dough through once at each level until it reaches the desired thinness—about the thickness of lasagne sheets.
Cut the sheet into strips about 4 cm wide, then cut those strips crosswise to form 4 cm x 4 cm squares.
Take each square and place a wooden skewer at one corner, then roll it up. Press to seal the ends after rolling to form the fuži shape.
Transfer the shaped pasta to a floured baking sheet or cutting board while you continue working with the rest of the dough.
Cut the sheet into 4cm x 4cm squares.
Place the wooden skewer at the corner of a square.
Roll up the dough starting from the corner.
Press to seal the ends after rolling to form the fuži shape.
Place the fuži on a floured surface.
Fresh black truffle.
Truffle Sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat, making sure it doesn’t brown.
Stir in the tartufata and let it warm through for about 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously so it doesn’t stick.
Pour in the heavy cream and mix well.
Reduce the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan until fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
Finish by mixing in the truffle oil.
Making fuži with truffle sauce
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the fuži until they float to the top, about 3–5 minutes, until tender but still slightly firm to the bite (al dente).
Toss the freshly cooked fuži with the truffle sauce, making sure the pasta is well coated.
Plate and, if available, shave fresh truffles on top just before serving.