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Fuži sa Tartufima is a dish that brings together handmade pasta and the earthy intensity of Istrian truffles. It is a meal that feels both rustic and refined, highlighting the depth of regional traditions while offering a taste that is unmistakably luxurious.
Served in homes, trattorias, and fine restaurants across Istria, it has become a symbol of the region’s culinary pride. At its heart, it remains straightforward: simple pasta ribbons paired with truffles, olive oil, and sometimes cream or cheese.
What makes it so appealing is the balance between delicacy and richness. The pasta carries a gentle bite, while the truffles lend an aroma and flavour that demand attention. Every forkful tells you why this pairing has endured for generations.
Want to dive deeper into Croatian Cuisine? Don’t miss our post on Traditional Croatian Foods to Try
What Is Fuži sa Tartufima?
Fuži is a traditional Istrian pasta, shaped by folding thin sheets of dough around a stick to form small diamond like tubes. This handmade style allows sauces to cling perfectly, giving each piece a firm yet tender bite.
When paired with truffles, fuži becomes something extraordinary. The pasta provides a neutral base that absorbs the deep flavour of truffles, whether shaved raw over the top or folded into a rich sauce of butter, oil, and cream.
Though fuži can be served with many accompaniments, the truffle version holds a special place. It is considered a highlight of Istrian cuisine, valued not for complexity but for the way it honours both ingredient and craft.
Ingredients and Taste
The pasta dough is made from flour, eggs, water, and a touch of salt, rolled thin and shaped by hand. This process gives fuži its characteristic texture, a balance between soft chew and firm structure.
Truffles are the defining ingredient, usually the white truffles of Istria, though black varieties are also used. They bring an earthy, musky aroma that transforms a simple plate of pasta into something layered and memorable.
Olive oil, butter, or cream forms the sauce base, sometimes finished with grated cheese to heighten richness. The taste is earthy and nutty from the truffles, balanced by the smoothness of the sauce and the tender bite of pasta.
What lingers is not heaviness but harmony. The dish offers warmth and depth, yet every element remains clear. It is both comforting and elegant, proof that restraint in ingredients can deliver remarkable flavour.
A Taste of History
Fuži has long been part of Istrian cooking, born from rural kitchens where pasta was shaped by hand for family tables. It was practical and versatile, made with accessible ingredients that could carry hearty sauces or lighter dressings.
Truffles, on the other hand, were a natural treasure of the Istrian forests. For centuries, they were hunted with the help of trained dogs, valued for their rarity and pungent aroma. Their pairing with fuži emerged gradually, uniting land and table.
As Istria’s reputation for truffles grew, Fuži sa Tartufima became a celebrated dish at festivals and family feasts. It was both a show of local abundance and a way to elevate a humble handmade pasta to new heights.
Today, it remains central to the identity of Istrian cuisine. Visitors travel to the region to taste it, while locals continue to prepare it with quiet pride. It reflects not just a dish but a way of valuing tradition, craft, and the gifts of the land.
Fuži sa Tartufima is more than pasta with truffles. It is a story of soil, craft, and time, where each element matters. When served, it reminds you that food can be both rooted in place and timeless in appeal.
How to Make Fuži sa Tartufima (Pasta with Truffles)
Fuži is a hand rolled Istrian pasta shaped into little tubes, often paired with the prized white truffle of the region. This dish is rich yet simple, letting the earthy fragrance of truffle shine through a delicate cream and butter sauce. The cooking process is straightforward but requires care to preserve the truffle’s aroma. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the pasta (fuži)
- 300g plain flour
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- Water (as needed, about 2–3 tbsp)
For the sauce
- 50g unsalted butter
- 150ml double cream
- 40g grated Parmesan cheese
- 20g fresh white truffle (thinly shaved, or black truffle if seasonal)
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- Extra Parmesan cheese
- Additional truffle shavings
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Make the pasta dough
To begin, place flour in a large bowl and form a well in the centre. Crack in the eggs, add salt, and mix gradually. Add small amounts of water until a firm dough comes together. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth. Transition to resting the dough.
Step 2: Rest the dough
Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier. Proceed to shaping the pasta.
Step 3: Shape the fuži
Roll the dough thinly with a rolling pin or pasta machine. Cut into small diamonds, about 4 cm across. Fold each diamond diagonally around a thin stick (like the handle of a wooden spoon), pressing the ends together to form little tubes. Set aside dusted with flour. Transition to preparing the sauce.
Step 4: Heat the butter and cream
In a large pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the cream and stir gently until combined. Do not allow it to boil; keep the sauce silky. Move to seasoning.
Step 5: Season the sauce
Stir in Parmesan cheese and season with a light pinch of salt and black pepper. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly over low heat. Transition to cooking the pasta.
Step 6: Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the shaped fuži and cook until al dente, about 3–4 minutes. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so taste to check readiness. Prepare to combine with sauce.
Step 7: Combine pasta with sauce
Transfer the hot pasta directly into the pan with the cream sauce. Toss gently so every piece is coated without breaking. Transition to adding truffle.
Step 8: Add the truffle
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately shave fresh truffle over the pasta. Stir lightly to distribute the aroma without overheating the truffle. Transition to plating.
Final Step: Serve hot
Plate the pasta in warm dishes, topping with extra Parmesan and more truffle shavings. Presentation tip: serve in shallow bowls to trap the aroma and bring the truffle’s fragrance to the table.
Variations and substitutions
- Substitute homemade fuži with fresh tagliatelle or penne if short on time.
- If fresh truffle is unavailable, use a small amount of truffle oil or truffle paste as a substitute.
- Replace Parmesan with aged Grana Padano for a milder flavour.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Fuži sa Tartufima
- Always shave truffle at the very end to preserve aroma.
- Avoid boiling the cream sauce, as it can split and lose delicacy.
- Fresh pasta should be cooked in plenty of salted water to prevent sticking.
- Roll the dough thinly for a light texture, but not so thin that fuži lose their shape.
Croatian Fuži sa Tartufima (Pasta with Truffles)
Ingredients
For the pasta (fuži)
- 300 g plain flour
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- Water as needed, about 2–3 tbsp
For the sauce
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 150 ml double cream
- 40 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 20 g fresh white truffle thinly shaved, or black truffle if seasonal
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- Extra Parmesan cheese
- Additional truffle shavings
Instructions
- To begin, place flour in a large bowl and form a well in the centre. Crack in the eggs, add salt, and mix gradually. Add small amounts of water until a firm dough comes together. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth. Transition to resting the dough.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier. Proceed to shaping the pasta.
- Roll the dough thinly with a rolling pin or pasta machine. Cut into small diamonds, about 4 cm across. Fold each diamond diagonally around a thin stick (like the handle of a wooden spoon), pressing the ends together to form little tubes. Set aside dusted with flour. Transition to preparing the sauce.
- In a large pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the cream and stir gently until combined. Do not allow it to boil; keep the sauce silky. Move to seasoning.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese and season with a light pinch of salt and black pepper. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly over low heat. Transition to cooking the pasta.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the shaped fuži and cook until al dente, about 3–4 minutes. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so taste to check readiness. Prepare to combine with sauce.
- Transfer the hot pasta directly into the pan with the cream sauce. Toss gently so every piece is coated without breaking. Transition to adding truffle.
- Remove the pan from the heat and immediately shave fresh truffle over the pasta. Stir lightly to distribute the aroma without overheating the truffle. Transition to plating.
- Plate the pasta in warm dishes, topping with extra Parmesan and more truffle shavings. Presentation tip: serve in shallow bowls to trap the aroma and bring the truffle’s fragrance to the table.
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