Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms & Wine Pairing Guide

Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms: Recipe & Wine Pairing Guide

If you love earthy mushrooms, silky pasta, and a glass of wine that feels like it was made for your plate, this Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms is your next dinner obsession. This classic Italian recipe is surprisingly simple and fast, but tastes like something you’d order at a cozy trattoria after a long day.

The star here is the porcini mushroom—meaty, deeply savory, and full of umami, wrapped in a buttery, glossy sauce that clings to every strand of tagliolini. It’s a dish that practically begs for a thoughtful wine pairing, and with a few smart choices, you can turn an easy weeknight dinner into a restaurant-level experience at home.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the story behind the dish, the role of each ingredient, the step-by-step recipe, and a detailed wine recommendation section to help you find the perfect match—whether you’re shopping at Total Wine, Trader Joe’s, BevMo, or your favorite local wine shop.

About This Dish

Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms is a close cousin of the better-known tagliatelle ai funghi porcini, a beloved pasta classic from northern Italy. Tagliolini are essentially thinner tagliatelle—long, flat ribbons of egg pasta that cook quickly and soak up sauces beautifully. The shape is ideal for lighter, glossy sauces where you want every bite coated, not drowned.

Porcini mushrooms themselves are deeply rooted in Italian culinary culture. Known as funghi porcini, they grow in the wild, especially in forested regions of Tuscany, Piedmont, and the Dolomites, and are cherished for their intense, nutty, woodsy flavor. In Italy, this kind of mushroom pasta is a go-to autumn dish, often made when fresh porcini appear at markets and paired with a good bottle of wine for Sunday lunch or a special evening meal.

What makes this dish special is its elegant simplicity. There’s no heavy cream here—just butter, olive oil, garlic, and Parmigiano Reggiano working together to create a silky emulsion that lets the mushrooms shine. The result is a sauce that feels rich and luxurious without being heavy.

For American home cooks, this recipe hits a sweet spot: it’s fast enough for a weeknight (on the table in about 35 minutes) yet sophisticated enough for date night or a dinner party. And because the flavor profile is concentrated and savory—with umami, butter, and aged cheese—it’s a dream canvas for exploring wine pairing. From Oregon Pinot Noir to Italian Barbera, there’s a wide world of wines that can create a truly perfect match.

Key Ingredients & Their Role

Tagliolini

Tagliolini is a long, ribbon-shaped egg pasta that’s thinner than tagliatelle but sturdier than spaghetti. The egg in the dough gives it a tender, silky texture and a subtle richness. That extra richness matters for wine pairing: it allows the pasta to stand up to wines with moderate acidity and a bit of structure, without getting overwhelmed.

Fresh tagliolini also cooks in just a couple of minutes, which keeps the texture pleasantly al dente and prevents the sauce from drying out.

Porcini Mushrooms

Porcini are the soul of the dish. They bring:

• Intense umami and a meaty, almost steak-like depth
• Earthy, nutty, woodland aromas
• A tender but substantial texture when sautéed in butter

From a wine perspective, porcini’s earthiness immediately suggests wines with earthy, savory notes rather than big, jammy fruit. Think Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, or even certain Spanish reds that lean more herbal than fruity.

Fresh or frozen porcini both work here; frozen porcini often have excellent flavor because they’re preserved at peak freshness. If you can’t find porcini, you could blend in cremini or shiitake, but porcini are what make the dish truly special.

Butter & Olive Oil

The combination of unsalted butter and olive oil creates a stable, glossy fat base for the sauce. Butter adds creaminess and sweetness; olive oil brings a peppery, fruity note and helps raise the burning point of the butter, so you can sauté without scorching.

This buttery richness softens the edges of acidity and tannin in wine. That means you can safely pour wines with bright acidity (like many Italian reds and whites) and they’ll feel smoother alongside the dish.

Garlic & Parsley

Garlic adds a gentle aromatic backbone. Used briefly and not browned, it gives perfume without bitterness. Parsley, stirred in at the end, brings freshness and a light herbal lift that keeps the dish from feeling heavy.

Those green, herbal notes pair beautifully with wines that show similar characters—like a Chianti with dried herbs, or an Oregon Pinot Noir with hints of forest floor and fresh herbs.

Parmigiano Reggiano

Finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano adds umami, salt, and a nutty complexity. When tossed with the hot pasta and a touch of starchy cooking water, it helps emulsify the butter and oil into a smooth, lightly creamy sauce.

Cheese increases both salt and umami in the dish, which tends to:

• Make tannins in very heavy reds feel harsher
• Make wines with good acidity and moderate tannin feel more balanced

This is why medium-bodied reds and structured whites shine as a wine for Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 400g Fresh tagliolini pasta
• 300g Porcini mushrooms (fresh or frozen)
• 60g Unsalted butter
• 2 cloves Garlic (finely minced)
• 2 tbsp Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 50g Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated)
• To taste Salt
• To taste Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Clean the porcini mushrooms gently with a damp cloth to remove dirt. Slice them into thick slices.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a generous amount of salt, as the pasta water should taste like the sea.
3. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the olive oil to prevent the butter from burning.
4. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn.
5. Add the sliced porcini mushrooms to the skillet. Cook them over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until they are golden brown and tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Drop the tagliolini pasta into the boiling water and cook according to package instructions (usually 2-3 minutes for fresh pasta).
7. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
8. Add the cooked tagliolini to the skillet with the mushrooms. Toss to coat the pasta in the buttery mushroom sauce. Add small splashes of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
9. Sprinkle the finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano and chopped parsley over the pasta. Toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
10. Plate the tagliolini ai funghi porcini in shallow bowls for an elegant presentation. Garnish with additional parsley and a light dusting of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

• Calories: 375 kcal
• Protein: 14.0g
• Fat: 18.0g
• Carbohydrates: 45.0g
• Salt: 1.2g

Dietary Information: Contains gluten, Contains dairy, Nut-free

Perfect Wine Pairings

This dish is a masterclass in umami and subtle richness, which opens the door to some truly exciting wine pairing options. The key is to match the body, acidity, and earthiness of the wine to the mushrooms, butter, and Parmigiano.

What to Look For in a Wine for Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms

• Body: Light to medium-bodied wines work best. You want structure, but not heaviness.
• Acidity: Moderate to high acidity keeps each bite feeling fresh and cuts through the buttery sauce.
• Tannins: Low to medium tannins. Very powerful, grippy tannins can clash with the umami and cheese.
• Flavor profile: Earthy, herbal, and savory notes pair better than overtly sweet, jammy fruit.

Top Wine Styles to Try

1. Oregon Pinot Noir

An Oregon Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley is a great bet) often shows red cherry, cranberry, forest floor, and gentle spice—an ideal perfect match for porcini’s earthiness. The silky tannins echo the texture of the tagliolini, while bright acidity lifts the buttery sauce.

• Look for bottles in the $20–$30 range at Total Wine or local shops.
• Trader Joe’s occasionally stocks value Pinot from Oregon that can work beautifully for this recipe.

1. Italian Sangiovese or Chianti Classico

A Chianti Classico made from Sangiovese offers vibrant acidity, red cherry, dried herbs, and a subtle earthy backbone. The acidity wipes the palate clean after each creamy bite, and the herbal notes mirror the parsley and garlic.

• Many excellent options fall in the $15–$25 range at BevMo and Total Wine.
• Ask for Chianti Classico with moderate oak influence rather than heavily oaked “Super Tuscan” styles.

1. Barbera (Italy, especially Barbera d’Alba or d’Asti)

Barbera is another fantastic wine for Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms. It’s known for high acidity, low to medium tannin, and bright red and black fruit with a touch of spice. That acidity slices through butter and cheese while the fruit adds lift without overwhelming the porcini.

• Expect to find good bottles around $15–$22 at grocery stores and specialty wine shops.

1. Earthy Whites: Chardonnay (Unoaked or Lightly Oaked) & White Burgundy

If you prefer white wine, go for a Chardonnay with moderate oak and good acidity—think Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, a restrained Napa Chardonnay, or a classic white Burgundy.

The combination of butter in the dish and subtle oak in the wine can be a dreamy pairing, especially if the wine has notes of hazelnut, citrus, and a touch of cream.

• Look for $18–$30 bottles from Sonoma at Total Wine or BevMo.
• Trader Joe’s often has good-value white Burgundy and California Chardonnay that fit this profile.

1. Bonus: Spanish Tempranillo (Rioja Crianza)

For something a bit different, a Rioja Crianza with soft tannins, red fruit, and gentle oak spice can be an excellent wine pairing. Just avoid very heavily oaked or high-alcohol versions.

For all of these, Vinomat can be a powerful tool: plug in “Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms,” and you’ll get a tailored wine recommendation list that matches your local store options, budget, and flavor preferences.

Cooking Tips & Techniques

• Don’t wash porcini under running water if you can help it. Like most mushrooms, they act like sponges. Instead, wipe them gently with a damp cloth to remove dirt. This keeps their flavor concentrated and their texture meaty.
• Slice porcini thickly. Thin slices can turn soft and stringy; thicker slices stay juicy and toothsome, giving the dish more bite.
• Control the garlic. Garlic should be fragrant, not browned. Burnt garlic will make the whole sauce taste bitter. As soon as you smell that sweet, nutty aroma, it’s time to add the mushrooms.
• Salt the pasta water generously. The line “it should taste like the sea” is your best guide. Well-seasoned pasta water is the foundation of a flavorful dish.
• Use the pasta water. The reserved starchy water isn’t optional—it’s your secret weapon for creating a glossy, emulsified sauce that clings to the tagliolini. Add it in small splashes while tossing.
• Add cheese off the heat. To avoid clumping or stringiness, turn the heat down (or off) before adding Parmigiano Reggiano. Toss vigorously with a bit of pasta water to create a smooth, creamy coating.
• Taste and adjust. Before plating, taste for salt, pepper, and overall balance. The flavor should be deeply savory but not harsh, with a gentle buttery sheen.

These small details are what transform a simple mushroom pasta into a dish that deserves a thoughtful glass of wine alongside it.

Serving Suggestions

For maximum impact, serve Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms in warm, shallow bowls. The wide surface lets the steam and porcini aroma rise up as soon as it hits the table. Finish each portion with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a light snowfall of Parmigiano.

To complete the meal:

• Add a simple green salad with a sharp, lemony vinaigrette to contrast the richness of the pasta.
• Offer a side of crusty bread or a rustic country loaf for scooping up any remaining buttery mushroom sauce.
• Keep sides light—roasted vegetables or grilled asparagus work better than anything too creamy or heavy.

For the wine service, open your chosen bottle 15–20 minutes before dinner. If you’re pouring an Oregon Pinot Noir or a Chianti, a quick splash into a decanter can help the aromas open up. Serve reds just slightly cooler than room temperature and whites nicely chilled but not icy, so their aromas can shine.

Dim the lights a bit, put on a favorite playlist, and let the combination of savory tagliolini, porcini, and a carefully chosen wine pairing turn an ordinary evening into something memorable. If you’re unsure what to pour, let Vinomat guide you to the perfect match based on what’s available at your local stores.

Conclusion

Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms is one of those recipes that proves you don’t need a long ingredient list to create a luxurious, restaurant-worthy meal at home. With just pasta, mushrooms, butter, garlic, and Parmigiano, you get a bowl full of umami, creaminess, and comfort.

Paired with the right wine—whether it’s an Oregon Pinot Noir, a Chianti Classico, or a Sonoma Chardonnay—this dish becomes even more special. Use Vinomat to explore personalized wine pairing ideas, discover a new favorite bottle, and find the perfect wine for Tagliolini with Porcini Mushrooms from Total Wine, Trader Joe’s, BevMo, or your local shop.

Set the table, pour a glass, and enjoy the simple luxury of a perfectly matched pasta and wine dinner at home.