Black Truffle Sauce Pasta – A Croatian-Inspired Recipe

This black truffle sauce pasta is a rich yet restrained dish that lets the earthy aroma of black truffles take centre stage. Creamy, luxurious, and deeply savoury, it’s the kind of pasta that feels special without being complicated – perfect for an intimate dinner or an elegant weekend meal.

Hey folks – I hope you all are doing well!

Before we jump to this delicious creamy pasta recipe, let me ask you if are you planning any traveling this year? And to answer to my own question, that would be an exciting “Yes!” We are going to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg soon. In fact, in exactly three weeks we will be on our way to Amsterdam – where our three-week vacation begins. So exciting! (Although, we will unlikely see any street cats, like in Croatia last year.)

Speaking of Croatia, I have previously shared few delicious Croatian, such as Ajvar – Balkan Pepper Spread, Šporki Makaruli (Dirty Macaroni) – Pasta from Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Pašticada – Croatian Braised Beef (Sweet and Sour Braised Beef) And I still have a few other in my sleeve, including this terrific pasta.

Why You’ll Love This Black Truffle Sauce Pasta

• Elegant and minimal. A short ingredient list allows the flavour of black truffles to truly stand out.
• Luxuriously creamy. The sauce is silky and smooth without feeling heavy or overpowering.
• Perfect for special occasions. Ideal for date nights, celebrations, or when you want something quietly impressive.
• Flexible richness. Easily made lighter by using lower-fat cream, without sacrificing flavour.

Black Truffles & Tartufata

Istria, Croatia is famous for its black truffles, so there is no surprise truffles are a common ingredient in many recipes. If you have visited Croatia, particularly Istria, it is unlikely that missed pasta or risotto with local truffles.

Perhaps the most prominent dish would be Istrian Fuži with Black Truffle Cream Sauce. It is made with fuži (pasta shape), which ideally should be made from scratch and tartufata – a black truffle paste.

High-quality (and hence, quite pricy) tartufata is made with only a few ingredients such as grated truffles and olive oil, as well as aromatics like garlic and herbs. There are cheaper sauces that use other ingredients like mushrooms, black olives, and breadcrumbs – so if you are choosing one, I would suggest you to pick a good stuff.

Pasta with Creamy Black Truffle Sauce

I will not call this pasta the Istrian recipe because a) I did not use fuži and b) tartufata. However, it is heavily inspired by the traditional recipe – and I also made it with Istrian truffles we brought from our trip! (And yes, to clarify, I made this recipe nearly a year ago.)

But you do not need to have a black truffle paste to enjoy the flavour of Istria! You can easily make it – well, as long as you’ve got a few black truffles. Easy task :) I must say, though, that using both truffle paste and truffles create a prominent flavour profile. So if you are working with only fresh truffles, the flavour will be a little less pronounced.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

This black truffle sauce pasta relies on just a handful of carefully chosen ingredients for maximum impact.

• Pasta. Short pasta shapes like penne or fusilli work beautifully, catching the creamy sauce in every bite.
• Black truffles. Fresh whole black truffles provide an intense aroma; some are finely minced for the sauce, while thin shavings finish the dish.
• Heavy cream. Creates a luxurious base; a lighter cream can be used for a softer finish.
• Butter. Adds richness and helps carry the truffle flavour through the sauce.
• Garlic. Used sparingly to support the truffle without overpowering it.
• Salt and pepper. Essential for balancing the creaminess and enhancing the truffle notes.
• Parmesan. Optional, but adds depth and savoury complexity when sprinkled just before serving.

How to Make Black Truffle Sauce Pasta

To make this black truffle sauce pasta, start by thinly slicing one of the truffles and set it aside for garnish, then finely mince the remaining truffle or truffles.

In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter with olive oil over low-medium heat and gently cook the garlic for a minute or two, just until fragrant. Stir in the minced truffle and cream, letting the sauce simmer briefly until it thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente, reserving a little of the pasta water before draining. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, loosening with reserved pasta water if needed. Finish with Parmesan if using and garnish with the reserved truffle shavings just before serving.

I hope you like this Pasta with Black Truffle Sauce, and you will make it a try.  If you make it, let me know in this post or send me an Instagram message or share your photos adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers!

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Pasta with Black Truffle Sauce – A Croatian-Inspired Recipe

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: Pasta and GnocchiCuisine: Croatian-InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Creamy black truffle sauce pasta inspired by Croatian flavours. Elegant, aromatic, and easy to prepare for special occasions.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

• 400 gr. pasta of choice, short pasta like penne or fusilli are good options

• 2-3 large whole black truffles, divided

• 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream (35%) – although you can take 18% or so for a lighter version

• 2-3 tbsp. (30-45 gr.) butter

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• salt and pepper, to taste

• parmesan, optional, for serving

Directions

• Thinly slice one of the truffles and set aside. Finely mince the remaining 1 or 2.
• In a large heavy skillet, combine the butter and olive oil over low-medium heat and cook the garlic, just for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Stir in the finely minced truffle and cream and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken up. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• In a meantime, cook the pasta in salted boiling water, until al dente. Reserve a bit of pasta water and drain.
• Add the drained pasta into the sauce and let it simmer for a minute or so. If the sauce seems to be too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water. Just before serving, sprinkle with the parmesan if desired and garnish with the reserved truffle shavings. Enjoy!

Notes

• Parsley is not a traditional ingredient, and I only added it for colour. You can omit it.