Ingredient calculator
How many are you feeding?
- Choose your portion count below.
- Weigh out the suggested amount of egg yolk — yolk only, separated from the white.
- Enter what you actually weighed. Egg size varies, so this is the real number that matters — the flour amounts update to match it.
Ingredients
Yield
Weigh your yolks rather than counting eggs — grocery store eggs vary too much size to size for counting to be reliable. This dough is yolk-only: no whole eggs, no added water. Save the whites for another use (meringue, egg-white omelet, clarifying stock).
The recipe
Method & ratios
Tajarin is Piedmont's answer to fresh egg pasta — thin ribbons, a rich egg-yolk color, and a springy-but-structured bite. The dough is yolk-only, no whole eggs and no added water. Traditionally the flour was just "00" — nothing else. Substituting some of it with semolina is a newer refinement: it gives the fine-cut ribbons more backbone so they hold their shape without tearing or cracking, where pure "00" alone is silkier but a bit slacker. Use the semolina toggle in the calculator above to switch between the two — 70/30 "00"/semolina for more tooth, or all-"00" for the traditional version.
Target texture: pliable but structured — springy, not stiff, and able to hold a fine 2mm cut without tearing.
- Place the weighed egg yolk and both flours in a mixing bowl.
- Knead 8–10 minutes minimum. The dough looks dry and shaggy at first — keep going. It becomes smooth and pliable as the gluten hydrates. Don't stop early.
- Rest, wrapped tightly, 30–60 minutes at room temperature before rolling. This redistributes moisture through the dough and prevents the wet-then-cracky problem of rolling too soon.
- Roll to the thinnest or near-thinnest setting on your pasta machine.
- Cut at 2mm width for classic tajarin.
Adjusting the dough
Too wet: reduce the yolk ratio in 5g increments on your next batch — or knead and rest longer before judging; a lot of the wet-shaggy feeling resolves on its own with time.
Too dry or not pliable: add water carefully — a few drops at a time can take a surprisingly long time to bring a dry dough together, so use your own judgment rather than counting drops. If it's especially dry or stiff, start with about ½ teaspoon rather than single drops, knead it in fully, and reassess before adding more. Never a whole egg — that dilutes the yolk-forward flavor.
A note on food safety
Mixed dough covered at room temperature is low-risk and standard practice for the 30–60 minute rest. If you need to rest it longer than about 2 hours, move it to the fridge.
Storing your pasta
Fresh, dried, or frozen
Fresh tajarin is best cooked the day it's made, but it keeps well with a little planning. The key distinction is whether your pasta is partially dried (still pliable) or fully dried (brittle, snaps cleanly like store-bought).
Partially dried — still pliable
- Paper bag at room temp: 1–2 days max
- Refrigerate in a lightly floured container: up to 3 days
- Risk of mold in humid conditions — when in doubt, refrigerate
Fully dried — brittle
- Allow 24–48 hours depending on humidity and thickness
- Paper bag in a cool dry pantry: 4–8 weeks
- Airtight jar or tin after drying: 2–3 months or longer
Freezing nests
- Dust nests with rice flour before forming — its fine dry particles prevent sticking far better than semolina (use semolina if that's all you have)
- Flash-freeze on a tray in a single layer for 1–2 hours until firm
- Transfer to a freezer bag — they'll stay separate
- Keeps well for up to 2 months with no noticeable quality loss
Cooking from frozen
- Drop frozen nests directly into boiling salted water — no thawing needed
- Add 1–2 minutes to your usual cook time
- Taste early — fine ribbons cook fast even from frozen