Pappardelle: Italy's Silk Ribbons

One of Italy's favourite pasta shapes - perfect for rich ragu

When it comes to pasta shapes, few carry the sheer presence and rustic elegance of pappardelle. These wide, flat ribbons of golden egg pasta are the undisputed royalty of the winter table. Named after the old Tuscan dialect word pappare—which translates to "to gobble up" or "to eat with childish joy"—this is a pasta built for hearty, comforting sauces and convivial family gatherings.

The Heart of Tuscany: History and Provenance

While you can now find this magnificent shape across Italy, the heart and soul of pappardelle belong firmly to the rugged landscapes of Tuscany.

Dating back to the Middle Ages, pappardelle was traditionally prepared by home cooks using a rich egg dough, rolled out by hand using a long wooden rolling pin (mattarello) until paper-thin, then sliced into wide ribbons. Unlike delicate, narrow linguine or tagliatelle, traditional Tuscan pappardelle was deliberately cut wide—often between two and three centimetres—to create a robust canvas capable of holding up to the region's intense, gamey sauces.

In the wild hills of the Maremma and the dense forests of the Casentino, autumn and winter meant hunting season. The local cuisine evolved around wild boar (cinghiale), hare (lepre), and rich, slow-cooked mushroom ragùs. The brilliant, wide surface area of the pappardelle ribbon acts like a net, catching the shredded meat, rich tomatoes, and aromatic herbs so that every single forkful delivers the perfect balance of pasta and sauce.

The Art of the Perfect Ribbon: Carluccio's Pappardelle all'Uovo

To recreate the authentic flavours of a Tuscan trattoria at home, the quality of the dried pasta is everything. Our Pappardelle all'Uovo is a true celebration of traditional Italian pasta craftsmanship.

We craft our ribbons using only premium durum wheat semolina and a high concentration of quality eggs, giving the pasta its characteristic deep golden hue and a rich, velvety flavour profile.

But the real secret to our pappardelle lies in the texture:

• Bronze Die Extrusion: Our pasta is extruded through traditional bronze dies. Unlike modern, commercial Teflon rollers that leave pasta slick and shiny, bronze dies create a coarse, matte, and slightly rough texture.

• The Perfect La Sfoglia: This rough surface creates what Italians call a beautiful sfoglia—a porous exterior that coaxes sauce to cling directly to the ribbon rather than sliding off to the bottom of the bowl.

• The Ideal Al Dente Bite: Because of the premium durum wheat, our pappardelle retains a magnificent structural integrity when cooked, providing that essential, toothsome bite that pairs so beautifully with slow-cooked ragùs.

How to Serve It

To honour its Tuscan heritage, drop our Pappardelle all'Uovo into a pot of generously salted, rolling boiling water. Cook until just al dente, then toss immediately into a simmering pan of slow-cooked wild boar, beef shin, or a decadent wild mushroom and truffle sauce.

Finish with a generous dusting of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano and a final drizzle of robust extra virgin olive oil. It is comfort food at its absolute finest—made to be gobbled up.

Carluccio's is proud to offer this amazing product in our online deli today!