This lightweight oven -baked tagliatelle pasta with Fontina recipe takes very little time to make and calls for just a handful of ingredients. Perfect for meals at the last minute, busy weekday and as a side dish with white or red meat.
A recipe from the Aosta valley.
This cheesy baked tagliatelle with Fontina comes from the Aosta valley (Val d’Aosta), a small mountainous region of northwestern Italy bordering France and Switzerland.
Due to its mountainous terrain and the cold winter climate, foods in the Aosta Valley are mainly based on cordial soups and filling of dishes containing meat, sausages and salumi (mostly from games, pork and beef) and freshwater fish such as trout.
Potatoes, polenta, bread (often rye bread), risotto, spaetzle, gnocchi and cheese are the other most important staples! In fact, this region is famous for its cheeses, especially Fontina, used in lots of recipes like this baked tagliatelle al gratin.
Pasta dishes from the Aosta Valley.
As with other mountainous northern Italian regions, pasta is not as much of the local cuisine in Val d’Aosta as it is in other parts of the Italian Peninsula. However, tagliatelle is popular either as made in the rest of Italy or with other types of flour as chestnut flour.
Probably the most popular pasta dishes from Aosta -Valley Pasta Alla Valdostana recipes! ‘Alla Valdostana’ is a name given to many dishes that include fontina cheese and often ham or mushrooms. I have recipes for both Penne Alla Valdostana and Lasagna Valdostana worth checking, both also made with Fontina.
Fontina cheese.
Fontina is made in Aosta -Dalen since 12Th century and is traditionally produced with unpasteurized cow’s milk from a single milking. This cheese has a high fat content because it is usually made with milk from cows grazing on flower -filled mountain grass areas during the summer! But that’s what makes it such a big melting cheese and perfect for this tagliatelle bake.
Authentic Italian Fontina from Aosta Valley is a DOP product (protected origin designation), which means it is certified to be produced in Val d’Aosta according to strict rules. However, Fontina is also made in other countries such as Denmark, Sweden, France, Canada, Argentina and the United States.
Fontina from these countries often has a milder taste and softer structure than Italian Fontina DOP, but generally they are also good melting cheeses that can be used in this baked tagliatelle recipe.
Ingredients in this baked tagliatelle recipe.
The pasta.
Tagliatelle is the selected pasta for this light recipe, although Fettuccine egg noodles would also work. I used homemade tagliatelle. If you would like to do the same, check out my homemade tagliatelle recipe.
Of course, you can use store -purchased dried or fresh tagliatelle. The dried pasta should be parboiled longer than the fresh pasta that takes only one minute or two. Tagliatelle finishes cooking in the oven.
The cheese.
Italian Fontina is the star of this oven-baked tagliatelle recipe. However, you can use other types of fontina or good melting cheeses. Gruyere is the most similar to Fontina. Emmental is a mild Swiss cheese that has a similar nutty flavor and can be used as a cooking cheese.
The number is softer, but has a similar structure as Fontina. It has a stronger aroma, but the actual taste is mild and slightly fruity. Fresh mozzarella is another alternative, but it is much milder.
Parmigiano Reggiano: This recipe requires a little bit of parmigiano (parmesan cheese) sprinkled on top of the tagliatell before baking. You can also use another hard cheese like Grana.
The butter.
Here in Italy we mostly use unsalted butter. If you have only salted butter, I suggest boiling the pasta without salt or with just a pinch of salt.
Step by step instructions.
1) Parboil your tagliatelle in a large pot of salted water that is cooked until it is very all dente. It ends cooking in the oven.
2) Cut the Fontina cheese into small pieces or cubes, and grate Parmigiano (parmesan cheese). Freshly grated Parmigiano has a creamy taste and texture than clear grated cheese. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
3) Empty the pasta and mix it with the melted butter. Make a layer of tagliatelle in an oval or rectangular oven bowl. Cover with pieces of fontina. Then make another layer of tagliatelle with several dice of fontina on top.
4) Add freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano.
5) Bake in a preheated oven at approx. 200 ° C (390 ° F) for only 10 minutes until the top is slightly crispy and browned. Serve your baked tagliatelle pasta with fontina immediately.
Serving suggestions.
If you want to add some extra protein, cooked ham or pre -cooked bacon of pancetta cubes would be a delicious addition. Add before baking.
This baked tagliatelle with fontina is also served with a side of tomato sauce. A delicious must-try idea that adds so much flavor to the bowl!
Alternatively, you can serve this bowl as a side dish. It is delicious with both red meat and white.
What to do with leftovers.
Like other similar Italian recipes, the cheese sauce in the remaining baked tagliatelle pasta with fontina will start to thicken when cooled. Restoring the remains are best in the microwave or even fried with some more butter. You can keep the leftovers sealed in the refrigerator for a few days. However, I do not recommend freezing the remains.
Faqs
When made with Italian Fontina Dop and Parmigiano Reggiano, this recipe is not vegetarian as both cheeses contain expensive reindeer. However, there are versions of vegetarian fontina and parmesan that you can use to make this tagliatelle bake vegetarian friendly.
Yes, this recipe can be made with a number of good melting cheeses, such as gruyere or emmental.
Let me know what you think.
If you make this baked tagliatelle pasta with Fontina recipe, I would love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. So please leave a comment here on the blog or on Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon Appetito!
Pin for later.
Some other really good tagliatelle pasta dishes worth trying!
- Tagliatelle with creamy pork
- Creamy lemon salmon tagliatelle
- Authentic Tagliatelle Bolognese
- Tagliatelle with chicken liver
- Pasta with fresh peas and pancetta.
- Tagliatelle with Rabbit Ragu.
Slightly baked tagliatelle pasta with fontina cheese.
This lightweight oven baked tagliatelle with Fontina takes very little time to make and calls for only 3 main ingredients ingredients. Perfect for meals at the last minute, busy weekday and as a side dish with white or red meat.
Equipment
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1 large pot to prepare pasta
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1 oven bowl to bake pasta
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1 large bowl To mix cooked pasta and butter together.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Tagliatelle fresh, dried or homemade
- 9 ounces Fontina cheese or gruyere or emmental
- 2 ounces butter unsalted
- 2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano or vegetarian parmesan.
Instructions
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Parboil your tagliatelle in a large pot of boiling salted water until it is very all dente. It ends cooking in the oven. Fresh pasta takes only one minute or two.
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Cut the Fontina cheese into small pieces or cubes, and grate Parmigiano (Parmesanost). Freshly grated Parmigiano has a creamy taste and texture than clear grated cheese. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
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Empty the pasta and mix it with the melted butter in a large bowl. Make a layer of tagliatelle in an oval or rectangular oven bowl. Cover with pieces of fontina. Then make another layer of tagliatelle with several dice of fontina on top.
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Add fresh painted black pepper and a good sprinkle of grated Parmigiano.
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Bake in a preheated oven at approx. 200 ° C (390 ° F) for only 10 minutes until the top is slightly crispy and browned. Serve your baked tagliatelle right away.
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Notes
Cheese sauce in any remaining baked tagliatelle with fontina will start to thicken when cooled. Restoring the remains are best in the microwave or even fried with some more butter.
If you want to add something more protein, cooked ham or pre -cooked bacon or pancetta dice would be a delicious addition. Add before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 841KcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 38gFat: 40gSaturated fat: 23gPoetOgeraturated fat: 3gEnhOsaturated Fat: 11gTrans fat: 1gCholesterol: 209mgSodium: 852mgPotassium: 334mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1118IuCalcium: 562mgIron: 2mg
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