What is pappardelle?

Pappardelle is a large flat ribbon-shaped pasta, wider than tagliatelle, often made with eggs and flour. Its width varies depending on the recipe, but it is generally around 2 à 3 cm. In the plural, we say "pappardelle"; in Italian, the word refers both to the pasta and to a plate of these pastas.

In Tuscany, you will often find it served with a sauce that clings well to its wide ribbons: wild boar ragù, hare ragù, or slow-cooked meat ragù. These are fairly generous sauces, sometimes rich; if you prefer something lighter, ask about the sauce before ordering. Fresh pappardelle cook quickly — often 2 à 4 minutes, depending on their thickness — while dried pasta takes longer: trust the instructions on the package. In restaurants, the name of the dish often includes the sauce, for example "pappardelle al cinghiale" for pasta with wild boar. So it is not a type of sauce, but the shape of the pasta.