This homemade spelt tagliatelle is rustic, earthy, and incredibly satisfying. The natural nuttiness of spelt flour pairs beautifully with sautéed mushrooms and a creamy kale-walnut pesto for a nourishing bowl of pasta that tastes comforting and elegant at the same time.
4 REASONS TO TRY THIS RECIPE
- A wholesome Mediterranean-inspired pasta dish using real ingredients.
- Naturally vegetarian (and easily vegan if you omit Parmesan).
- Spelt flour creates a hearty pasta texture that holds sauce beautifully.
- A nourishing hands-on kitchen project that feels deeply rewarding.
WHAT ARE TAGLIATELLE?
Tagliatelle is a long, flat pasta shape originated in Emilia Romagna and wider than Fettuccine from the Lazio region. It is altough less wide than Pappardelle, which are from Tuscany. traditionally cut by hand. Using spelt flour in the dough results in a more textured, rustic noodle with a warm, nutty flavor which makes it perfect for pairing with herbaceous sauces and sautéed vegetables.
NOTE ON SPELT TAGLIATELLE RECIPE INGREDIENTS
FOR THE HOMEMADE TAGLIATELLE
- Mix of flours: whole spelt flour 50% and durum wheat semolina 50%. The semolina adds elasticity and helps the dough hold together, while the spelt brings a warm, nutty flavor and a slightly rustic bite. This will create a pasta that is very balanced between chewiness, a rustic flavor and richer in nutrients, especially fiber. Keep in mind that the more spelt flour you will use, the less elastic will be your dough.
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a small amount of lukewarm water bring the dough together without eggs, making the pasta naturally vegetarian and easy to adapt for vegan cooking.
TIPS: Lukewarm means at room temperature. The ideal lukewarm water temperature is between 100 and 110 F° (36.5 to 40.5 C°).
FOR THE SAUCE
- Mushrooms: earthy and meaty. Chose cremini or baby portobello. Better texture, more meaty than others variety.
- Tender kale leaves, some of which are turned into a creamy kale pesto.
- Walnuts: walnuts bring a deeper, toasted flavor that complements the spelt beautifully.
HOW TO MAKE SPELT TAGLIATELLE PASTA
Before you beging a few helpful tips:
- This recipe is done entirely by hand, the pasta is rolled out with a rolling pin. For pasta machine instruction please refer to my post on how to make pasta homemade pasta dough.
- When you begin rolling, dust the dough lightly with semolina to prevent sticking.
- If the dough tears or crumbles at the edges, it means it needs just a touch more moisture—sprinkle in a teaspoon of water If instead it seems sticky, dust your work surface and the dough lightly, then continue rolling.
- Once the sheets are 1/4 of an inch of thickness you prefer, cut them into tagliatelle, shake them loose so the strands separate, and let them air-dry while you prepare the sauce. The thickness is an indication, being done by hand expect them to be slightly different.
STEP 1:
Sift the two flours, and form a volcano shape on a clean work surface. Add 1 tbsp of oil and 200 ml of lukewarm water to the center.
Begin to work in the flour until a dough forms. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Cover it and let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Resting is essential, as it allows the gluten strands to relax, making the pasta much easier to roll.
STEP 2:
Cut the dough in 4 pieces and work one piece at the time, keep the others covered. With a rolling pin roll out the dough to obtain one sheet of pasta. Now you have a long sheet of pasta ready to be cut into tagliatelle.
STEP 3:
TTrim the irregular edges with a sharp knife. To cut the pasta sheets into tagliatelle, roll up a third of the sheet on itself, then the other half. Cut with a sharp knife into large ¼-inch strips. Unravel the cut tagliatelle strips and let them dry arranged in nests.
STEP 4
You can let your tagliatelle dry out and then add them to a pot of salted boiling water. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until the tagliatelle rises to the surface, about 2-3 minutes, until al dente.
HOW TO MAKE KALE WALNUT PESTO
- Bring a pot of water to boil.
- Blanch the kale for 2-3 minutes to tenderize it and then with a spider spatula, transfer in a bowl with ice.
- Squeezed it to remove the excess of water and add it to a blender.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: walnuts, pecorino cheese, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil.
- Blend it until creamy. Your pesto is ready!
TIP: if it is too thick add a bit more oil and 1-2 tablespoons of water.
TIPS ON COOKING TIME: FOR A PASTA ALWAYS AL DENTE!
Fresh tagliatelle cooks much faster than dried pasta. Once the water is boiling and salted, add the noodles and cook for 2–3 minutes, or just until they float to the surface and turn tender.
If you’ve rolled the pasta slightly thicker by hand, you may need an extra minute. Reserve a small cup of the cooking water before draining, as it helps the sauce cling beautifully to the noodles.
Ingredients
For the Homemade Whole Wheat Tagliatelle
- 200 grams durum wheat
- 200 grams spelt flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 200 ml water
For the Pesto Sauce
- 2 cups kale
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup Pecorino grated
- ½ cup walnuts toasted
- ⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp water to dilute
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
For the Pasta Vegetable Sauce
- 2 cups kale
- 2 cups mushroom
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
To Guarnish the final plate
- 4 tbsp walnuts toasted
- 4 tbsp Pecorino Cheese Grated
Instructions
STEP 1: make the dough
- Sift the flours, form a volcano shape and add the oil and water to the center. Begin to work in the flour until a dough forms. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Cover it for 30 minutes.
- Heat some EVOO in a pan, with 3 cloves of garlic. Sauté the mushrooms and after 10 minutes add the kale, keeping 1 cup aside. Cook until the kale is wilted.
- Bring some water to boil and blanch the kale for 2 minutes. Add the blanched kale to a food processor or blender with cashews, parmesan, garlic and 2 tsp EVOO. Puree until smooth. Dilute with 1/4 cup of water if necessary. Set aside.
STEP 2: Make the tagliatelle (SEE NOTES)
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it reaches a thickness of ¼ inch.
- Divide the flattened dough into 2 pieces. To cut the pasta sheets into tagliatelle, roll up a third of the sheets, repeat the process, and then cut into large 0.4-inch strips.
- Unravel the cut tagliatelle strips and let them dry folded in nests.
STEEP 3: Make the pesto and the mushroom kale sauce
- Bring a pot of water to boil.Blanch the kale for 2-3 minutes to tenderize it and then with a spider spatula, transfer in a bowl with ice. Squeezed it to remove the excess of water and add it to a blender.
- Add the rest oft he ingredients: walnuts, pecorino cheese, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, extravirgin olive oil. Blend it until creamy.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a pot and when the oil shimmers, add the garlic. Let the garlic cook a few minutes then remove it and add the mushromms, sliced and the kale chopped. Let it cook on slow until all the veggies are cooked.
STEP 3: Cooking the pasta and adding the sauce
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until the tagliatelle rise to the surface, about 6 minutes.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet where you have the vegetables, spread the pesto on top, mix well and plate it.
To Guarnish
- Add 1 tablespoon of roasted walnuts on each plate, and 1 tablespoon Pecorino Cheese. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- The recipe describes how to make pasta by hand.
Nutrition
HOW TO SERVE WHOLE WHEAT TAGLIATELLE WITH KALE AND MUSHROOM
This homemade spelt tagliatelle will yield 8 beautiful pasta nests that weighs 2 oz each, making it a perfect side dish for 8 people. Alternatively you can use 2 nests for each person, and will obtain 4 consistent main pasta dish for 4 people.
This pasta dish pairs wonderfully with a side salad I also love serving it alongside warm rosemary focaccia bread. Just perfect to soak up that sauce, or as we say inItalian “fare la scarpetta”.
HOW TO STORE WHOLE WHEAT TAGLIATELLE WITH KALE AND MUSHROOM
Fresh tagliatelle is best enjoyed the same day, but it can be stored if needed.
BEFORE COOKING IT- BIG BATCH
- REFRIGERATOR: If you’re not cooking it right away, dust the strands lightly with flour, let them air-dry a bit, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- FREEZER: The pasta can also be frozen before cooking—just freeze the strands in nests and cook directly from frozen without thawing.
AFTER COOKING:
- LEFTOVER PASTA: You can store it in a container in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 days. For best texture reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or olive oil.
WHICH SAUCE CAN I PAIR WITH SPELT TAGLIATELLE?
If you prefer a simpler sauce to toss your spelt pasta, I recommend:
WHICH WINE TO PAIR WITH SPELT TAGLIATELLE WITH KALE WALNUT PESTO AND MUSHROOM
Here are Italian wine pairings that work beautifully with spelt tagliatelle. This dish is earthy, slightly bitter (kale), nutty (walnut + spelt), and umami-rich (mushrooms), so we want a wine with earthiness, good acidity, and moderate tannins.
- Chianti Classico: high acidity brightens the deep flavors of mushrooms and kale; herbal notes complement the sauce.
- Langhe Nebbiolo: earthy, savory tones echo the mushrooms; acidity cuts through the richness of walnut. It will not overpower the dish.
- Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi: for a white wine options. Fresh, almond-like, slightly bitter — perfect with walnuts and kale.
MORE SPELT AND FARRO RECIPES
Winter Kale Salad with Farro, Pecorino and Dates: A nourishing salad that combines farro with kale and crunchy veggies. The dates are balancing the bitterness of the vegetables and the zesty pecorino dressing makes it creamy and flavorful.
Pesto Salad with Shrimp and Farro: A wholesome, Italian-inspired dish that is balanced and packed with nutrients. This salad is super quick to make, it keeps you going through the afternoon and it is tasty thanks to its mix of flavors and textures.
Apple Galette with Cinnamon: a thin layer of apples spiced with cinnamon on top of a rustic spelt crust enriched with walnuts. It is the ideal sweet to enjoy for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
Farro Stuffed Tomatoes a classic Italian summer recipe that is filled with different layers of flavor: the nutty farro, the creamy Parmesan, the gooey mozzarella, the pulp of tomatoes, the fresh basil.
Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Orange: A classic Italian dish ready in less than an hour that burst Sicilian flavors given from the oranges, the fennels and the herbs.
✨ I hope you loved this Spelt Tagliatelle recipe! I would love to connect with you through my recipe and I will be very appreciative of your comments! If you make this recipe make sure to tag me on Instagram @Italian_kitchen_confessions. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.✨
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