Pasta & Truffles provides the highest quality Italian fresh truffles. We supply a number of leading restaurants, private chefs and speciality food stores. We also market our premium grade truffles directly to private clients.
Our fresh truffles are shipped worldwide from Le Marche, a beautiful region of Central Italy, where they are hunted daily. Le Marche is one of the few areas in the world with the ideal climatic and soil conditions for the natural growth of the most important varieties of truffle: White Truffle, the rarest and the highest priced species around; Black Winter Truffle; Black Summer Truffle and White Spring Truffle.
We supply the following varieties of truffles in their respective seasons:
WHITE TRUFFLES
October to December
The White Truffle (Tuber Magnatum Pico), also called Alba truffle, is considered the king of truffles and is an extremely rare delicacy. It cannot be cultivated and grows spontaneously in particular kinds of soil and climate conditions. They are harvested from October to December.
BLACK WINTER TRUFFLES
December to March
The Black Winter Truffle (Tuber Melanosporum Vittadini) can be found from December to March. It grows in hilly and mountainous areas, in symbiosis with hazelnut trees, oaks. The Black Winter Truffle is considered very prestigious and reigns as queen in international cuisine.
BLACK SUMMER AND AUTUMN TRUFFLES
June to December
The Black Summer Truffle or Scorzone (Tuber Aestivum Vittadini) has a brownish – black exterior surface, the inside called “gleba” is very light brown with white spidery veins but darkens when ripe. It grows well in sandy and clayey soil, in the forest, in the undergrowth and under pine trees. Its smell is pleasant and of medium intensity. It has a delicate woodsy aroma with flavours of garlic, wild mushroom and earthy hazelnut undertones. The intensity of the flavours increases as the season goes on. Black Summer Truffles can be found from June until December. In October the variety becomes Uncinatum, also known as “Burgundy truffle”, and has a stronger flavour.
Black summer truffles need to be lightly cooked to awaken their full aroma. We suggest to use them together with other truffle products to add depth, such as our Vellutata sauce; they can also be shaved raw as a finishing element.
WHITE SPRING TRUFFLES – BIANCHETTO
January to April
Bianchetto truffles (Tuber Borchii Vitt. or Tuber Albidum pico) are the spring’s version of the prized winter white truffles; they have excellent culinary qualities and an affordable price.
Found in the Central regions of Italy, they look very similar to their famous cousin, the Italian White Truffle, but are smaller – they range in size from hazelnut to golf ball sized – and have a slightly different taste, less intense and with a pungent garlicky/cheesy bite.
The skin is smooth and off-white or reddish brown colour with irregular dark brown patches, darker on the inside with a network of white veins.
The season for Bianchetto Truffles runs from January through April.
Shipping
To ensure the highest quality, our truffles are sent out immediately after being harvested. The truffles are packaged in polystyrene containers with ice packs, to ensure the quality and freshness is maintained.
How to store fresh truffles:
– Wrap individual truffles in a clean absorbent paper towel
– Place the paper-wrapped truffles inside a closed jar in the fridge (temperature +2°C/6°C)
– Change the paper towel every one/two days
– Just before eating, they must be washed with water and brushed under the tap. Dry well with a paper towel or kitchen cloth.