Tagliatelle vs Fettuccine: What’s the Real Difference?

When comparing many types of pasta, the differences are usually obvious. Each shape and size is unique as well as how they are made and served. 

In the case of Tagliatelle vs Fettuccine, we will have to look a little deeper into what makes each pasta unique.

This is because both fettuccine and tagliatelle are made the same way and are virtually the same size. 

In fact, they are both made from the same pasta dough recipe and when cut and cooked are almost indiscernible to the eye.

You may then ask, are they not the same pasta with two different names? The simple answer is no, and it has to do with the region they come from in Italy and how they are served in these individual cuisines.

Now, let’s take a look at these important kinds of pasta in the world of Italian food and see what differentiates them.

Tagliatelle vs Fettuccine: Main differences

The key factors that separate tagliatelle from fettuccine may sound trivial, but it is a big deal to Italians and their passion for the food of each individual region.

The small details count and there are endless feud’s over the heritage of dishes and what regions in Italy make them better. 

The main differences between fettuccine and tagliatelle come down to a few key details that need to be individually pointed out.

• Fettuccine is usually slightly thicker than tagliatelle 
• Tagliatelle is usually slightly wider than fettuccine (8 mm vs about 7 mm)
• Fettuccine is made with and without eggs 
• Tagliatelle comes from the Emilia Romagna and Marche regions
• Fettuccine comes from the Lazio and Tuscany regions
• Tagliatelle is very popular in Italy while Fettucine is popular in America

Tagliatelle vs Fettuccine: Similarities

It’s equally important to point out that tagliatelle and fettuccine are extremely similar.

The reality is that most people would have a tough time recognizing which one is on their plate if the other pasta was not there for comparison. 

One huge factor in their similarities is that tagliatelle and fettuccine are traditionally hand-rolled with a wooden matarello pasta rolling pin and are also hand cut.

The thickness is not measured and the width of the cuts is also eyeballed. Each cook is going to perceive what the proper width and thickness should be resulting in tagliatelle and fettuccine flip-flopping in sizes.

Even most pasta machines have set increments for thickness and width that ends up making these two kinds of pasta essentially the same. 

• Both types of pasta are traditionally made fresh with an egg dough
• They are almost identical in size depending on if they are hand or machine made
• Both can be found freshly made and dried
• Tagliatelle and fettuccine are both very versatile in the types of sauces they work with

What is Tagliatelle? 

Tagliatelle is a flat ribbon-like pasta from the Emilia Romagna and Marche regions of Italy. Its name comes from the Italian word “tagliere” which means “to cut” as it is a traditional hand-cut pasta.

This pasta is most famous for its pairing with Ragú alla Bolognese in Northern Italy which is the original version of what Americans call bolognese sauce.

The slightly textured flat noodles perfectly grip this meaty ragú while adding a springy bite and texture. 

In the Marche region, tagliatelle is commonly cooked with a plethora of different seafood from the coastal areas of the region. Other preparations in the region focus on both fresh and preserved tomatoes.

How is Tagliatelle made?

This pasta variety is traditionally made from a hand-kneaded dough that consists of eggs and semolina durum wheat flour. The dough is rolled out into sheets before being rolled up and cut into ribbons.

Now, there are commercially made versions that are machine mixed, rolled, and cut. You can even find this fresh style of pasta that has been dried and packaged for retail sales.

Tagliatelle Varieties

Although both tagliolini and taglierini are unrelated by region to tagliatelle, they are both somewhat similar in that they are flat ribbon-like kinds of pasta.

Tagliolini and taglierini are essentially the same and are both narrower in width and a little thicker than tagliatelle.

How to cook Tagliatelle

As with all fresh egg pasta, its cook time is very short. The pasta is simply placed into boiling water to cook for a few minutes and is immediately removed from the water and added to the sauce. Absolutely no rinsing or cooling!

One thing to take into consideration is that fresh pasta is not cooked al dente, unlike its dried relatives. Fresh pasta is meant to be soft with a smooth and springy texture. 

Sample dishes made with Tagliatelle

• Tagliatelle al ragù (Bologna, Emilia Romagna)
• Tagliatelle ai fungi (Bologna, Emilia Romagna)
• Tagliatelle al ragu di strolghino (Parma, Emilia Romagna)
• Tagliatelle con nocchie e pomodorini (Ancona, Marche)
• Tagliatelle allo scoglio (Ancona, Marche)

Tagliatelle Pasta Substitute

As tagliatelle is a fresh pasta made with eggs, the best substitution would be another fresh egg pasta such as fresh pappardelle or fresh fettuccine.

If that is unavailable, you will need to turn to either dried egg pasta or dried non-egg pasta which are easily found in most grocery stores.

Dried egg pasta substitutes:

• Dried Egg Tagliatelle
• Pappardelle

Regular dried pasta substitutes:

• Fettuccine
• Linguine

What is Fettuccine? 

Fettucine is a wide flat ribbon-like pasta that fell out of favor in Italy and has since found a new life in America.

This pasta then spread around the world gaining popularity, even though it still remains a lesser-used pasta in its home country.

Its traditional roots were in the Lazio region of Italy where it started as a fresh variety of egg pasta and is considered one of the oldest shapes of pasta. It also shows up on menus in Tuscany on rare occasions. 

Later on in Rome, Fettuccine all’Alfredo (Fettuccine Alfredo) was invented and served at a trattoria called Piazza Rosa by Alfredo di Lelio.

A few American celebrities from Hollywood ate his pasta and shared it with their other famous friends. Fettuccine then became a household name and one of the most popular varieties of pasta in America. 

How is Fettuccine made?

While this fresh pasta is made with eggs using traditional methods in Italy, it is mostly made without eggs in America. 

The fresh fettuccine in Italy is made by hand-kneading eggs and semolina flour until a dough forms. It is then hand-rolled using a wooden pasta dowel into sheets. The pasta is then rolled up and cut into ribbons. 

The American-style dried fettuccine is made with semolina durum wheat flour and water that is shelf-stable. 

1. The dough is formed in a commercial mixer 
2. It is then pushed through a bronze dough extruder or a Teflon-coated version (lower quality) where it is shaped and cut. 
3. The pasta is then dried and packaged for retail and wholesale.

How to serve Fettuccine 

Fettuccine is best served with a sauce that is thick in viscosity. This thickening is usually the result of the addition of cheese or sauces that are simmered for hours.

It’s also best to avoid too many pieces of meat or vegetables as the pasta has very few holes or folds that can grab onto these ingredients.  

Sample dishes made with Fettucine

• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Fettuccine al pomodoro
• Fettucine con carciofi
• Fettucine alla Boscaiola
• Fettucine al sugo di coda

Substitutes for Fettuccine

There are two types of fettuccine: fresh and dried. The first is the classic Italian version which is freshly made with semolina flour and eggs.

The dried version is made with semolina flour and water which is very common in the United States.

If you are looking for a substitution for the fresh egg version, you should try dried egg pasta. On the other hand, if you need a replacement for dried fettuccine, you should try another shape of dried pasta.

Dried egg pasta substitutes

• Dried Egg Tagliatelle
• Pappardelle

Regular dried pasta substitutes

• Linguini
• Spaghetti

FAQs

Can you substitute Tagliatelle for Fettuccine?

As the sizes are almost identical, it is only a matter of dried vs fresh pasta. Tagliatelle is a fresh egg pasta, so you would want to use a fettuccine that is made fresh with eggs.

If you are really in a pinch, you can substitute dried fettuccine for tagliatelle, but it might not interact with the sauce in the same way.

Tagliatelle vs Linguine

The biggest difference between tagliatelle and linguine is the fact that tagliatelle is made with eggs and linguine is not.

The second factor is that tagliatelle is wider than linguine, even though they are both long flat noodles.

The last thing that separates these two kinds of pasta is that linguine has slightly rounded edges.

Tagliatelle vs Fettuccine vs Linguine

All three of these types of pasta are flat ribbon-like noodles that vary by region of origin and the way that they are served. Linguine is closely related but is seldomly used with any kind of meat sauce like the other two varieties.

• Linguine is narrower than both tagliatelle and fettuccine but has slightly rounded edges. 
• In Italian linguine means “little tongues” 
• The Liguria region is where linguine was first created and is the most popular.

Final Thoughts: Tagliatelle vs Fettuccine

The more that you look at tagliatelle vs fettuccine, the more you will realize that they share more similarities than they have differences. They are even more alike when both varieties are made fresh with egg and semolina dough.

Now it’s time for you to cook up these amazing kinds of pasta. You might even want to test out your skills at making some homemade pasta.

If you are not feeling up to the challenge, maybe start planning your next big trip so that you can eat the real deal in incredible food cities like Rome or in the region of Emilia Romagna.

There’s no better way to get to know these kinds of pasta than to eat them where they come from.