The short version: Piedmont is Italy’s richest table. Eat tajarin pasta with butter and white truffle, agnolotti del plin, vitello tonnato, bagna cauda in winter, and finish with hazelnut gianduja sweets, all washed down with Barolo, Barbaresco or a lighter Barbera. It is slow, buttery, Alpine-meets-French cooking, built around truffles, meat, cheese and great wine.
At a glance
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Tajarin | Thin egg-yolk-rich tagliolini, classically with butter and shaved white truffle |
| Agnolotti del plin | Tiny hand-pinched stuffed pasta, often with roast-meat filling |
| Vitello tonnato | Cold sliced veal under a creamy tuna-caper sauce |
| Bagna cauda | Warm garlic-anchovy dip for vegetables, a winter ritual |
| Brasato al Barolo | Beef braised slowly in Barolo wine |
| Gianduiotti | Hazelnut-chocolate sweets from Turin |
The pasta and the primi
Tajarin is the one to order: silky egg tagliolini made with a startling number of yolks, dressed simply in butter and sage so nothing competes with a shaving of white truffle on top in autumn. Agnolotti del plin are small parcels pinched shut by hand (plin means pinch), usually filled with roasted meat and served with a little of their roasting juices or butter. Both are the heart of a Piedmontese meal.
The antipasti and the mains
Piedmont loves a long run of antipasti: vitello tonnato (cold veal in tuna sauce), carne cruda (hand-chopped raw Fassona beef, superb and lean), and insalata russa. In winter comes bagna cauda, a communal pot of warm garlic, anchovy and oil you dip raw and cooked vegetables into. For a main, brasato al Barolo is beef braised for hours in the region’s great red, and finanziera is an old-school ragout for the curious. Cheese lovers should find Castelmagno and Robiola.
Hazelnuts, chocolate and sweets
The Langhe grows the famous Tonda Gentile hazelnut, which is why Piedmont is chocolate country. Turin invented gianduja (hazelnut-chocolate) and its little gianduiotti, and the local torta di nocciole (hazelnut cake) with a glass of Moscato is the classic finish. Turin is also the home of bicerin, a hot drink of coffee, chocolate and cream.
The wines
Piedmont is one of the world’s great wine regions. Barolo and Barbaresco, both made from Nebbiolo, are the powerful, age-worthy reds; Barbera and Dolcetto are the friendlier everyday bottles; Moscato d’Asti is the gently sweet, low-alcohol sparkler for dessert. A food trip here is also a wine trip: see the Piedmont food and wine page.
And of course, the truffle
From October to December the white truffle of Alba rules every menu, shaved raw over tajarin, eggs and cheese. The best way to understand it is to go out on a hunt yourself: see truffle hunting in Piedmont, and our explainer on white truffle vs black truffle.
Frequently asked questions
What food is Piedmont famous for?
White truffles from Alba, tajarin and agnolotti pasta, vitello tonnato, bagna cauda, brasato al Barolo, Castelmagno cheese, and hazelnut sweets like gianduiotti, alongside Barolo and Barbaresco wine.
What is tajarin?
A thin Piedmontese egg pasta, similar to tagliolini but made with many egg yolks, usually served with butter and, in autumn, shaved white truffle.
When is white truffle season in Piedmont?
Roughly late September to December, peaking in October and November, when the Alba Truffle Fair is on.
Taste Piedmont
Plan it from the Piedmont food and wine page, or book a truffle hunt near Alba.
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