This Pappardelle pasta is quick and simple to put together. With the delicious pappardelle noodles, flavorful pesto, and nutritious vegetables, you get a restaurant-quality meal at home in under 30 minutes.
Pappardelle pasta is native to the Italian region of Tuscany, but it is popular throughout the country.
The noodle’s chunky size makes it ideal for pairing with rich, hearty meat, mushroom and other robust sauces.
This porous, large, wide flat pasta, is perfect for sweeping up sauces. Meat, aromatics, shredded cheese etc., cling well to the large surface area of the noodle.
This pasta has been a recent favorite in our home. With all the colorful n nutritious veggies, and the homemade pesto sauce, this pappardelle pasta will be your new favorite too!
Table of Contents
What is Pappardelle?
As per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, pappardelle literally means pasta in the form of wide ribbons.
Pappardelle is derived from the Tuscan dialect word “pappare,” which means “to gobble up”. One bite of this delicious pasta and you would want to gobble it up. Pappardelle is the plural form, whereas pappardella is the singular form, indicating a single noodle.
The correct pronunciation of pappardelle can be phonetically written as Pah-ppahr-dell-eh or pap-par-day-lay.
Is Pappardelle The Same As Egg Noodles?
Pappardelle is traditionally made from egg pasta dough.
It is available both as fresh egg pasta and as dried egg pasta. It can also be made with durum wheat without eggs.
Tagliatelle vs. Pappardelle vs. Fettuccine – What Is The Difference?
Tagliatelle and pappardelle are both traditional egg pasta shapes. Both of these are made from a combination of wheat flour, eggs, olive oil, and salt. Both are cooked until al dente in boiling water for about the same amount of time. Both of these fresh egg pastas can be easily prepared at home and can be found in a grocery store’s dried pasta section.
The main distinction between them is the pasta shape. Pappardelle is significantly wider than tagliatelle, despite their similar appearance.
Fresh pappardelle is 12 to 13 mm wide with fluted edges, whereas dried egg pappardelle has straight sides. It is typically narrower than pappardelle, with a width of 6.5 mm-10 mm.
Another distinguishing feature is their place of origin. Tagliatelle comes from the Emilia Romagna and Marche regions of Italy, whereas egg pappardelle comes from Tuscany.
Fettuccine is much narrow than pappardelle and tagliatelle although they are similar. Fettuccine is long, flat ribbons of pasta cut from a rolled-out sheet. Their width falls somewhere between tagliolini and tagliatelle. They are once again popular in central Italy (Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria). Their width ranges anywhere from 3 to 5 mm.
Why You Will Love This Recipe?
You will fall in love with this recipe just like we have.
- Pasta is a family favorite in our household – my kids can eat pasta any time of the day!
- And especially when it’s loaded with veggies like in this recipe – it’s a satisfying, healthy meal that keeps you craving for more.
- It’s a great weeknight dinner or a delicious weekend meal.
- It’s easy on the pocket
- It’s quick to cook and doesn’t need prior planning
- It makes use of readily available ingredients, many of which are likely to be found in your pantry.
- You can add extra vegetables of your choice or skip the ones you don’t like so it’s totally customizable.
- It makes an impressive dish for entertaining, parties and pot-lucks.
- It’s perfect for vegetarians and with a little tweaking, vegans will love it too.
Ingredients
Fresh and good-quality ingredients will make this a tasty dish.
Pappardelle Noodles: This is my go-to pasta for this dish. But if you can’t lay your hands on pappardelle, you can use tagliatelle or fettuccine. I like to buy the pappardelle ribbon pasta from Trader Joes.
Olive Oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Garlic: Finely chopped garlic adds a whole lot of flavor to this recipe
Red Onion: I use red onion but you can use yellow onion too if red ones are unavailable.
Mushroom: I’ve used Cremini mushrooms. But you can use swiss brown, or button mushrooms instead. Mushrooms provide the umami flavor.
Broccoli: Fresh broccoli cut into small florets adds crunch to this bowl of goodness.
Cherry Tomatoes: These not only provide color but the acid in tomatoes balances out the pesto flavor.
Basil Pesto: I make my own basil pesto for the bold, earthy flavor. It requires only 5 ingredients and is ready in 10 minutes. You can also use store-bought pesto or vegan pesto if you prefer.
Salt and Pepper: The seasonings complete this dish with an all-rounded taste and flavor!
Basil Leaves: Add fresh basil leaves on top for the brightness and extra flavor.
Parmesan Cheese: This is a must! It adds the oomph to your final dish. You can skip it if you want a vegan version.
How To Make
This dish is super easy and table-ready in a fly!
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Put the pasta into the boiling water and cook as per the package directions until al dente . Drain, reserving some of the starchy pasta water.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium flame. Add chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds . Add the sliced mushrooms, red onions, and broccoli. Saute until the veggies are slightly cooked. Turn off the flame. Add the cherry tomatoes and give a stir.
- Finish the pasta: Add the cooked pappardelle pasta and pesto sauce. Add 1/4 cup pasta water or more to make a sauce. Garnish with grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
It is so easy to make this wonderful delicious pasta dinner!
If you like, add a sprinkle of lemon juice on top. And more freshly grated parmesan!
Tips
A few quick pointers to make this perfect every single time.
- Pappardelle pasta is a super delicate pasta. To prevent the ribbons from sticking together during boiling, you need to stir it gently.
- I recommend cooking the pasta for a few minutes less than the cooking times mentioned on the package. You can finish cooking the pasta in the pan with the rest of the ingredients. You don’t want mushy pasta!
- When mixing the pappardelle pasta with the vegetables and pesto, toss it gently to avoid breaking or tearing the ribbons.
- Most importantly, use good-quality cheese! I like Parmigiano Reggiano!
- Add some crushed red pepper flakes for the extra spice kick.
FAQs
You can buy Pappardelle pasta at your local supermarkets – Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Walmart etc. Fresh pappardelle pasta can be also be found at specialty Italian or Mediterranean grocers. You can also purchase dry pappardelle on Amazon.
It’s commonly found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store alongside fresh pastas, or with your regular boxed pastas in the dry goods isle. These come as pappardelle nests.
If you don’t have pappardelle, you can use one of the following substitutes:
1) Tagliatelle, another egg pasta that is slightly narrower in width, is a great substitute for pappardelle.
2) You can also use Fettuccine, which is even narrower. This pasta can be with or without an egg.
Typically, pappardelle pasta contains egg, but you might be able to find eggless pappardelle pasta too.
It tastes best when freshly consumed. But if you intend to store this pasta, allow it to cool slightly before transferring it to an airtight container. This pasta will keep good in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Avoid freezing this dish as there will be textural changes.
If you want to reheat from the fridge, place the pasta in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in one-minute increments until the desired temperature is reached. To prevent it from over-drying, add a spoon of olive oil or a few spoons of water.
I hope you enjoy this gorgeous delicious pasta. I would love to hear how it turns out. Leave a comment of share your creation with #pipingpotcurry
More Pasta Recipes
- Rotini Chickpea Pasta with Arugula
- Chicken Tikka Masala Pasta
- Vegetarian Fajita Pasta
- Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad
- Baked Feta Pasta (with cherry tomatoes)
- Lemon Asparagus Pasta
Pappardelle Pesto with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 8 oz Pappardelle pasta
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 4 cloves Garlic , finely diced
- 1/2 cup Red Onions , sliced
- 1 cup Mushrooms, sliced, I used cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup Broccoli , cut into small pieces
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes , halved
- 1/3 cup Basil Pesto
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 8-10 Basil Leaves
- Parmesan , grated, to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (about 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt for 5-6 quarts water).
- Put the pasta into the boiling water and cook as the package directions until al dente . Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium flame. Add chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds .
- Add the sliced mushrooms, red onions, and broccoli. Saute until the veggies are slightly cooked for 2-3 minutes. Turn off flame.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and give a stir.
- Add the cooked pappardelle pasta and pesto sauce. Add 1/4 cup pasta water or more to make a sauce. Gently mix it all together.
- Garnish with grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome. Will surely try this.