The people of Friuli-Venezia Giulia have farmed trout for hundreds of years. And this northern Italian region supplies huge quantities of trout throughout Italy. So they certainly know a thing or two about eating trout too. But it is the trota ‘fil di fumo’ (smoked trout) of San Daniele that is perhaps the most exciting twist on this majestic fish. The trota ‘fil di fumo’ is smoked to perfection and is served in a number of dishes perfected over time.
On my last visit to San Daniele, we sat in the Ristorante Farroni San Daniele restaurant overlooking the Duomo di San Michele Arcangelo. I couldn’t resist trying tagliolini al nero di seppia con trota ‘fil di fumo’. This dish pairs the local trota ‘fil di fumo’ (smoked trout) with squid ink tagliolini. The subtle smokiness of the trout adds a gentle tang to the gentle taste of the ocean. It is a perfect match. And the colour of the trout against the black pasta is something else. It really was wonderful.
The secret is in the freshest ingredients, delicate seasoning and balance of flavours. In this case, the two headline ingredients being the trota ‘fil di fumo’ and the squid ink spaghetti. But it is the other ingredients that pull these two ingredients together to make a truly memorable dish.
How to Make Tagliolini al nero di seppia con trota ‘fil di fumo’
Just fry some onion and garlic in a good glug of extra virgin olive oil until soft. You then add chopped cherry tomatoes to the pan. A glass of local Friulian white wine. Then stir through some finely chopped parsley. The cooked squid ink tagliolini is then mixed into the pan with a ladle full of the pasta water, and everything is thoroughly combined. Finally add the trota ‘fil di fumo’, stir through to warm, and get ready for a treat!
I thought it would be hard to reproduce this at home, as squid ink and San Daniele trota ‘fil di fumo’ are not exactly readily available in Hungary. But it turns out that you can source smoked salmon pretty easily, which isn’t quite the same, but is actually pretty close. And you can find tagliolini al Nero di seppia in online Italian stores here easily enough too.
This is an amazing dish, and is a real showstopper visually. And I can honestly say that this recipe is so close to that bowl I ate on the August day in San Daniele, that if I shut my eyes, I go straight back there for a few moments.
Buon appetito! 🇮🇹
More Friuli Recipes
- Jota – the thick winter soup of beans, sauerkraut and smoked pork that defines Friuli cooking.
- Goulash alla Triestina – Trieste’s version of Hungarian goulash, beef slow-cooked with paprika and onions.
- Spaghetti con Sardine e Pomodoro – spaghetti with sardines and tomato, a simple Friulian coastal dish.
Tagliolini al nero di sepia con suga di trota
Equipment
- Chef Knife
- 2 Large saucepans
- colander
- Wooden Spoon
- Ladle
- Measuring Jug
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 10 ripe cherry tomatoes chopped
- 150 grams smoked Trout fillets broken into large pieces
- 100 ml Friulian white wine
- 300 grams Tagliolini al Nero di sepia
- Sea salt
- 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Cook the tagliolini al nero di sepia in a large pan of salted water per the packet’s instructions, but drain it 2 minutes less than the cooking time indicated on the packet. Reserve 1 ladle full of the pasta water.
- Heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, and sauté the shallots over a medium low heat for a few minutes until they start to soften, then add the garlic for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn up the heat a little, then add the wine and cook until a third of the wine has evaporated away, then add the smoked trout and stir gently for 1-2 minutes until the smoked trout has warmed through. Be careful not to allow the trout to break up.
- Add the tagliolini al nero di sepia to the pan along with some of the reserved pasta water and combine so that the juices in the pan combine with the pasta water to form a glossy emulsion.
- Season with sea salt and serve by adding a drizzle of oil and parsley.
