What Is Truffle Paste & How to Use It: 12 Easy Ideas

A jar of truffle paste shouldn't spend six months at the back of the pantry waiting for a special occasion. A single spoonful brings rich mushroom flavour and earthy truffle aroma to pasta, risotto, eggs, pizza and potatoes, with almost no effort.

Here's what truffle paste actually is, what it tastes like, how much to use, and 12 easy ways to put it to work.

What is truffle paste?

Truffle paste is a ready-to-use blend of mushrooms and truffle, usually bound with olive oil and seasoned with ingredients like garlic and parsley. Instead of a fresh truffle (and the price tag that comes with it), you get a concentrated, spoonable condiment that keeps in the pantry until opened.

We stock two favourites:

Tartufi Jimmy Premium Truffle Paste 500g

Made in Italy from cultivated mushrooms and Italian summer truffle (Tuber aestivum), with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and parsley. It has a hearty mushroom base with that unmistakable woodland truffle aroma. The generous 500g jar (about 50 serves of 15g) suits keen home cooks and professional kitchens alike.

Shop Tartufi Jimmy Premium Truffle Paste 500g

Gourmet Italia Vegan Black Truffle Paste

A vegan black truffle paste (salsa tartufata) that suits plant-based cooking. It works with olive oil or plant-based cream in place of butter and dairy.

Shop Gourmet Italia Vegan Black Truffle Paste

What does truffle paste taste like?

Rich, earthy and deeply savoury. The mushrooms bring body and umami, while the truffle adds its distinctive aroma. Garlic, parsley and olive oil support those flavours without taking over.

Compared with fresh truffle, paste is far more practical. It's ready to use and easy to portion, and there's no shaving or special equipment needed.

How much truffle paste should you use?

Start with one teaspoon for a small dish, or about one tablespoon for a family-sized pasta sauce, then taste before adding more.

Truffle paste is concentrated. The goal is a dish that smells luxurious, not one that's been ambushed by a truffle.

Add it late. Stir truffle paste in near the end of cooking, or off the heat. Gentle warmth releases the aroma, but long, high-heat cooking dulls it.

How to use truffle paste: 12 easy ideas

1. Stir it through pasta

Warm a spoonful with butter or olive oil, then loosen it with a little pasta cooking water. Toss it through fettuccine, tagliatelle or gnocchi and finish with grated Parmesan and cracked pepper. For a creamier sauce, add a splash of cream (or plant-based cream) before tossing. It's great with La Molisana pasta.

2. Fold it into risotto

Stir it through mushroom or Parmesan risotto just before serving. Adding it at the end keeps more of the aroma.

3. Make truffle pizza

Spread a thin layer over the base, or dot small spoonfuls on after baking. It pairs with mushrooms, mozzarella, potato and caramelised onion. For a plant-based version, use vegan cheese with the Gourmet Italia paste.

4. Upgrade scrambled eggs

Fold a little through softly scrambled eggs just before they finish cooking. Serve on toasted sourdough with black pepper. It's also excellent in an omelette with sautéed mushrooms and cheese.

5. Make truffle mash

Mix it through warm mashed potato with butter, olive oil or a plant-based alternative. Serve with steak, roast chicken or roasted vegetables.

6. Build gourmet crostini

Spread it over toasted baguette, sourdough or ciabatta. Top with burrata, ricotta, goat's cheese, shaved Parmesan or vegan feta, then finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It's an impressive entertaining starter that takes minutes.

7. Whisk up a quick truffle sauce

Combine truffle paste with warmed cream, butter or plant-based cream. Add pasta water until glossy, season carefully, and serve with steak, chicken, veal, gnocchi or roasted mushrooms.

8. Enrich a mushroom sauce

Add a spoonful to your usual mushroom sauce for a deeper, earthier flavour.

9. Make truffle mayonnaise

Blend a little paste with mayonnaise or vegan mayo. Spread it on burgers, steak sandwiches and toasted focaccia, or serve it with hot chips.

10. Finish roasted vegetables

Toss roasted potatoes, cauliflower, pumpkin or mushrooms with a small spoonful straight out of the oven. The residual heat releases the aroma.

11. Stir it into soup

Add it to mushroom, cauliflower, potato or celeriac soup just before serving, with a splash of cream and a few drops of olive oil.

12. Transform polenta

Fold it through soft, creamy polenta, then top with sautéed mushrooms, greens or slow-cooked meat.

Want a full recipe? Try our Easy Truffle Mushroom Pasta, which is ready in 30 minutes.

What goes well with truffle paste?

• Pasta, gnocchi and risotto
• Eggs and omelettes
• Mushrooms, cauliflower and potatoes
• Polenta
• Beef, chicken and veal
• Mozzarella, burrata, ricotta and Parmesan
• Cream and butter sauces
• Sourdough, focaccia and crostini

Keep the other ingredients simple so the mushroom and truffle flavours have room to shine.

Truffle paste FAQs

Is truffle paste vegan?

It depends on the brand. Gourmet Italia Vegan Black Truffle Paste is made for plant-based cooking. Product information for Tartufi Jimmy Premium Truffle Paste also lists it as vegan, Halal and GMO-free. Always check the current label and ingredient list before buying, especially if you're cooking for someone with dietary requirements.

Is truffle paste gluten free?

Not always. Tartufi Jimmy Premium Truffle Paste contains grated bread made from wheat flour, so it contains gluten and isn't suitable for a gluten-free diet. Ingredients vary between brands, so check the full ingredient declaration on the jar before using any truffle paste if you need to avoid gluten.

How do you store truffle paste?

Before opening, keep the jar in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat. Once opened, follow the storage and use-by directions on the label. Always use a clean, dry spoon and close the lid tightly after each use to keep the paste fresh and the aroma intact.

Truffle paste vs truffle oil: what's the difference?

Truffle paste is a spoonable blend of mushrooms and truffle that adds texture, body and savoury depth to a dish. Truffle oil is a finishing oil that only adds aroma. If you want a pasta sauce, a risotto stir-through or a crostini topping, paste gives you more to work with.

Shop truffle paste online

Whether it's a weeknight pasta or a dinner-party crostini, a jar of truffle paste is the easiest upgrade in the pantry. We ship Australia-wide, with local delivery across the Mornington Peninsula from our shop in Rye. Using it in a café or restaurant kitchen? Open a trade account, with no minimum order.

Shop the truffle collection →