Tumact me Tulez (Tagliatelle + Walnuts & Breadcrumbs)

The Arbëreshë Soul of Basilicata

Introduction / Story

If Basilicata had a dish that spoke two languages, it would be Tumact me Tulez.
The name itself — a blend of Albanian and Italian — means “tagliatelle with walnuts.” Yet behind those few words lies an entire history of migration, memory, and faith.

In the 15th century, waves of Arbëreshë settlers — Albanians fleeing Ottoman invasion — crossed the Adriatic and found refuge in the mountains of southern Italy. In Basilicata, they made new homes in towns like Barile, carrying with them their songs, rituals, and recipes. Over time, their food began to speak Italian, while still thinking Albanian.

Tumact me Tulez is the most beautiful survivor of that fusion — pasta with tomato, garlic, anchovy, breadcrumbs, and walnuts. A dish that tastes of two worlds: the sea they left behind and the earth they came to love.

It’s a celebration dish, made for weddings, saint days, and harvest feasts — bright with tomato, crunchy with nuts, rich with olive oil. In a way, it’s not just a recipe but a declaration of identity: we may be far from home, but our stories still live in every bite.

History & Cultural Context

Tumact me Tulez is unique even among southern Italian pastas because it bridges two cuisines — Lucanian peasant simplicity and Balkan ritual cooking. The Arbëreshë people brought the tradition of mixing nuts with pasta, an uncommon pairing in Italy until then, and combined it with local tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and anchovy — ingredients found in every Lucanian kitchen.

For centuries, the recipe was passed orally, from mothers to daughters. It was prepared only for special occasions, particularly San Giuseppe (St. Joseph’s Day), Christmas Eve, and weddings — moments of both community and renewal.

It remained a local secret until 2022, when it was officially recognized as a PAT (Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale), joining the registry of Basilicata’s protected heritage foods. Today, Barile holds annual cooking demonstrations of the dish during the Festa dell’Uva (Grape Festival), where locals cook the pasta in enormous outdoor pans and serve it under the vineyards that crown the town.

The Pasta Shape

The pasta used for Tumact me Tulez is almost always tagliatelle, though in Barile it’s often made slightly thicker and rougher — more like rustic laganelle than silky egg pasta. Traditionally, the dough contains only semolina flour and water, rolled by hand and cut with a knife, ensuring uneven ribbons that grip the sauce’s breadcrumbs and nuts.

Each strand symbolizes continuity — the unbroken line of family and memory. The Arbëreshë cooks of Barile used wooden boards carved with delicate patterns to imprint texture onto the dough, giving the pasta a subtle grain that holds oil and tomato like fabric catching light.

The Sauce / Key Ingredients

The sauce is simple but layered — a harmony of earthy, salty, and sweet notes.

It starts with extra virgin olive oil and garlic, followed by anchovy fillets that melt quietly in the heat, adding depth rather than fishiness. Tomatoes — either fresh or passata — bring warmth and color, simmered until thick. Then come the breadcrumbs, fried until crisp and golden, and the walnuts, coarsely ground and stirred in at the end for texture.

The result is a sauce that feels alive in the mouth — the crunch of the nuts, the softness of the tomatoes, the perfume of parsley, the whisper of anchovy. It’s not a heavy sauce; it’s a memory dressed in oil.

Modern Interpretations & Who’s Cooking It Now

In Barile, Tumact me Tulez has become a symbol of cultural pride. Every household has its own version, but several local chefs have carried it into the modern age.

At Ristorante Da Mimì, they serve it with a drizzle of walnut oil and a crumble of fried parsley for contrast. Chef Rocco Favale at Trattoria La Cantina del Re presents it as a tasting dish — tagliatelle nested under a veil of toasted mollica and crushed walnuts, served on walnut wood boards for scent.

Beyond Basilicata, restaurants such as Il Becco Felice in Rome have introduced it to national menus as a “Lucanian-Arbëreshë fusion,” highlighting its cross-cultural origin story.

It’s a dish that feels ancient but contemporary — Mediterranean before the word existed.

Traditional Recipe

Ingredients

400 g fresh tagliatelle or laganelle pasta
4 anchovy fillets in oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
500 g peeled or crushed tomatoes
80 g breadcrumbs (preferably from Pane di Matera)
100 g walnuts, coarsely ground
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
Salt, black pepper, and a hint of chili (optional)

Method

In a large pan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic. Let it perfume the oil, then add the anchovies and mash them gently with a spoon until they dissolve. Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a separate small pan, toast the breadcrumbs in a drizzle of olive oil until golden and crisp. Set aside.
Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving a little cooking water, and add the pasta directly into the tomato sauce. Toss well, adding a spoonful of the water to help the sauce coat the ribbons.
Add the walnuts and most of the breadcrumbs, tossing again just to mix. Serve topped with the remaining breadcrumbs, a sprinkle of parsley, and, if desired, a touch of chili.
The balance should be perfect: the nuts never heavy, the tomatoes never sweet, the crumbs never soggy — just texture, memory, and warmth.

Plant-Based Variation

Ingredients

400 g fresh tagliatelle or wholegrain spelt pasta
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
500 g ripe cherry tomatoes or passata
1 tbsp tomato paste
100 g walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
100 g breadcrumbs
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (for umami depth)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or soy sauce (to replace anchovy saltiness)
Olive oil, parsley, and chili to taste

Method
Warm the olive oil and garlic in a wide pan until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and vinegar (or soy sauce) to mimic the anchovy’s savory base, then pour in the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of chili. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until thickened.
Toast the breadcrumbs in a separate pan with olive oil until golden; remove and do the same with the walnuts until lightly brown.
Cook the tagliatelle until al dente. Combine pasta and sauce, adding a touch of the cooking water for silkiness. Stir in the walnuts and half of the breadcrumbs. Finish with nutritional yeast and chopped parsley.
Serve with the remaining breadcrumbs on top — crisp, aromatic, and alive with the essence of the Mediterranean.

Fun Facts & Curiosities

Tumact me Tulez is one of only a few Arbëreshë–Italian hybrid dishes officially protected as a regional heritage recipe.
In Arbëreshë dialect, tulez means “nuts,” while tumacë (from the Italian tagliatella) means “cut dough.”
At Barile’s Grape Festival, giant pans of Tumact me Tulez are cooked outdoors and served to hundreds of guests as the town’s anthem, “O Mëmë e Bukës” (“Mother of Bread”), plays in the background.
The walnuts used traditionally came from trees grown along vineyard borders — their oil believed to bring good fortune and fertility.
Locals say the best versions are eaten the next day, when the walnuts and crumbs have soaked up the sauce, creating a deep, toasty sweetness.
A local proverb: “Kush ndan bukën, s’ka uri.” — “Who shares bread, knows no hunger.”