✳ EPICURE AT LA RG E
by Shelora Sheldan
Diner Lunch, Pasta Dinner From Duncan to Zambri’s, and a stop for a drink along the way.
Curiosity piqued, I decided to do a back-to-back tasting of three linguines. I chose my old standby, Unico, and two Italian-made versions that cost slightly higher, De Cecco and La Molisana. - available at most delis and specialty foods stores. Holding them up to the light, Unico had evenly coloured strands with a thin profile. La Molisana was thicker and sturdier to the touch with a brown speckling throughout. And De Cecco, the thickest and sturdiest of the bunch, had white speckling. Both specialty brands use quality hard wheat, and that speckling is the result of bronze dies (the device that stamps the shape of the pasta) used in the extrusion process. Industrial brands like Unico generally use Teflon-coated dies for ease of production. The bronze dies create more texture to the end product, which in turn allows sauces to adhere to the pasta. In addition, De Cecco and La Molisana employ a slow, low-heat drying method, and only De Cecco (as far as I can confirm) has the advantage of using its own spring water. That’s some pedigree. I can’t stress enough the importance of a large pot with lots of boiling salted water to cook the noodles in. I’ve made this mistake numerous times, blindly throwing in too much pasta, which then sticks together, creating a frustrating mess. Give it lots of room to move around in. This ensures even cooking, happy noodles, and most important, happy diners. At Peter’s suggestion, I did not time any of them. “Don’t read the cooking instructions on the box,” he said. “Taste every five minutes or so.” I tasted them until they reached my preference for al dente, meaning to the tooth. You don’t want mushy. Once drained, I tossed them all in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. That’s the other thing—drain, toss and serve. Do not rinse your pasta. You may have walked by Zambri’s when they are busy in prep-mode and noticed big sheet pans of pasta cooling off on the counter. “The reason that you do not want to rinse it is two-fold,” Peter explained. “First, you are washing away flavour and starch that is inherent to wheat products, and second, the pasta will be all wet and this moisture will soften the fibres of the pasta product rendering it gummy and soft.” (By the way, that pasta water can also be put to good use when you have a sauce that is too thick.) If you really need to cook ahead of time, Peter suggests that once the pasta is steaming itself dry on a sheet pan, you can apply a thin veil of oil to keep the pieces from sticking to each other. “A little oil goes a long way,” he cautions. “Two to three tablespoons is ample for a 500-gram package of pasta.” Once the pasta has cooled, it can be stored - refrigerated - in an airtight container for a few days. Back to the tasting. The De Cecco produced a noodle with enjoyable texture—it engaged the mouth. La Molisana also had substance with a slightly more delicate mouth feel, and the Unico was bland and flimsy by comparison. On the upside, the flimsiness made it more conducive to slurping. Curious to see whether bronze dies really made a difference in how the pasta adhered to tomato sauce, I cooked up another batch. Both specialty brands embraced the sauce as promised. The Unico was noncommittal; together, but hesitant to go all the way. And then I overcooked a batch. After 20 minutes of a rolling boil, the Unico noodles were reminiscent of those found in canned chicken soup, but the De Cecco still had chew to it. What a trooper! Although I’m a new recruit to De Cecco, there’s essentially nothing wrong with Unico products. They’re very consistent and economical and some of their shapes like Scooby Doo make killer macaroni and cheese. I think of it as an old reliable friend whereas the higher quality, more artisanal brands are like dining with A-list celebrities. When you come right down to it, even at a few dollars more, pasta is still an inexpensive ingredient, one that can be enjoyed in myriad simple ways shared with people you like, celebrities or not.
Rebecca Wellman
Peter Zambri’s Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce Make about 3 cups. One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes 1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves Salt and pepper
Chef / Co-owner Peter Zambri with pasta and quick tomato sauce
Squeeze each tomato (the fun part) into a saucepan. Add the olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Mash down any large tomato pieces with a potato masher, obtaining an even but coarse texture.
The Three Linguines
C
ooking pasta seems so straightforward: boil water, cook pasta until done, drain and serve. But when you start to take a closer look—and taste—at the pasta brands available, subtle nuances are at play that can affect the end result. On a recent visit to Zambri’s, I asked Peter Zambri what he prefers to use. “We use De Cecco, it’s a hard pasta,” he said. “The harder the pasta the better for restaurant use because you have to cook it and then reheat to order. We also use La Molisana for an eggbased pasta, and Riscossa. Those are the ones that have proven to be good consistently.”
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EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2008
On the Road Again From now on, when cowgirl tendencies emerge, my buckaroo and I will mosey over to the Smokin’ Spur Diner in Duncan. The faux-log-cabin exterior was the first sign of promise as we pulled our wagon off the highway one Saturday afternoon. The interior, with its cozy-up booths, reveals a patina that attests to its 20 years of operation. The room was packed—a game on TV had the inhabitants enthralled—so we entered the adjoining Buckles Dining Room for the promise of a seat.