Eatable Volume 02: The Pasta Edition

VOLUME 02

THE PASTA EDITION

LINGUINE WITH ANCHOVY,

KALE & BURRATA

p36

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Tonnarelli, prawn, ‘nduja, p28

What is it about pasta? It’s one thing in life that we couldn’t live without.

Twirling spaghetti and ragu around a fork with a good dose of salty cheese?

That is pure comfort to us. It’s also the ideal food to share around a table, whether it be a lasagne on a cold night, or something short and tubular on a sunny Sunday with friends. This is our ode to all things pasta.

In this edition, Ruth Rogers of the River Cafe in London shares with us memories of a little restaurant in the Cinque Terra, serving local pesto pasta. It’s also been a while since we’ve been to Rome, to one of our favourite restaurants, Salumeria Roscioli, so food writer Katie Parla shares chef Nabil Hadj Hassen’s recipe for carbonara, the ultimate Roman classic.

It’s not all about Italy, however - while the Italians do pasta so well, it really is a universal food seen around the world with many people dedicating time to the craft of making it, such as Yum Hwa from Singapore’s small pastaficio Ben Fatto 95 (pg11) and Scott McComas-Williams, the chef behind Ragazzi Wine and Pasta and Fabbrica pasta shop. His recipe feature (pg22) has a given you a couple of different doughs to make various pasta shapes from. While fresh pasta is amazing, never underestimate the beauty of good-quality dried pasta made to entertain with - see our easy dinner feature (pg34). It’s time for some serious carb-loading.

Lisa & Liz eatable.net.au | @eatablegram

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CONTRIBUTORS

Ruth Rogers

Scott McComas-Williams

Katie Parla

The Classics, p16 Katie Parla is a Rome-based journalist, culinary guide, educator, and award-winning cookbook author with a podcast called Gola, all about Italian food culture. If you live in Rome like Katie, you know the importance of carbonara, and the culinary rite of passage it has when visiting Rome. She takes us to one of Rome’s best carbonaras, at Salumeria Roscioli, and talks of the history of the dish.

Ciao, Ragazzi, p22 Chef Scott McComas-Williams crafts the pasta for Sydney restaurant, Ragazzi Wine and Pasta, and its sibling pasta shop, Fabbrica - paying respect to traditional shapes and sauces, at the same time making them uniquely his own. In this edition, he shows us how to make two pasta doughs from scratch, creating diffreent shapes for each.

Memoir, p53 Ruth Rogers is a chef, author and philanthropist who started London’s Michelin-starred River Cafe alongside Rose Gray.

In 1995 Ruth published her first cookbook with Gray, The River Cafe Cookbook, and presented a 12-part TV series, The Italian Kitchen. They published a further 10 cookbooks, all of which have been on the best seller list. In this edition, Ruth shares with us one of her fondest memories of eating pasta in a little town in Italy.

Editorial director Lisa Featherby Creative director Liz Elton CONTRIBUTORS Emiko Davies, Penny Lawson, Scott McComas-Williams, Fabio Pallottini, Katie Parla, Matt Swieboda, Joe Vargetto.

PHOTO CREDITS Cover: Photography and styling Lisa Featherby. Inside front cover: Burano, Samuel C, Unsplash. Welcome: Lake Garda, Alexander Wende, Unsplash. Ragazzi, Lisa Featherby. Mondello, Juli Kosolapova, Unsplash. Contents: Lisa Featherby. Postcard from: Alex Vasey, Unsplash.

Pasta glossary: Lisa Featherby. The social network: Instagram, Ben Fatto 95. Wine: Photography and styling Lisa Featherby. Cheese: Photography and styling, Lisa Featherby. The Classics: Katie Parla. In profile: Bologna, Arno Senoner, Unsplash. Parmigiano-Reggiano, Nik's, Unsplash. Food photography Joe Vargetto.

Food Opener: Photography and styling Lisa Featherby. Ciao, Ragazzi: Photography and styling Lisa Featherby. From Italy with love: Lisa Featherby. Bowls from Alex & Trahanas. Singular sensation: Extracted with permission from the book, One: Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones, RRP $49.99. Photography by Issy Croker.

The classics: Photography and styling Katie Parla. In Print: Extracted from the Pasta Codex, By Rizzoli books, RRP $90. The List: Emiko Davies.

Memoir: Benjamin Jopen, Unsplash. Last drinks: Photography and styling Lisa Featherby. Inside back cover: Sirolo, Federica Giusti, Unsplash.

The publication and its contents are protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No material published in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written authority. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited material. Author recipes are edited, but untested by Eatable. Published by Elton & Featherby (ABN 20370450968). Eatable magazine is printed by Pulse Print Solutions. For custom publishing inquiries please contact hello@eatable.net.au.

08 POSTCARD FROM 10 GLOSSARY 11 THE SOCIAL NETWORK We take a look at Yum Hwa of Ben Fatto 95.

12 WINE Fabio Pallottini pours textural whites from the coastal and volcanic regions of Italy.

14 CHEESE Penny Lawson of Penny’s Cheese Shop talks about Parmesan.

VOLUME 02 THE PASTA EDITION

16 THE CLASSICS Rome’s Carbonara.

18 IN PROFILE Valentino Marcattilii, the chef behind San Domenico’s and its uovo in raviolo.

22 CIAO, RAGAZZI Scott Williams-McComas recipes for hand-made and hand-rolled pasta.

34 FROM ITALY, WITH LOVE Falling for beautiful dried pasta dishes made for easy entertaining.

42 SINGULAR SENSATIONS Anna Jones’ recipes for one pan pasta dishes, from the book, One Pan. Pot. Planet.

52 THE LIST Cookbook author, Emiko Davies walks us through the towns of San Miniato, and Florence.

53 MEMOIR Ruth Rogers of London’s River Cafe journeys to Vernazza where they make trofie al pesto.

54 LAST DRINKS Amaro, Italy’s much-loved post-pasta digestivi.

55 IN PRINT Pasta cooked in soup.

POSTCARD FROM

Parma, in Italy’s EmiliaRomagna region

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G LO S SA RY

The language of pasta

THE TOOLS

Pasta maker Mercato Atlas are one of the better hand-operated pasta makers, though many electric mixers have a motorised pasta making attachment like KitchenAid. You can roll pasta dough with a rolling pin, but it’s quite laborious.

The terms to know and tools to shop for.

Pasta boards and stamps A small ridged board that is used to roll small shaped pasta, such as gnocchetti sardi from Sardinia is called a gnocchi board. Other pasta boards can have designs carved into them, which emboss the pasta with a pattern. Embossed pasta stamps are good for pasta like corzetti, a coin shaped pasta. We love Imaikouba, a Japanese pasta board shop with beautiful designs.

Pasta cutter wheels These are small straight and fluted cutting wheels that are used to cut pasta strips and separate filled pastas, like agnolotti. A pasta cutter bike is an expandable version with many cutters for batch cutting.

THE TERMS

Al dente Al dente is used to describe the cooked texture of pasta, it means ‘to the tooth’, when pasta is left with some bite. Molto al dente is when pasta is undercooked and still too firm, some prefer it this way.

Tipo 00 Double zero, or doppio zero flour is the most common flour used for making pasta dough. Semolina flour is also used for hand-rolled pasta.

Pastaio A person (male) who is dedicated to the craft of making pasta. Pastaia if you are a female pasta maker.

Pasta secca and fresca The term for dried pasta is secca, and fresca means fresh.

Pastificio A pasta factory or place that produces pasta.

Pasta water The starchy water leftover in the pot from cooking pasta. When added to a pasta sauce it helps to thicken and bind it to the pasta.

Laminate To laminate a dough means to knead or roll it through a pasta machine over and over to strengthen the gluten and make the dough springy and smooth.

Rigati This means ridged, when the pasta isn’t smooth. The ridges help the pasta sauce to stick to the pasta.

Above: Pasta Mancini’s mezze maniche rigati

Extruder For larger batches of pasta. A metal machine where dough is forced or passed through a die with various holes to create fresh pasta shapes.

The metal dies of brass, bronze and steel can produce different qualities in the pasta, such as a more porous or denser finish.

OUR TOP PASTA PICKS Look out for Mancini pastaficio, a family-run pasta company that grow their own durum wheat, mills the flour and create the pasta from scratch. It’s beautiful thick pasta that holds shape and has wonderful bite. You can find it online from lario.com.au. Otherwise, look out for brands Russo, Garofalo and also Barbetta and Fabricca in Sydney, who make their own. @lariofoodandwineco | @barbettacucina | @ciaofabbrica

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THE SOCIAL NETWORK

@benfatto_95

Pastificio Ben Fatto

11.6k followers

Master at work

More pasta, less sauce is the motto of Singapore’s Ben Fatto 95, where pastaio Yum Hwa is the architect, carving out beautiful old world tradition with new technique.

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WINE

Textural whites of Italy

Often neglected in the colder months, coastal and volcanic whites are well-suited for nights in (or out) with a bowl of pasta, says Sydney’s Ucello restaurant’s head sommelier.

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Italians drink whites all year round, even when it snows, from the alps to the desertic south. Seafood and vegetables are consumed all-year round in the peninsula; carbs, like pasta and proteins tend to variate dramatically not only from region to region, but most often from province to province.

Every town has its own traditional recipe and a unique wine appellation to match.

There are specific terroirs in Italy which give birth to unique, flavoursome whites who speak passionately about their origin and deliver a great experience at good price.

Particular coastal areas and mountainous volcanic soils are key to great whites, adding texture, depth and sapidity (savouriness) from north to south, where the influence of the Adriatic and Tirrenian seas give these wines a mineral-rich, Mediterranean saline character; at the same time the ancient volcanic soils the grapes are grown in provide a scintillating density and mouthfeel.

I love to pair these white wines in winter with comforting dishes like pasta: the key is the sauce which need to stand up to their weight. A maltagliati with wild mushroom and chestnuts could be the perfect sibling to a textured Soave, while a Friulan Pinot Grigio would match a meaty carbonara A Mediterranean Vermentino will take the hit off an abundant serve of pici all’aglione, too.

If in the mood for seafood, a favourite pairing is squid ink spaghetti alle vongole with bottarga matched with Etna Bianco. Whatever pasta you choose, this little trip around Italy is a good reason to ditch the rich oaky Chardonnay, or glass of big brooding red this winter to discover these great textural gems.

“Particular coastal areas and mountainous volcanic soils in which the grapes are grown provide a scintillating density and mouthfeel.”

2018 Filippi Soave Colli Scaligeri “Vigne della Brà’ Veneto 100% old-vine Garganega grapes grown at 320 metres altitude on a steep, clay-rich hillside near Verona.

Organically grown and naturally fermented, this Soave spends time on its fine lees to enhance the volcanic character of the terroir.

With air and time in the glass, it shows enticing notes of fuji apple and nectarine, raw almonds and anise flowers. Its velvety, almost creamy texture highlights a mineralrich, lingering finish. A rare gem in a sea of too often too usual Soaves. quelvino.com.au (for stockists details)

2017 Ronco del Gelso isonzo ‘Sot lis Rivis’, Friuli The Isonzo viticultural area is one of the most geologically compelling and history-rich of the entire peninsula. At the border of Italy and Slovenia, this stretch of rugged land is a melting pot of cultures and traditions. Known since the Middle Ages in the Burgundy region of France, Pinot Grigio has been grown here for long time, establishing its own character and style. This ‘Sot Lis Rivis’ is traditionally late-harvested and aged in used oak barrels to enhance the qualities of the Carsic terroir and the opulence of the varietal: a panoply of fruits and jasmine on the nose meet a plush,

tactile palate on a spicy finish.

Classic Grigio crafted with style. wine4u.com.au (for stockists details)

2019 Terenzi Maremma Toscana ‘balbino’, Tuscany Vermentino is possibly the longest living and most successful Mediterranean varietal. Called Rolle in France’s Languedoc and Favorita in Piedmont, it is widely planted in Liguria and Sardinia, giving phenolic-rich, sun-kissed wines that match all European coastal cuisines. My favourite place where Vermentino is grown is indeed the Maremma Toscana, a stretch of land at the southern tip of Tuscany encased between the Tyrrenian sea and the hilly town of Siena.

Here the Terenzi family, based in Scansano, crafts this elegant and energetic Balbino: full of white roses, pears, sage and rosemary on the nose, its palate echoes the salinity of the close-by sea. A terrific example of a Mediterranean coastal white. italianwineimporters.com.au

2019 De Fermo Colline Pescaresi ‘Don Carlino’, Abruzzo Loreto Aprutino is a sleepy, archaic town at a stone thrown from Pescara and the Adriatic east coast.

Home to the most celebrated Valentini and Emidio Pepe family producers, this area is a magnificent 13

cradle for viticulture: fruit trees, olive groves and obviously grape vines. Alongside the widely known Montepulciano and Trebbiano, here Stefano crafts this Pecorino from biodynamically-grown fruit and aged in concrete tanks and tonneau. Spicy and sweetly floral, the Don Carlino shows exotic notes of ginger and tangerine paired with a deliciously mineral palate, where the salinity of the nearby sea encases the explosive finish. godotwines.com.au (for stockists details)

2019 Graci Etna Bianco, Sicily If there ever was a perfect Italian terroir to study and discover, this would definitely be Mount Etna.

Nestled in the north-east corner of Sicily, this active stratovolcano is the tallest in Europe. Here the black volcanic soils, the proximity to the sea and the staggering altitude (vines are grown up to 1,100 metres) give a sense of otherworldliness and misticity.

In this terroir the Graci family cultivates autoctone varieties (Carricante and Cataratto) to craft this utterly pure, extremely mineral white: sliced green apple, fennel, dried herbs and raw almond. The palate is here stunning, vivid and dynamic, with that unique vibrancy given by the soils and the altitude. thewinecollective.com.au

CHEESE NOTES

Coming of age

How parmesan came to rule the pasta world.

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P E N N Y L AW S O N

Parmesan has such culinary status and yet it is so readily available around the world.

Parmigiano, or parmesan has been produced for over 900 years. From the late 1920s the consortium of Parmigiano-Reggiano was formed to produce parmesan consistently and of the highest quality, then later, in the 1950s, it was awarded a DOP (denominazione di origine protetta, or protected origin status) meaning it had to come from the regions of Parma, Reggio-Emilia and Modena, and Mantua right of the River Po, and in Bologna left of the river Reno, giving it a very specific boundary of where it can be produced.

Part of the DOP states that it has to be made with milk from cows that have been eating fresh or dried grass from the region, and producers couldn’t bring in extra feed or use silage (fermented feed) for the cows to eat. As a side note, the excess whey from the regions’ cheese making is fed to the local pigs which goes into making prosciutto di Parma, and culatello di Parma, the very best cured hams.

Like any cheese, the flavour varies depending on the age, and the time of year it is produced (different seasons produce more or less protein and fat in the milk and this is reflected in the cheese).

At the start, each wheel of parmesan weighs 45kg which takes up to 550 litres of milk to produce.

These are made in copper vats of 1100 litres, so each parmesan has a twin, as there are two per vat. Afterwards, each is brined for between 20-25 days before being aged on wooden boards for maturation.

Parmigiano-Reggiano must be aged for a minimum of 12 months. At this age the cheese is graded and is the first time it can be called Parmigiano-Reggiano and when it’s given its stamp on the rind - if it doesn’t make the grade, they leave off the insignia and scrape off the indentation and it is sold as generic parmesan.

Aged at 12 months, it’s called ‘fresca’, then from 18-24 months it becomes ‘vecchio’, and when extra-aged (up to 36 months) it is called ‘stravecchio’. By the time it has reached stravecchio age the wheel has reduced in weight by 7kg.

With the moisture loss, the salt levels intensify in ageing. The crystals that appear so distinctly in aged parmesans are protein crystals, they are not salt or salty, but rather provide a wonderful texture. These cannot be faked, it is the true sign of the age of the cheese.

If you buy Parmigiano-Reggiano you know it will be of high-quality because of the stamp. In Italy it is considered to be a table cheese, to be served on its own with honey or mustard fruits, or to finish a special bowl of pasta.

Even though this style is of quality it has a prolific production of 3.6 million wheels per year, between 350 producers, and something like 15% of all the milk in Italy goes into the production. Happily, this means that it can be found worldwide and in most supermarkets and grocers in Australia.

The sibling to Reggiano is Grana Padano. This style of parmesan is an everyday grating cheese and can be produced anywhere in the North of Italy. This cheese is produced in the North due to the climate and terroir, as there is more grass for the cows, whereas when you travel further south there is more sheep, goat and buffalo milk produced.

Grana Padano cows have fewer restrictions on the regional boundaries of feed and type of feed, which brings down the cost of production and gives more consistency all year round. Sometimes there are regionally specific cheeses such as Trentingrana from the Dolomites, or Fiandino from Piedmonte - these are proudly stamped to show a sign of region and quality.

Both Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano cheeses are similar in terms of the shape and size of the wheel, between 38-40kg per wheel, but there is a very distinct stamp on each to differentiate them.

The term grana means grain, and parmesan has a natural grain to it. Don’t try and slice parmesan with a knife, rather you should put in the point of the knife and wiggle it, and it will naturally follow the grain of the cheese, and break off without too much effort.

“Like any cheese, the flavour varies depending on the age, and the time of year it is produced.”

The best way to store parmesan is to keep it in waxed paper, in an airtight container in the fridge to keep the moisture levels high - this way it won’t dry out and get cracked and it will stay beautiful and fresh for 2-3 weeks (if stored well can keep for up to 3 months).

If you’re looking to buy an Australian produced parmesan, Mil Lel produce lovely parmesan which they have been making since the 60s. It’s labelled as parmesan, which is the generic term. Strangely Pecorino Romano here is made with cow’s milk, but that is a whole different story …

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THE CLASSICS

Carbonara

Eggs, pecorino and cured salted pork, that’s how the Romans do it.

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N A B I L H A DJ H A S S E N

Gastronomic travel in search of the “best” version of a dish is nothing new. For centuries, travellers to Italy would visit a city and seek out food that bore names declaring its location of origin--trippa alla romana (Roman style tripe), fegato alla veneziana (liver in the style of Venice), and pesto genovese (a dish so famous it transcends the need for translation). Consuming each in situ was considered as fundamental to fully experiencing a place as visits to museums, archaeological sites, and pilgrimage destinations were.

As culinary tourism has boomed, the litany of dishes one must eat on holiday in the Italian capital has expanded beyond the alla romana formula: cacio e pepe, amatriciana, gricia, rigatoni con la pajata, coda alla vaccinara, and, perhaps the most iconic at the moment, carbonara.

Today, pasta alla carbonara is generally made with spaghetti or rigatoni, guanciale or (less commonly) pancetta, Pecorino Romano (occasionally mixed with or substituted by Parmigiano-Reggiano), and egg (whole, yolk only, or yolks with a bit of white). The exact recipe and the technique that brings together the sauce depends on the chef or home cook but rarely diverges from the aforementioned options.

While there are few convincing documents supporting its origins-some say it was developed to satiate American soldiers’ hunger for bacon and eggs, others claim it was the go-to dish for carbonari (charcoal makers), still others suggest it is the descendant of a centuries-old Neapolitan dish - there are plenty of recipes from the mid-20th century that prove carbonara has evolved since its apparent invention in that period to exclude the butter, oil, and even garlic that appear in the earliest published recipes.

In spite of obscure origins, carbonara has been firmly planted in the Roman culinary canon and one of its most dependably spectacular versions is served by chef Nabil Hadj Hassen at Salumeria Roscioli, a deli/ wine bar/restaurant/cult destination in central Rome located on Via dei Giubbonari, a well-trodden path between the Jewish Ghetto and Campo de’ Fiori. Twirling spaghetti alla carbonara around a fork, stabbing a bit of guanciale to accompany each luscious bite has become a gastronomic rite of passage for travellers to Rome. They, like well-heeled locals, recognize Roscioli’s superlative version of the classic that masterfully contrasts the textures of al dente pasta, silky egg and cheese sauce, and crispy guanciale cubes, while balancing salty Pecorino with a round and nutty heritage cow Parmigiano-Reggiano, all seasoned with aromatic Malaysian black pepper. Chef Nabil Hadj Hassen’s version is worth a trip but with the right ingredients you can get pretty darn close to the real thing in your home kitchen with a bit of practice and a careful attention to the temperature of the ingredients while assembling.

“Twirling spaghetti alla carbonara around a fork, stabbing guanciale to accompany each luscious bite is a gastronomic rite of passage for travellers to Rome.”

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Chef Nabil Hadj Hassen’s Carbonara SERVES 4 | PREP 15 MINUTES | COOK 15 MINUTES

300g piece of guanciale (cured pork jowl; see note), external seasoning sliced off, then cut into 2-cm cubes 1 whole egg and 5 yolks 200g finely grated Pecorino Romano 100g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 20g freshly ground black pepper (preferably Sarawak) 500g spaghetti Sea salt 1. Add the guanciale to a hot pan over low-medium heat and cook until it is tender on the inside, crisp on the outside, and has decreased in size by about 30%.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale cubes and a tablespoon of the rendered fat to a heatproof bowl.

Set aside to cool.

2. Once the guanciale has cooled, add the eggs, 150g Pecorino Romano, 50g Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 15g black pepper. Mix well.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, lightly salt it. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Transfer the spaghetti to the bowl with the guanciale mixture, leaving the water boiling in the pot.

4. Stir the mixture vigorously with tongs, adding pasta cooking water if needed to loosen the sauce. Set the bowl over the pasta water like a double boiler and continue mixing until the sauce is silky and smooth, adding pasta water a spoonful at a time if needed.

5. Mix the remaining Pecorino Romano and ParmigianoReggiano together.

6. Serve the pasta immediately with the cheese mixture and the remaining black pepper sprinkled on top.

NOTE Use slab pancetta is guanciale is unavailable.

IN PROFILE

Valentino Marcattilii

The chef nurturing local ingredients through an egg yolk raviolo.

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From left: Bologna; Chef Valentino Marcattilii at San Domenico in Imola; ParmigianoReggiano

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RECIPE

I used to read about Chef Valentino Marcattilii in cookbooks like Great Chefs of Europe when I was an apprentice chef.

Valentino is the chef of the restaurant San Domenico, which is located in Imola, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, not too far from Bologna. He started at San Domenico at a young age cooking with the famous Italian chef Giacomo (Nino) Bergese, who was thought of as Italy’s answer to Escoffier.

Mercattilii didn’t spend much time away from San Domenico, except to stage (intern) in France at restaurants Auberge de I’lle, Troisgros and a few others. Nino Bergese was the chef who created the egg yolk raviolo, which is known as raviolo Bergese. Valentino Mercattilli continued to perfect this locally made dish, and it became a signature which he came to be very well-known for. He also taught me how to make it. The dish is called uovo in raviolo and it symbolises a perfect 18

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VA L E N T I N O M A R C AT T I L I I

balance of flavours from his region. The raviolo is made with a spinach and ricotta filling, which has an egg yolk placed in the centre. When carefully prepared, the yolk remains in tact - runny when cooked, creating the theatre of surprise, when cut open. In this dish there’s an unquestionable interpretation of regionality, culture and traditions that come from the area of Emilia-Romagna.

Bergese and Mercattilli use strictly traditional ingredients which were presented proudly; the delicate thin pasta holds local ricotta, as well as 24-month aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, spinach and an egg yolk. The raviolo is simply served with burro di malga, or the mountain butter, which is made with the best alpine milk with a sweet and delicate flavour, shaved white truffles and extra parmigiano on top. It is one of the most copied pasta dishes in the world, and it’s hard to stray from its original beginnings, because it is just so good.

Uovo in raviolo San Domenico SERVES 4 AS A STARTER | PREP TIME 1 HOUR | COOK 10 MINUTES

4 egg yolks (removed from the egg to assemble, reserve a little eggwhite for brushing) 200g butter 100g Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved or grated, to serve Truffle, shaved (optional) to garnish RAVIOLO DOUGH 200g flour 2 eggs FILLING 40g spinach, leaves and tender stalks washed 200g firm fresh ricotta 100g Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 egg yolk ¼ tsp of finely grated nutmeg, or to taste

1. For the pasta dough, place flour and a pinch of salt on a surface and add the beaten eggs to the centre, and pull the flour in the from the sides with a fork until you have a dough start to form, then using your hand bring the dough together and knead until a smooth dough. Set the dough aside to rest for 30 minutes, covered with plastic to prevent it from drying out.

2. For the filling, wilt the spinach in a hot pan and set aside to cool, then very finely chop (or process) and stir through ricotta until combined. Add Parmigiano, egg yolk, grated nutmeg and season to taste. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with the tip of the bag cut (or a 1cm nozzle) and refrigerate until required. Mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated in the piping bag until required.

3. Divide dough into two halves and roll each through a pasta machine, starting at the largest setting, and working the dough to laminate it so it is very smooth, then roll and fold the dough, reducing the settings one by 19

one, until the dough is 2mm thick. Set aside, covered as you roll the other half.

4. To assemble the raviolo, cut 8, 8cm rounds from the rolled pasta dough. Pipe ricotta filling in a circle on half the rounds, leaving a 3cm edge. Carefully, remove the yolk from the eggs and place the yolk in the centre of the ricotta circle. Brush the edges of the pastry lightly with egg white and cover each carefully with the remaining pasta dough.

Press carefully around the edges to seal and transfer to a baking tray lined with paper until required. Raviolo can be made up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated.

5. To serve, brown the butter in a small saucepan. Cook raviolos in a large saucepan of rapidly simmering water until just cooked (2 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to plates. Top with Parmigiano and butter.

A tavola

Making pasta shapes from scratch, throwing an easy dinner party and cooking with one pan.

Tonarelli is a thick spaghetti, also known as spaghetti alla chitarra in Abruzzo, it is made with a string utensil, like a guitar

Ciao, A laneway restaurant in Sydney serving up some of the best tasting fresh pasta. Say hi, Ragazzi.

RECIPES

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S C O T T M C C O M A S -W I L L I A M S

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WINE SUGGESTIONS

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M AT T S W I E B O D A

Ragazzi

Capunti, cime di rapa and silverbeet ragu

Recipe p32

Semolina pasta dough

Simple egg pasta dough

MAKES ABOUT 500G | PREP TIME 15 MINUTES

MAKES ABOUT 500G | PREP TIME 15 MINUTES

“Think shapes like pici, cavatelli, trofie and orecchiette; this dough is an absolute beauty to have up your sleeve as you don’t need any fancy kit, or even eggs for that matter,” says Scott McComas-Williams. “Just some good quality flour, a bit of water and your hands!”

“I developed this dough to use across the board - think pappardelle, farfalle, tagliatelle etc,” says McComas-Williams.

“The semolina adds chew and flavour whilst the double zero flour makes it manageable to roll by hand. The yolks give colour and softness and whole eggs make it forgiving while cooking.”

250g 100g 2 3 12g

200g fine semolina 200g tipo ‘00’ flour 1. Start by mixing the two flours together in a large bowl, then make a little well in the middle. Slowly pour 180ml cold water in, gently mixing it together until you’ve formed a rough dough, then pour it out onto the bench.

tipo ‘00’ flour fine semolina egg yolks eggs (3 tsp) salt

1. Start by mixing the two flours together in a large bowl and make a little well in the middle. Slowly pour the egg yolks and whole eggs in, gently mixing it together. Once you’ve formed a rough dough, pour it out onto the bench.

2. Because this dough won’t be going through a pasta machine and getting laminated, we have to knead it really well: work the heels of your hands into the dough back and forth. If you find the dough is a little crumbly or shaggy, add a spritz of water to the dough. Keep kneading for about ten minutes, your arms will be tired! Unlike bread dough, you can’t really over knead pasta dough, but it can dry out, so don’t be afraid to wet your hands a little if you need to keep it pliable. Your dough will be ready when it feels strong and bouncy. Wrap it up and put it aside to rest for at least half an hour – this will rest the gluten and hydrate the dough properly.

2. Work the heels of your hands into the dough back and forth.

If you find the dough is a little crumbly or shaggy, add a spritz of water to the dough. As opposed to a semolina dough, we don’t need to knead this too much as a fair whack of the gluten development will happen when we are laminating it through our pasta machine or rolling pin.

3. Wrap it up and put it aside to rest for at least half an hour – this will rest the gluten and let the dough hydrate properly.

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Farfalle, mussels, green sauce Recipe p33

Pici, roast duck, oyster mushrooms

Pici, roast duck and oyster mushrooms SERVES 4 | PREP TIME 40 MINUTES (PLUS MAKING PASTA DOUGH) | COOK 2 ¼ HOURS

“I love this super simple combination, and we’re absolutely blessed to have access to some amazing ducks and beautiful oyster mushrooms from the Southern Highlands,” says McComas-Williams. “Instead of making a classic duck ragu, I wanted to keep this sauce super clean by roasting the duck legs, then strain off the veg and just toss the meat with its own roasting juices, along with some oyster mushrooms.”

1 qty semolina pasta dough (pg24) 1 carrot, coarsely chopped 1 brown onion, coarsely chopped 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, bruised ½ bunch thyme 1 fresh bay leaf ½ tbsp smoked paprika 250ml Shaoxing wine 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock 4 duck marylands 2-3 tbsp olive oil 200g oyster mushrooms, coarsely torn 2 tbsp unsalted butter 2 tsp sherry vinegar ½ bunch tarragon, picked and coarsely chopped Parmigiano-Reggiano, to serve

WINE MATCH

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Place vegetables in a roasting tray along with the herbs, paprika, wine and stock and mix to combine. Generously season duck legs and place on top of vegetables, skin-side up. Add a little splash of olive oil over the top and roast covered until meat is tender and pulls away from the bone (2 hours). Set aside to rest. When cool enough to handle, coarsely shred the meat and skin from the bones. Reserve the meat and strain the cooking liquor over meat.

2. To make pici, cut dough into quarters and start to roll into a log. As the log gets longer, cut in half and keep rolling each piece until as thin and as long as a chopstick. I like my pici on the fatter side, but it’s really up to you as to how thick or thin you want to make them. Keep rolling the pici until you’ve used up your dough, making sure to shake a little semolina on the rolled noodles as you go, so they don’t stick together. You can lay them out on a semolina-dusted tray and gently cover with a tea towel.

3. Heat a large deep-frying pan over medium-high heat and add a slug of olive oil. Once hot, add mushrooms, sprinkle a touch of sea salt and give it a toss. Once mushrooms get a bit of colour, add meat and sauce and reduce heat to low to keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, cook pici in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until cooked to your liking (2 minutes for al dente). Pull the pici from the water and add to the duck sauce with tongs and toss to combine. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and toss until coated well. Add butter, vinegar and tarragon and season to taste. Serve finished with plenty of cracked pepper and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

2018 Le More Bianche ‘Nebiulin’ Nebbiolo, Piedmont “Duck screams Pinot Noir and mushrooms work particularly well with aged bottles that have begun showing tertiary flavours of soy, mushroom and forest floor,” says Matt Swieboda. “Any good Australian or Burgundian bottle would work well here, but we’ve gone for a lighter, less structured Nebbiolo style from Piedmont’s Roero region by Le More Bianche. Coming from sandier soils, it is more primary and less structured and is great with a light chill.”

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Tonnarelli, prawn, ‘nduja SERVES 4 | PREP TIME 30 MINUTES (PLUS MAKING PASTA DOUGH, DRYING BREAD) | COOK 10 MINUTES

“We always have a surf-and-turf style pasta on the menu at Ragazzi, whether it be sausage and pipis, cuttlefish and pancetta, or prawn and ‘nduja,” says McComas-Williams. “It is no doubt a tribute to my Catalan training, but also, it’s bloody delicious. This sauce is crazy tasty considering how quick and easy it is. A beautiful, fresh, handmade pasta shouldn’t need too much. ‘Nduja has been a super popular ingredient over the past few years and there are some great local producers making it at the moment. Make sure you have a little taste of it before cooking as the heat can vary between producers.”

1 2-3 3 125ml 250ml

350g 2 ½

½

60ml 1 1

qty egg dough (pg24) tbsp olive oil tbsp ‘nduja, or to taste white wine (1 cup) fish stock, or crustacean stock (see note) prawns, peeled, deveined and chopped tbsp unsalted butter bunch flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped A splash of sweet vinegar, such as Catalan cava vinegar, chardonnay or champagne vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil to finish PANGRATTATO day-old crustless sourdough loaf, torn into small pieces and dried at room temperature for 3 hours (¼ cup) olive oil garlic clove, crushed rosemary sprig Pinch chilli flakes

WINE MATCH

1. For pangrattato, preheat oven to 150°C. Stir breadcrumbs with remaining ingredients in a frying pan over low heat until golden brown, then place in the oven until crunchy. Remove and cool, then crush into finer pieces.

2. Divide dough into four pieces and starting with the widest setting on your pasta machine, roll and laminate the dough, folding it onto itself like a book through the machine a few times to give the dough strength, then roll and reduce the settings one by one until dough is 3mm thick. Cut into about 20cm long sheets. Lightly dust with flour or semolina and then pass each sheet through the thinnest cutter on your machine (see note). Dust again and leave on a tray covered by a tea towel until you’re ready to cook.

3. In a large pan, add a good splash of olive oil and set on medium heat.

Whack the ‘nduja in and start frying it off. Allow it to catch on the pan a little here and there, about 2 minutes, deglaze with the wine, add the stock and bring to the boil.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling until al dente (2½ minutes). Have a little try of one of the noodles to make sure it’s cooked to your liking, just bear in mind that it will keep cooking a touch in the sauce itself.

5. Add pasta to the sauce along with a splash of the cooking water and toss together over medium-high heat. When it comes up to boil again, and a sauce forms, add the prawns and stir to combine (the residual heat of the sauce will cook the prawns). Give it a good season with sea salt. Remove from the heat and stir the butter through. Add the parsley, a splash of vinegar, stir and season to taste. Serve with a good sprinkle of pangrattato and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil.

2019 Girolamo Russo ‘Etna Rosato’ Nerello Mascalese, Mt Etna “Dry, powerful, pale rosé is the order of the day here,” says Matt Swieboda. “We need something refreshing to deal with the heat of the ‘nduja but with a enough juiciness to work with the sweet prawn. If you were in France, a Provençal or Bandol rosé would work perfectly, but we’re in Italy, so we’ve gone for a Sicillian rosato from Mt Etna. It drinks like a full-bodied white wine but with a faint cherry flavour and a little smoke so typical of its volcanic soils.”

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NOTE To make a crustacean stock, you can use the prawn shells: lightly roast the shells, cover with water, add in a chopped onion, carrot, celery stick and a couple of fresh tomatoes - or whatever veg or veg trim you have kicking around the crisper - and simmer for 20 minutes before straining.

Traditionally, tonarelli are made with a string utensil, we’ve given a method for a pasta machine here.

Tonnarelli, prawn, ‘nduja

Busiate, cavolo nero, anchovy, butter

Busiate, cavolo nero, anchovy, butter SERVES 4 | PREP TIME 40 MINUTES (PLUS MAKING PASTA DOUGH) | COOK 10 MINUTES

“Anchovy, butter and carbs! It goes without saying, we love this combo. It’s one of our signatures at Ragazzi,” says McComas-Williams.

“Cavolo nero is only getting better and better in quality at the moment and adds an awesome contrast to the rest of the ingredients.

Don’t skimp on the quality of the anchovy, always Cantabrian, it makes all the difference. Busciate are a twist pasta from Trapani province.

It is a tedious process to make them, but a fun one and well worth it, especially if you have a couple of friends around and everyone gets involved with a glass of wine or beer to the side.”

1 3 1 4

qty semolina dough (pg24) tbsp unsalted butter tbsp extra virgin olive oil garlic cloves, very thinly sliced 1 long red chilli, split lengthways 12 Cantabrian anchovies Sweet finishing vinegar, such as Catalan cava vinegar, chardonnay or champagne vinegar, to taste 1 lemon Sourdough for “scarpetta” (see glossary pg10)

WINE MATCH

1. For busciate, cut the dough into quarters and roll each piece into a log.

As the log gets longer, cut in half and keep rolling until it’s about as thin and as long as a chopstick. Cut noodles into roughly 6cm lengths. Dust a knitting needle or a thin chopstick with a touch of flour. Holding the needle at 45 degrees to the pasta, gently push down from one end and roll it so the pasta wraps its way along. It should be reminiscent of an old school telephone cord. Gently pull pasta off, set aside and continue with the rest of the dough 2. Melt half the butter and the olive oil in a frying pan over very low heat.

Drop the sliced garlic in along with your chilli. Tick them over nice and slow – we want soft, sweet garlic, not fried garlic. When the garlic is soft, remove the chilli and discard.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente (2½ minutes). Scoop out the pasta into your garlic oil pan using a slotted strainer or tongs, don’t strain it off, we want to use some of that cooking water. Give it a good toss to combine everything, then drop the rest of your butter in and toss again. Adjust the consistency with a splash of the cooking water – we want this one a little saucier than usual – then drop your anchovy fillets in, gently toss then remove from the heat. Stir in a splash of vinegar add a pinch of salt and taste – be careful with the salt, the anchovies will be doing the heavy lifting in the seasoning department. Plate immediately – add a little squeeze of lemon and eat.

2017 Marco de Bartoli ‘Terzavia’ Brut Nature, Sicily “Sparkling wines make a great foil to salty, buttery dishes and dishes don’t come any saltier and butterier than this,” says Swieboda. “Being a strongly flavoured pasta, it’s important to choose a wine with a strong personality. Champagne and Franciacorta are good choices here. Fruity pet nats and Prosecco less so. We’ve gone for a rich, slightly reductive traditional method style made with Grillo from Sicily’s north-west that has incredible freshness and a very savoury, salty flavour profile.”

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Capunti, cime di rapa and silverbeet ragu SERVES 4 | PREP TIME 40 MINUTES (PLUS MAKING PASTA DOUGH) | COOK 30 MINUTES

“Capunti are a rustic short hand-rolled pasta from Puglia. Growing up I never saw cime di rapa. Now we’re lucky enough to see it quite readily available amongst the greens sections at green grocers and farmers’ markets and some supermarkets,” says McComs-Wlliams. “Conversely, I ate a lot of silverbeet growing up, and I still love it - It’s great to braise down in a ragu, like you would any meat. The stalks retain integrity whilst slowcooking and the leaves become soft and creamy. It’s hard to believe this dish is vegetarian – in fact this dish is deliciously vegan if you wanted to omit the cheese and butter. Just up the soy and olive oil levels a touch.”

1 qty semolina pasta dough (pg24) 2-3 tbsp olive oil 1 large brown onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 bunch thyme, finely chopped 1 sprig rosemary, picked 1 fresh bay leaf 200g canned peeled tomatoes Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, if you have one (see note) 1 bunch silverbeet, stalks diced and leaves roughly shredded, keep separate 1 bunch cime di rappa, finely chopped 250ml white wine 500ml (2 cups) vegetable, kombu or mushroom stock 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 1 tbsp white soy sauce (see note) 2 tbsp unsalted butter Parmigiano-Reggiano, to grate through sauce and serve Extra-virgin olive oil to serve

WINE MATCH

1. For capunti, cut dough in half, leaving one piece wrapped. Chop the half into about 10 pieces, grab one and start rolling it into a long sausage, about 1.5cm thick. Chop the sausage into roughly 5cm lengths. You want to try and work as fast as possible so the dough doesn’t dry out, cover remaining dough with a tea towel while you roll. Take one of your little sausages and using three fingers, push down into the centre of the dough and drag it back towards you. It should look like a little empty pea pod. Take time to get the shape right, you can try with two or even four fingers if you prefer.

Dust with a little semolina so capunti don’t stick together and set aside, covered with a tea towel. If you’re making the pasta ahead, rest for 20 minutes and pop them in an airtight container in the fridge to keep fresh.

2. Stir onions, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay in a healthy amount of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, until lightly coloured, before adding a pinch of salt and stirring until tender. Add chopped silverbeet stalks and stir for 2 minutes, then add tomatoes, crushing them a little as you do. Fry off a little then add your white wine followed by the stock. Bring to the boil and throw in the Reggiano rind if you have one. Cook for 10 minutes before adding the rest of the greens, the vinegar and the soy. Turn the flame down to low and simmer until tender and very tasty (15 minutes).

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente with a bit of chew (3 minutes). Transfer the pasta from the water with a slotted spoon into the vegetables along with a splash of the cooking water.

Give it a good stir before adding the butter and a healthy grating of cheese.

Have a taste and add a little more sea salt if needed. Otherwise plate it up, finishing it with another hit of Reggiano, a good whack of fresh cracked black pepper and a good slug of extra-virgin olive oil.

2019 Guttarolo ‘Miro’ Primitivo, Puglia “The bitter greens that dominate here lead towards a richer white wine and certainly there are many Italian whites with a light bitterness that would work, such as Soave or Verdicchio,” says Swieboda. “We’ve gone with a pairing from the home of this dish – Puglian Primitivo, albeit in a style considerably lighter in body and alcohol than most in the region. The Miro from Christiano Guttarolo is has tart red fruit and crunchy acidity as well as a slight bitterness.”

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NOTE Keep leftover parmesan rinds in the freezer for just this, or you can pick them up from a delicatessen, or cheesemonger.

White soy sauce is available from Japanese grocers.

Farfalle, mussels and green sauce SERVES 4 | PREP TIME 20 MINUTES (PLUS MAKING PASTA DOUGH, CHILLING HERBS) | COOK 15 MINUTES

“Farfalle, meaning butterfly in Italian, is one of my all-time favourite shapes! It’s got silky single ends, a chewy four-layer centre and little grooves to catch the sauce,” says McComas-Williams.

“We started making this sauce when we got some beautiful organic greens from one of our producers, Phil, from Moonacres in Fitzroy Falls. With some Tasmanian mussels and with watercress coming right into season, it went straight onto the menu. If you get a nice big juicy bunch, you’ll probably end up with too much green sauce, but it keeps in the fridge a couple of days, and also freezes like a champ! Warm it up with a little fish stock and reduced white wine, and season with lemon and sea salt for a garnish for a piece of fish.”

1 qty semolina dough (pg24) 1 bunch watercress, thick stalks discarded and roughly chopped 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly picked 1 tsp rinsed capers 3-4 tbsp olive oil 1kg live mussels 125ml Shaoxing wine 2 tbsp unsalted butter White soy sauce, to taste Lemon, for a little squeeze to finish

1. For farfalle, divide dough into four pieces and starting with the widest setting on your pasta machine, roll and laminate the dough, folding it onto itself like a book through the machine a few times to give the dough strength, then roll and reduce the settings one by one until dough is about 1.5mm-2mm thick. The dough should be translucent but not transparent.

2. Cut strips of dough with a scutter or knife roughly 3.5cm-4cm wide, then cut across with either a fluted or straight cutter or knife to make small rectangles, around 5cm in length. Holding one piece in the middle, fold it towards yourself and then back away, then pinch to create a butterfly shape. Leave uncovered on a lightly floured tray to dry briefly.

3. Blanch parsley and watercress in a large saucepan of salted boiling water (1 minute), then remove with a slotted spoon and refresh in iced water (reserve boiling water for pasta). Strain herbs and squeeze lightly to remove some water but not all. Blend in a blender with a couple of ice cubes and capers until smooth, set aside. Strain green sauce if desired before serving.

4. Heat a large saucepan over high heat with a good splash of olive oil until hot. Add mussels and stir for 30 seconds, then add wine and cover, stirring until they open. Remove pan from heat and remove mussels to a bowl.

Keep all the cooking juice – this is your base for the pasta sauce.

5. Remove mussel meat from the shells, being sure to debeard them as you go (wear gloves if they’re still a bit hot). This process is essential to a smooth eating experience. Check mussel juice for impurities (mussel juice is generally very clean) and reheat over medium heat.

6. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente (2½-3 minutes).

Add to mussels and stir for 30 seconds to combine, then add the butter and 2 heaped tbsp of the green sauce. Toss to combine everything. Add a pinch of salt, a lick of white soy and a gentle squeeze of lemon and taste. Adjust with soy and lemon if needed and serve.

WINE MATCH

2019 Denavolo ‘Dinavolino’ Malvasia di Candia, Ortuga, Marsanne, Emilia–Romagna “The spicy, herbaceous sauce here is what you need to be thinking about,” says Swieboda. “Sauvignon Blanc or Spanish Verdejo would be great options here as both have the same intensely herbal aromas as the sauce. Italian whites tend to be a bit more discrete but a skin contact white from cult winery Denavolo has flavours of brown apple, spice and flowers, as well as abundant texture.”

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Press the linen. Chill the wine. Cook the pasta. There aren’t any rules that say dining in style needs to be difficult.

RECIPES, ST YLING

and

PHOTOGRAPHY

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L I S A F E AT H E R B Y

Linguine with anchovy, kale and burrata

Recipe p36

From Italy love

with

Linguine with anchovy, kale and burrata

Squid ink pasta with prawns, calamari and pipis

SERVES 6 | PREP TIME 20 MINUTES | COOK 10 MINUTES

SERVES 4 | PREP TIME 15 MINUTES | COOK 15 MINUTES

The sauce here might need quite a bit of oil added but if you like you can add as you go or just add a touch of water to help blend. When you toss the sauce through the pasta with the pasta water it also thins it. The importance of this dish lies in using super fresh walnuts and burrata.

Squid ink pasta is so dramatic and quite luxe when it comes to a table centrepiece. You can find dried varieties in shops, and feel free to use spaghetti, or linguine here. Get your fishmonger to clean the squid, which will give you little time spent in the kitchen.

500g dried linguine 1 small bunch of kale, leaves picked 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 6-8 anchovy fillets, or to taste ½ - 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 60g walnuts 3 burrata 1. Blanch the kale in a large saucepan of water until just bright green and tender about five seconds. Drain kale using tongs and refresh in a bowl of cold water.

Squeeze some of the water out of the kale (not all) and then transfer to a blender and blend with remaining ingredients , adding extra oil (or water if desired) until a smooth sauce.

2. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water – you can use the same water you cooked the kale in to save washing up – until cooked al dente (about 6-7 minutes).

3. Toss kale sauce through pasta and add extra pasta water to thin and coat the pasta to your liking, stirring over medium-high heat until pasta is nicely sauced, then transfer to plates. Tear off pieces of burrata and place on top of hot pasta and serve.

300g dried squid ink spaghetti 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve 3 large garlic cloves, shaved thinly 100ml dry white wine 12 pipis 8 prawns diced 1 medium-size calamari, cleaned and thinly sliced Handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to serve 1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until cooked al dente (about 7 minutes), then drain through a colander and reserve some pasta water.

2. Heat oil in a deep-sided frying pan over medium heat, add garlic and stir occasionally until garlic is tender but not browned. Add pipis and white wine, cover and stir occasionally until pipis have opened (about 5 minutes). As pipis open, remove them from the pan and set aside. You can rleave them whole or remove the meat from the shells for easy eating.

3. Add remaining seafood to the pan and stir until seafood is almost cooked, but not quite (about 30 seconds). Add pasta to the pan with a little pasta water and toss to combine well. Return pipis to the pan, season the pasta to taste, scatter with parsley and serve hot, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.

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Squid ink pasta with prawns, calamari and pipis

Conchiglioni with taleggio, hazelnuts and lemon SERVES 4-6 | PREP TIME 10 MINUTES | COOK 15 MINUTES

Conchiglioni, or large shells are great for stuffing and baking, but sauce also catches nicely into them when they are tossed through it. Taleggio cheese is a strong cheese, so little pieces go a long way here and the lemon zest adds s beautiful fragrant lift. Feel free to use any nuts you like, walnuts also work well. Some wilted greens tossed through would also be lovely.

250g conchiglioni rigati (about ½ packet) 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, to serve 80g hazelnuts, roasted, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper Finely grated zest from 1-2 lemons, to taste TALEGGIO FONDUTA 300ml pouring cream 130g taleggio, crumbled 1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (10-12 minutes). Drain well, and set aside, reserving a little pasta water.

2. For taleggio fonduta, add cream to the same pot you cooked the pasta in and bring to the boil, add taleggio, reduce heat to low-medium and whisk cheese into the cream until melted through. Stir through pepper and keep warm.

3. To serve, toss pasta through sauce over medium heat. The pasta starch will thicken the sauce, so just toss it until it’s nicely coated. Season to taste, toss through hazelnuts and serve with grated lemon zest.

Mezze maniche all’Amatriciana

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Recipe p40

Mezze maniche all’Amatriciana

Chicken and risoni soup with salsa verde

SERVES 4 | PREP TIME 10 MINUTES | COOK 10 MINUTES

SERVES 4-6 | PREP TIME 15 MINUTES | COOK 45 MINUTES

This is one of our favourite pasta dishes. It’s a classic Roman dish, and this is our take on it. Mezze maniche is a short tubular pasta. The key to making the sauce is to find the best passata you can, as the simplicity of this dish lies in using a really good quality tomato sauce. Look for one with no additives, or concentrate, but that has a bright deep red colour.

Small pasta like risoni, which is rice shaped, is perfect for stirring through broths and soups, like this chicken soup. This soup has fresh borlotti beans added. If you can’t find any you can add soaked and boiled dry ones, or drained canned ones if you like.

150g piece of guanciale or pancetta, diced 2 large garlic cloves, thinly shaved 1½ tsp dried chilli flakes 700g tomato passata 300g dried mezze maniche Finely grated Pecorino Romana, to serve 1. Cook guanciale in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the fat renders (5 minutes). Strain off fat and reserve as much fat in the pan as you like, about 2 tablespoons is good. Add garlic to the fat and fry gently over low heat until garlic is melting into the fat. Add chilli flakes and stir to combine then add the passata and bring to a simmer, then simmer for 1-2 minutes to combine the flavours. Add guanciale pieces back into the sauce and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente (about 9 minutes). Strain pasta through a colander and reserve in a little pasta water. Toss pasta through the sauce and stir until well combined. Season to taste. If you want to thin the sauce, you can add a little bit of the pasta water and give the pasta a good toss in the pan to coat well.

3. Serve pasta with plenty of pecorino grated over.

4 chicken marylands 1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock or water 150g risoni 300g fresh unpodded borlotti beans, podded Parmesan, to serve SALSA VERDE ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley 1 garlic clove 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained 2 anchovy fillets ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1. Place chicken legs in a saucepan, cover with stock (or water) and an extra 500ml water, or enough to cover and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is very tender and stock is flavoured (40-45 minutes). Set chicken aside and season broth.

2. Meanwhile, cook risoni in a separate saucepan of water until al dente (8 minutes), then drain through a colander.

3. For salsa verde, blend ingredients with a handheld blender until smooth. Season to taste and set aside.

4. Bring stock back to the boil and add borlotti beans and simmer until beans are tender (5 minutes).

5. To serve, shred chicken (discard bones) and return to the broth, with the risoni. Season to taste and ladle into bowls, then spoon salsa verde on top and serve with parmesan for grating on the side.

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Chicken and risoni soup with salsa verde

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Singular sensation

In Anna Jones’ latest book, One Pan. Pot. Planet, it’s all about limiting waste, and washing up.

RECIPES

by

ANNA JONES

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Smoky swede carbonara

Recipe p48

by

ISSY CROKER

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Quick squash lasagne Recipe p48

Piquant smoked paprika pasta bake

Recipe p50

Persian noodle soup SERVES 4

This is my take on Persian noodle soup, expertly guided by my dear friend, Mersedeh. It’s a deeply savoury soup with spice, chickpeas, lentils and some pasta thrown in for good measure. This is a great way to use up the ends of bags of pasta you have hanging around. I have suggested a noodle pasta but really any pasta bashed up a bit will do.

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 2 onions, thinly sliced 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground cumin 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 green chilli, finely chopped 400g canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 400g canned green or Puy lentils, drained and rinsed 1.25 litres vegetable stock 200g spinach, washed, chopped 80g Iinguine or spaghetti, broken into 3cm sticks

A small bunch each of parsley, coriander and dill, coarsely chopped The juice of 1 unwaxed lemon FOR THE TOPPING 50g toasted pine nuts 1 green chilli, finely chopped Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil A handful of herbs (such as before and with mint)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat.

Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes until they’re very soft, golden and fragrant. Add the spices, garlic and chilli, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant but not browning.

2. Add the cannellini beans and lentils, along with a litre of the stock and a good pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, then cook for 15 minutes until everything has come together.

3. If you are not eating all of the soup now, put those portions aside before adding the spinach, pasta and herbs. Add remaining stock to the pot with the spinach and pasta. Simmer until the linguine is tender but slightly al dente. This should take about 8-10 minutes.

4. For the topping, mix the pine nuts and chopped chilli with the lemon zest and olive oil in a small bowl.

5. Add the herbs to the soup and leave to simmer for a minute before tasting and adjusting the seasonings. Stir in the lemon juice. Spoon into bowls and top with the pine nuts, chilli mixture and more herbs, if you like.

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Smoky swede carbonara

Quick squash lasagne

SERVES 4

SERVES 6

“This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an authentic carbonara, but I use the word to give you an idea of what it will look and taste like: crisp-edged morsels of smoky swede offset the instant silky sauce of eggs and Parmesan coating the pasta,” says Anna Jones. “Follow the method carefully to make sure you don’t scramble the eggs. I use smoked salt here - it’s easy to find in supermarkets - but use regular sea salt if you prefer. This is one of the few recipes in the book that does not have a vegan alternative, due to the eggs. I’m sorry.”

“Pasta has my heart like nothing else,” says Jones. “My love affair with it was cemented when making stuffed agnolotti, caramelle and everything, but it started with something simpler: my mum’s lasagne. This lasagne is something slightly different but still as nostalgic and comforting . It is the quickest I’ve made, ready for the oven in 10 minutes (not the hour it normally takes), yet there is still a rich deep tomato sauce and those crisp, baked edges to fight over.

I don’t pre-cook my lasagne sheets as they cook in the sauce and I like them a little al dente. If you prefer them softer you could use fresh pasta sheets here.”

1 large swede (about 500g) olive oil A heaped tsp smoked salt or flaky sea salt 400g spaghetti 3 organic eggs 30g parmesan (vegetarian or vegan), grated, plus extra to serve The zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 1. Peel the swede and cut it into roughly 1cm x 3cm batons. No need to be too precise; the measurement is just a guide.

2. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the swede, season with smoked salt or sea salt and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Leave the swede to simmer until the water is all gone, then continue to cook over a medium to high heat until it is golden brown and crisp edged all over, but soft in the middle (this should take about 15 minutes). Once it’s looking good, turn the heat down to very low and keep the pan on the heat.

690g tomato passata 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped A good pinch of dried chilli flakes 400g canned green or Puy lentils, drained (or 250g home-cooked) ½ a butternut squash (pumpkin; about 600g), peeled and grated 50g black olives, pitted and chopped 2 tbsp capers Finely grated zest of an unwaxed lemon A small bunch of basil, leaves picked 2 (125g each) balls of mozzarella (vegan optional) 250g dried lasagne sheets 1. Heat the oven to 200°C. In a large bowl or jug, mix the passata with the oil, half a teaspoon of flaky sea salt, the chopped garlic, chilli flakes, drained lentils, grated squash, chopped olives, capers and lemon zest. Tear the basil leaves in half.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of heavily salted water to the boil (the water should be as salty as the sea). Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add a good grinding (about 1 teaspoon) of black pepper and the parmesan and mix well.

2. Spoon a quarter of the sauce into an ovenproof dish roughly 20cm x 30cm (I use an oval roughly the same size), tear over a third of one of the balls of mozzarella, then cover with pasta sheets. Repeat for another two layers: a quarter of the sauce, a third of a ball of mozzarella, a layer of pasta.

4. Once the pasta is perfectly al dente, use tongs to lift it out of the water and straight into the frying pan with the swede, along with a little of the cooking water (about 100ml). This will cool the pan a little, stop the eggs scrambling when they are added and help the sauce emulsify.

5. Toss the pasta and the swede together and, once the pan has cooled enough that you don’t hear any sizzling, add the egg mixture. Toss again until all the pasta is coated in sauce - if you need to, add a little more of the cooking water until you have a thick, silky, creamy sauce that sticks to the pasta. Serve immediately, with more Parmesan and black pepper and a grating of lemon zest.

3. Finish with a final layer of sauce, then tear over the whole of the second ball of mozzarella, sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with the basil, and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the mozzarella is deeply golden. Serve with a sharply dressed salad (I mix lemon juice, cider vinegar, mustard and extra-virgin olive oil, and toss through a bowl of green leaves).

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Preserved lemon and herb-baked orzo Recipe p51

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Piquant smoked paprika pasta bake SERVES 6-8

“I can’t get enough of baked pasta,” says Jones. “There are far fancier things to eat for dinner but almost nothing that is more comforting.

Sauce bubbling at the edges, a crisp golden top. This pasta bake has its heart in Italy but has borrowed a few Spanish flavours too. The pasta goes into the bake uncooked here, saving a little time.”

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing 1 large white onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 bulb of fennel, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp fennel seeds A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped 3 red peppers from a jar, sliced and chopped 40g green olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1½ tbs sherry vinegar 2 tsp smoked paprika 400g pasta (penne, fusilli, conchiglie, casarecce) 400ml hot vegetable stock FOR THE TOPPING 40g breadcrumbs 30g Manchego or vegan cheese, finely grated

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 20cm x 30cm deep baking dish with olive oil. Toss the onion, fennel, garlic and fennel seeds in the baking dish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and half a teaspoon of flaky sea salt and place in the hot oven for 15 minutes until starting to soften but not yet colouring.

2. While the onions and fennel are cooking in the oven, get your other ingredients together and boil the kettle.

Keep a handful of parsley back for the breadcrumb topping and add the remaining ingredients, except the vegetable stock powder, to the baking dish with the onions and fennel. Season well with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

3. Pour hot stock over the filled baking tray, so the liquid comes to just below the level of the pasta.

Cover the tray tightly with foil and return to the oven for 45 minutes.

4. Mix the breadcrumbs and Manchego together with the reserved parsley. After the pasta has had its time in the oven, lift it out, remove the foil and scatter the breadcrumb mix over the top. Return to the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden and crisp on top. Allow the pasta bake to rest out of the oven for at least 10 minutes before serving. This will help the sauce to thicken (and the pasta won’t burn your mouth as you eat it!).

“There are far fancier things to eat for dinner than baked pasta, but almost nothing that is more comforting.

Sauce bubbling at the edges, a crisp golden top.”

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Preserved lemon and herb-baked orzo SERVES 6

“I have been trying to find an authentic recipe for this since I heard about Syrian yoghurt-baked orzo from a friend,” says Jones. “I couldn’t find a recipe that sounded like the one my friend Holly described, so I made this up. I am sure it is a long way from the traditional recipe but it has all the things I want to eat with orzo. I’m still in search of the Syrian version.”

2 medium leeks, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 tbsp olive oil The juice of an unwaxed lemon 1 tsp coriander seeds, roughly ground in a pestle and mortar ½ tsp fennel seeds 1 green chilli, finely chopped 100g baby spinach, washed 350g orzo pasta 4 generous handfuls of mixed soft herbs (I like parsley, tarragon, mint and dill)

400ml plain yoghurt 1 organic egg, beaten, or 30g ground flaxseed ½ large preserved lemon, flesh discarded and skin finely chopped 1 tsp sumac 4 spring onions, thinly sliced Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. In a 28cm baking dish (I use a round one), toss the leeks with the olive oil, half the lemon juice, the coriander, fennel and chilli and season well with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and cook in the hot oven for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toss the spinach in a large mixing bowl with the orzo, half the herbs and all the remaining ingredients. Season well with salt and pepper.

3. Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir through the yoghurt, spinach and orzo mixture. Pour over 400ml boiling water and stir again to combine.

Cover the dish with foil (or a lid if it has one) and return to the oven for 25 minutes.

4. After this time, remove the foil, squeeze over the remaining lemon juice and return to the oven for 5-7 minutes until the top is crisp and beginning to turn golden at the edges.

5. Remove from the oven and sit for 5 minutes before sprinkling over the remaining herbs, spring onions and lemon zest.

THE LIST

Nugolo cappelletti Ristorante Maggese chef Fabrizio Marino

Ethan’s Bar

Dolci e Dolcezze

MAGGESE Vegetarian fine dining where you can find full-flavoured, creative takes on Tuscan classics, like gnochetti sardi con ragu di lepre scappato (“escaped hare”).

Via IV Novembre, 29, San Miniato @ristorantemaggese

Ristorante Maggese San Miniato

All roads lead to …

A food writer and cookbook author living in San Miniato guides us to her favourite spots locally, and in Florence.

WORDS

Piccola Osteria del Tartufo truffle pasta

Emiko Davies

by

DRINK

Caffe Desiderio

E M I K O D AV I E S

EAT

TRATTORIA CAMMILLO This historic restaurant serves Tuscan classics, and you can’t go wrong ordering any of the in-house tagliatelle in seasonal sauces.

Borgo S. Jacopo, 57/r, Firenze @trattoriacammillo CAFFE DESIDERIO In Settignano overlooking Florence.

Pasta, such as spaghetti with black garlic, Cantabrico anchovies and stracciatella, or tortelli filled with eggplant parmigiana.

Piazza Niccolò Tommaseo, 5R, Firenze @caffedesiderio NUGOLO Modern Florentine dishes of fresh pasta using ancient grains. Their cappelletti filled with tomato, with pecorino fondue and hazelnuts is

it, and throughout the year they offer other local truffles too.

Piazza del Popolo, 3, San Miniato @piccolaosteriadeltartufosm

a signature dish for a reason!

Via della Mattonaia, 27 R, Firenze @ilnugolo PAPARVI E PAPERE For something really special like ricotta gnudi with a squid, bottarga and tomato crumble.

Via Dalmazia, 159, San Miniato @papaveriepaolo TAVERNA DELL’OZIO Typically Tuscan. Their specialty is foraged finds, especially wild mushrooms and truffles. Try their potato-stuffed tortelli with fresh porcini. They don’t do Instagram.

Via Zara, 85, Corazzano PICCOLA OSTERIA DI TARTUFO San Miniato’s specialty is the prized white truffle. Every place in town does tagliolini al tartufo bianco but I like coming to this tiny osteria for 52

ETHAN’S BAR A tiny hole-in-the-wall in San Miniato for great cocktails, the perfect spot for aperitivo.

Via IV Novembre, 7, San Miniato @ethansamericanbar COSIMO MARIA MASINI A biodynamic winery about five minutes from town. Stock up on excellent wine and olive oil.

Via Poggio a Pino, 20, San Miniato @cosimo_maria_masini_

AND …

SERGIO FALASCHI A Slow Food butcher shop and a restaurant out the back with the best view in town.

Via Augusto Conti, 16, 56028 San Miniato @guidofalaschi DOLCI E DOLCEZZE This pastry shop has my favourite take on budino di riso, Florence’s rice pudding pastry.

Piazza Cesare Beccaria, 8/R, Firenze @dolciedolcezzefirenze

MEMOIR

River to the sea

A town where basil grows on the hill, and pesto is made.

WORDS

by

RUTH ROGERS

Vernazza, Cinque Terra, Italy

In Italy, there are so many great pasta experiences, but the one I had the first time I went there, with my husband, when I was in my 20s is one of my favourites.

We went to a place called Vernazza, which is a town in Cinque Terra on the Italian Riviera, and it’s very, very small. It’s a town you can only get to by train. The basil grows on the hill, and it’s the most incredible peppery basil you’ve ever tasted, and here they make pesto, the Ligurian way. In Vernazza there is a restaurant called Trattoria Gianni Franzi, and Gianni has become a great friend of ours. It’s a very close relationship we have with him now. My husband has been going to his trattoria since the 60s, before I did. Then, Vernazza was just one of these towns that had one trattoria in the square, right on the sea. Of course it has grown with popularity in the last 50 years - and with that there are more restaurants, cafés and bars - but this 53

restaurant is the focus of the town. You can sit outside in the square and have your coffee in the morning with a piece of cake. You can go for lunch, and for dinner, and it’s not a question of whether he’s open or closed, you just find a table to sit on, and it transforms into different ways a restaurant can be, and I love that. The pesto here is something very special. They serve it with many things, but mostly with the local pasta of Liguria, trofie, a short pasta with the little twist. They make the pesto in a blender, and that’s how we do it at the River Cafe. The beauty of cooking pasta is taking the most simple recipe that you can make over and over again, and show how simple and delicious it can be. To perfect something that is simple is the challenge, not to necessarily do something complicated. I like pesto that is very thick and holds together, also very pale and creamy, just like they make it at Trattoria Gianni Franzi.

Amaro

LAST DRINKS

Amaro is the after dinner digestif to have after a big meal, particularly when pasta is involved. Just as the word digestif suggests, it aids with digestion. There are hundreds of styles and regional varieties of Amari, and no two are ever the same – they can range in alcohol percentage (between 16% and 40% ABV), they can be light to full-bodied, sweet or savoury, and vary in flavour profiles, such as wood, smoke, citrus through to pronounced herbaceous notes - but the key element is the distinctive bitterness in the spirit. Amaro is the perfect cocktail in itself, as it can be served neat, or over ice with a slice of orange to garnish. Topped up soda, it also makes a lovely winter Spritz.

A few Amari to look out for: Vanrnelli Dell’erborista (Marche), Rucolino (Ischia), Nonino Quintessentia (Friuli), Braulio (Lombardy), Fernet-Vallet (Mexico), Never Never Dark Series (Adelaide), Poor Tom’s Imbroglio (Sydney; pictured).

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IN PRINT

“When pasta is cooked in a soup of legumes and vegetables, it is best for the soup to be fairly dense. In fact, the legumes and vegetables should be cooked past the point of tenderness until they are beginning to break down a little in order to make the mixture thick before the pasta is added. Often soups then get overly thick as the pasta is cooking. In that case, simply add a tablespoon or a ladle of boiling water. (Adding water that is not boiling will make the pasta gummy.) Finally, soup should rest for a bit before being served so that the flavours meld together and it thickens a bit more.”

Vincenzo Buonassisi on cooking pasta in soup, from the book The Pasta Codex.

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