Pasta Modern (8 page)

Crunchy bits of pancetta sautéed with caramelized red onions, apples, and a hint of rosemary—incredible! The smoky bacon harmonizes with the apple’s sweet acidity and the barely perceptible touch of black pepper that lingers on the tongue. The delicate sweetness of the caramelized onions and the wonderful woodsy aroma of rosemary add another level of flavor.

In Italy, apples star in enough recipes for pasta, ravioli, lasagna, and risotto to fill an entire cookbook! Grated apples can even be added to tomato sauce, as cooks do in the Trentino–Alto Adige region.

Olive oil

2 ounces (60 g) pancetta or bacon, minced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 Red Delicious apples, peeled and thinly sliced

¾ cup (180 ml) dry white wine

1 small fresh rosemary branch

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound (455 g) rigatoni or any pasta

Parmesan or other aged cheese

In a skillet large enough to later toss the pasta, heat 2 tablespoons oil, then add the pancetta and onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 8 minutes, then raise the heat to high and continue cooking until they are golden, another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the apples, wine, and rosemary, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook on high until the wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the rosemary.

Boil the pasta in salted water until it is al dente. Drain and toss into the sauce for 1 minute, along with a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid. Serve topped with shaved or grated cheese.

SAUSAGE & BLACK FIGS WITH FUSILLI

{
Fusilli al figo moro con salciccia
}

SERVES
4
|
REGION:
Friuli–Venezia Giulia

Figs, with their jamlike sweetness, add pizzazz to sausage in this dish, building a smoky and deeply satisfying pasta that’s ready in minutes. If fresh aren’t available, substitute dried figs that have been simmered in a little wine until soft.

Olive oil

1 large leek, finely sliced

2 sweet sausages

1 cup (240 ml) red wine

5 large fresh black figs

1 pound (455 g)
fusilli lunghi
or any pasta

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grana padano
or other aged cheese, shaved

In a large frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and fry until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove the sausage meat from the casings and add it to the leeks. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is well browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, scraping up any brown bits. Slice three of the figs and stir them into the mixture; quarter and reserve the other two figs for garnish. Simmer the sausage-fig mixture until it is thick, about 20 minutes.

Boil the pasta in salted water until it is al dente. Drain and toss in the sauce, along with several tablespoons of the cooking water, until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with cheese and the reserved fig quarters.

ITALIAN BLACK FIGS

This recipe is from Caneva, an area in Friuli-Venezia Giulia in northern Italy renowned for its delicious black figs. The area’s climate, combined with the soil’s particular minerality, creates some of Italy’s most highly sought-after figs, rich in flavor and with a soft, delicious skin. The figs are characterized by their exceptionally sweet taste and elongated shape. Not to be missed is the Figo Moro Festival there each year.

VELVETY ROASTED EGGPLANT & FIGS WITH PANTACCE

{
Pantacce con fichi e melanzane
}

SERVES
4
|
REGION:
Southern and parts of central Italy

A play between sweet and bitter, eggplant and figs are extraordinary together. The eggplant is baked whole, then mashed with garlic, oregano, olive oil, and figs. The resulting smoky, sweet, creamy mix is tossed with pasta and garnished with more figs.

You can enjoy this dazzling dish all year long by substituting dried figs, if fresh aren’t available. Just steep them in hot wine until tender, drain, then follow the directions as with fresh. I especially like this dish with
pantacce
, which look like miniature curly-edged lasagna sheets, but it’s terrific with any shape.

2 eggplants, about 1 pound (455 g) each

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound (455 g)
pantacce
or any pasta, preferably Rustichella d’Abruzzo brand

2 garlic cloves, minced

Sprigs fresh oregano

Olive oil

8 fresh figs

Aged pecorino cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bake the whole unpeeled eggplants on a baking sheet for about 1 hour, until very soft and collapsed. Scoop out the flesh, removing any seeds, and press it through a food mill or puree it in a food processor until very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Boil the pasta in salted water until it is al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a skillet large enough to later toss the pasta, warm the garlic and 4 oregano sprigs in ¼ cup (60 ml) oil for a few minutes, until fragrant, then discard the oregano. Stir in the eggplant. Thinly slice four of the figs and add them to the eggplant. Cut the remaining figs into quarters and reserve for garnish.

Toss the pasta into the eggplant along with some pecorino to taste. Top with a drizzle of oil, the reserved fig sections, and additional sprigs of oregano. Garnish with more shaved pecorino, if you like.

SPAGHETTI WITH ORANGES, DATES & ANCHOVIES

{
Spaghetti con arance, datteri e acciughe
}

SERVES
4
|
REGION:
Northern and central Italy

One forkful was all it took to catapult this fabulous mix of sweet and savory to the top of my favorite fruit and pasta list. The unusual combination of dates and anchovies was inspired by Michelin star–winner Chef Carlo Cracco, whose virtuosic appetizers of anchovy-stuffed dates are fried in a batter made with panettone, an Italian sweet yeast cake with a fruity aroma of raisins and candied oranges. That dish has inspired many Italian home cooks to convert the ingredient mix into this remarkable pasta dish.

½ cup (56 g) homemade coarsely ground breadcrumbs, toasted

Olive oil

1 pound (455 g) spaghetti or other long pasta, preferably Benedetto Cavalieri brand

4 oil-packed anchovy filets

1 ½ cups (360 ml) white wine

5 tablespoons tomato paste

12 dried dates, thinly sliced

Zest of 1 orange, cut into long strips

Put the breadcrumbs in a small frying pan over medium-high heat, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and re-toast, stirring often, until crunchy. Set them aside on a paper towel.

Boil the pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package directs. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over very low heat, slowly heat ¼ cup (60 ml) oil with the anchovies, pressing the anchovies with a wooden spoon until they dissolve. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomato paste and dates and simmer for a few minutes.

Toss the pasta in the sauce to finish cooking it, adding a little cooking liquid as needed. Serve the pasta topped with the breadcrumbs and long strips of orange zest.

Nuts

BUTTA LA PASTA.

THROW THE PASTA.

Said literally when it’s time to add the pasta to boiling water
or figuratively to mean “the time is right.”

Italy is world renowned for its fabulous nuts—especially almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, and pine nuts—and there are thousands of classic Italian nut-based recipes, especially desserts and pasta dishes. In this chapter, you’ll find nuts not just ground into various types of pesto, but also mixed with vegetables and offered in a variety of surprising tastes and textures.

This chapter is packed with recipes sure to please you and your guests, including many vegan and weeknight options … so start toasting some nuts and
butta la pasta!