Pasta Modern (29 page)

{
Conchiglioni dolci al cacao
}

SERVES
4
to
6
|
REGION:
Northern and central Italy

Genius! Jumbo pasta shells coated in cocoa powder and filled with … well, anything! Vanilla custard, chocolate pudding, panna cotta, semifreddo, sorbet, granita, whipped cream and fresh berries, yogurt and honey, creamy peanut butter and jelly—there are endless possibilities.

Use just cocoa powder for unsweetened shells that become a gorgeous reddish brown color, or add confectioners’ sugar to the cocoa powder for lovely dark-colored sweet shells. I like them both ways! I pair the sweetened shells with less sugary fillings like fresh fruit or dark chocolate pudding.

24 jumbo shells, preferably Felicetti brand

Salt

¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup (50 g) confectioners’ sugar, optional

FOR THE FILLING:

Approximately 2 cups (480 ml) total of gelato, custard, whipped cream, pudding, fruit, yogurt,
etc.

Boil the shells in lightly salted water until they are al dente and drain.

For sweeter shells, put the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar, to taste, into a sturdy plastic food-storage bag. Toss the shells, a few at a time, in the bag until they are fully coated with cocoa powder. For less sweet shells, toss them in just the cocoa powder.

Using a teaspoon, fill the shells with anything you like.

A few fun options:

•
Ice cream + banana slices + dollop of fudge sauce + chopped nuts = mini sundae

•
Ricotta + sugar + mini chocolate chips = soft cannoli

•
Mascarpone cheese + sugar + drop of coffee = instant tiramisu

•
Cream cheese + fruit jam + fresh fruit = Italian-style cheesecake

{
Cuscus dolce Siciliano al pistacchio
}

SERVES
4
|
REGION:
Sicily, especially the province of Agrigento

For centuries, the nuns at the Monastery of Santo Spirito in Agrigento, Sicily, have been selling a couscous dessert seasoned with pistachios. This unique treat, dense like rice pudding, has rich, deep pistachio flavor. It’s usually served topped with grated dark chocolate, plus dried or fresh fruit. I especially like adding pomegranate seeds for a pretty burst of ruby red and a tart tang.

Salt

1 cup (175 g) dry couscous

½ cup (60 g) shelled pistachios

¼ cup (40 g) blanched whole almonds

Ground cinnamon

4 to 6 tablespoons (50 to 70 g) sugar

2 ounces (60 g) dark chocolate, grated, preferably Perugina brand

Optional toppings: chopped candied Sicilian squash (
zuccata candita
), dried fruit, pomegranate seeds or other fresh fruit

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) water and a pinch of salt to a boil, then stir in the couscous and remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a small food processor or clean coffee grinder, finely grind the pistachios and almonds until powderlike. Add the nuts and a pinch of cinnamon to the couscous and stir until well combined. Sweeten to taste with sugar. Serve the couscous topped with the chocolate and any of the other suggested toppings.

{
Cioccolatini di fregula
}

MAKES
about
24
truffles
|
REGION:
Sardinia

Fregula, tiny Sardinian pasta, are cooked here in sweetened water, then mixed with melted chocolate and shaped into truffles. They are pleasingly chewy and ridiculously simple to make!

Make them with dark, milk, or white chocolate, or try
gianduia
: dark chocolate blended with smooth hazelnut butter. It’s Italy’s most popular chocolate flavor and is available online or in Italian food shops.
Gianduia
is delicious, and well worth seeking out (see
Sources
).

Salt

½ cup (55 g) fregula pasta

2 heaping tablespoons sugar

4 ounces (115 g)
gianduia
, dark, white, or milk chocolate, chopped, preferably Perugina brand

Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the fregula and sugar. Cook until the fregula are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the chocolate and cook over low heat until the chocolate begins to melt. Take the pot off the heat and stir until the chocolate is melted and well combined.

Let the mixture cool enough to touch, then scoop and roll it into little hazelnut-sized balls. Put them onto wax paper and refrigerate until set. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week.

{
Nidi di tagliatelle per Carnevale
}

SERVES
6
|
REGION:
Tuscany, Sicily, and Emilia-Romagna

These nests are little bundles of fried pasta popular throughout Italy as a dessert during Carnevale. But they’re so quick and easy to make, you can enjoy them anytime.

No boiling needed—just clump a few noodles into a little nest shape, fry, then enjoy. Since the noodles aren’t boiled first, it is important that you use only fresh egg pasta, not dried pasta.

You can season the crunchy bundles Sicilian-style, topped with orange zest–infused warm honey and sprinkled with pistachios; or, as they do in Tuscany, using chocolate noodles, drizzled with brandy-infused warm honey and topped with toasted almonds. Of course, there’s also the simple Emilia-Romagna style—just topped with confectioners’ sugar.

Fritti sono buoni anche gli zampi delle sedie
.

Fried, even chair legs are delicious.

Vegetable oil for frying

12 ounces (340 g) fresh egg tagliatelle, either plain or chocolate flavored

TOPPING SUGGESTIONS:

Approximately ⅓ cup (75 ml) warm honey + orange zest + chopped pistachios + candied orange peel; or

Approximately ⅓ cup (75 ml) warm honey + approximately 2 tablespoons brandy or almond liqueur + chopped almonds; or

Approximately ¼ cup (20 g) confectioners’ sugar + ground cinnamon or cocoa powder

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil. Take a few strands of uncooked tagliatelle and loosely twirl them into a nest shape. Fry the nests until they are very light golden on both sides. Drain them on paper towels. Arrange the nests on a platter and serve them drizzled with honey or sprinked with confectioners’ sugar, and topped to taste with any of the suggested toppings. Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and store them in a cool dry place for up to 1 week.

{
Pistum
}

SERVES
4
|
REGION:
Friuli

Sweet gnocchi seasoned with chocolate, nuts, fruit, fragrant cinnamon, as well as hints of cheese, fennel, thyme, mint, and marjoram—this dish has been a Christmastime favorite in northern Italy for centuries. Served warm in a bowl, it makes a delightfully different dessert, perfect on a chilly winter evening.

Pistum
, or in Veneto dialect
pastum
, is a term meaning a mix of many ingredients. It has a magic-potion connotation and dates back centuries. Homemakers in the past jealously guarded their secret recipes, passing them down mother to daughter through the generations.

I learned this recipe from Palma, one of the delightful
Cesarine
princesses, who are members of Home Food Italy, an amazing organization of Italian foodies who host dinners in their homes to share the joys of their region’s traditional cuisine. They offer a rare opportunity for us American travelers to meet locals, eat at an Italian’s home, and enjoy Italian hospitality.

2 heaping tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons rum

4 tablespoons (60 g) butter

⅓ cup (30 g) assorted minced fresh aromatic herbs including thyme, marjoram, and mint

⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

4 ounces (115 g) dark or milk chocolate, preferably Perugina brand, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish

⅓ cup (40 g) grated
grana padano
, Parmesan, or other aged cheese

¼ cup (35 g) toasted pine nuts or assorted chopped toasted nuts

2 heaping tablespoons finely minced candied citron or lemon peel

Zest of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup (84 g) homemade breadcrumbs, toasted

1 cup (125 g) all-purpose or “0” flour

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

Confectioners’ sugar

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the rum until moist.

In a small pan, melt the butter with the herbs and simmer for a few minutes until they are aromatic. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until light yellow, then stir in the butter-herb mixture, the chocolate, cheese, pine nuts, candied peel, zest, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and the raisins with their liquid. Mix until well combined, then mix in the breadcrumbs. Mix in the flour, a little at a time, until a dough forms; you may have a little flour left over.

Knead the dough until it is uniform and well mixed. Divide it into four pieces. Roll out each piece into a ropelike cylinder about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut the rope every 1 ½ inches (4 cm) to form small nuggets. Press each nugget lightly onto the tines of a fork to make slight indentations. Repeat the process for the rest the dough, setting out the finished gnocchi on a clean cotton cloth in a single layer.

Bring a wide pan of water with a pinch of salt and the fennel seeds to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they are tender and float to the surface, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to a bowl and serve them warm, topped with grated chocolate and confectioners’ sugar.

COLUMBUS “DISCOVERED” CHOCOLATE

The history of chocolate, beginning with its “discovery,” is closely tied to Italy. Chocolate’s journey to the Old World from the New began with Christopher Columbus—an Italian. During his fourth and final voyage to the New World, Columbus became the first European to set eyes on cacao beans, which he purchased from the natives and gave to Queen Isabella.