Pasta Modern by Francine Segan Read Free Book Online Page A

or shaved cheese.
BEHIND THE SHAPE
Italians from Campania and Calabria squabble over which region first invented the huge tube pasta called paccheri . The name paccheri is said to come from the Neapolitan dialect for the sound these wide pasta tubes make when plopped onto a plate— slap! You’ll also find this toothsome pasta sold by the name schiaffone , for the nondialect word for slap. It’s also sometimes even called by the whimsical name maniche di frate , monk’s sleeves.

CHEESY DITALINI WITH FAVA BEANS
    { Favò }
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    SERVES 6 | REGION: Valle d’Aosta
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I love the earthy, nutty flavor in this dish of the fresh fava beans in combination with the crunchy bread bits and creamy fontina cheese. Made with small tube pasta called ditalini , little thimbles, this is one of the few pasta dishes from Valle d’Aosta, the northernmost Italian region, which specializes more in polenta and rice.
This recipe is a specialty of Ozein, a small town that each year hosts La Sagra della Favò , a festival in honor of this luscious dish.
1 cup (150 g) shelled fava beans (about 1 ½ pounds/680 g in pods)
7 tablespoons (100 g) butter
3 slices whole-grain bread, cut into cubes
2 large shallots, thinly sliced in rounds
4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
⅓ cup (75 ml) tomato paste
12 ounces (340 g) ditalini or other short tube pasta
4 ounces (115 g) fontina cheese, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large saucepan, boil the beans in salted water for about 2 minutes, until they float to the top. Remove them using a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking water. Peel the beans and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the butter over high heat until golden, then add the bread and, shaking the pan while it cooks, toast it on all sides. Remove the bread and set aside. In the same pan over medium-high heat, cook the shallots until soft, adding a little more butter if needed, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and beans and cook about 5 minutes.
Bring the reserved bean water to a boil and add the pasta, cooking until it is al dente. Drain and add to the sauce with a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid, stirring until well combined. Add the cheese and stir until it is completely melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the toasted bread.

PASTA IN WHITE WINE
    { Pasta alla deficeira }
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    SERVES 4 | REGION: Liguria
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Cooking pasta in wine instead of water creates an amazingly aromatic sauce. The flavor of the wine really stands out, so be sure to pick one with pronounced fruity taste and crisp acidity, like Soave or Pinot Grigio.
Traditionally, this dish was prepared at the height of the oil-pressing season, offered by the olive growers as a gesture of celebration to those who helped with the harvest. The name of the dish is from the Ligurian dialect for olive press, deficeira , and fittingly, it’s served with olive oil. A nice choice is the delicate, fruity variety made from the tiny taggiasca olives of Liguria.
1 (750-ml) bottle dry, fruity white wine
2 bay leaves
12 ounces (340 g) penne or any short tube pasta
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crescenza or any aged cheese
In a large saucepan, bring the wine and bay leaves to a boil. Add the pasta, lower the heat to a low boil, and cook, loosely covered, until the wine is absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 20 minutes. Add more wine or hot water a little at a time if the pasta seems to be getting dry, or if it is too wet when almost al dente, raise the heat to high to burn off the remaining liquid and alcohol. Stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with grated or shaved cheese.
WINE AS PASTA SAUCE
In several regions, Italians add a splash of wine, instead of sauce, to cooked pasta. In the winter, local farmers even enjoy a sort of liquid pasta drink as a pick-me-up, made from the hot pasta cooking water mixed with red wine and generous amounts of crushed black