Making Artisan Pasta: How to Make a World of Handmade Noodles, Stuffed Pasta, Dumplings, and More

Recipes from Making Artisan Pasta

BUCKWHEAT PIZZOCCHERI

PIZZOCCHERI ARE made from buckwheat flour, wheat flour, and a liquid, which may be water, milk and/or eggs. Buckwheat pasta is brittle because it contains no gluten, so the dough is rolled out thicker than other doughs. Pizzoccheri get their name from two words: pita, “bread” in Arabic, and bizzochi, a sect of monks who wore gray, the same dark color as the pasta. Arabs brought buckwheat to Italy, where it is known as grana saraceno, or “Saracen grain.” The hearty dark noodles are typically cooked with potatoes and savoy cabbage and sauced with melted butter and rich, melting mountain cheese, especially Casera and Bitto, though Italian Fontina works well too.

PAPPARDELLE AND TAGLIOLINI

PAPPARDELLE ARE wide egg pasta ribbons usually served with a hearty ragù of feathered game, such as pigeon and duck, or furred game, such as hare and wild boar in Tuscany, where they are most commonly found. Pappardelle have been made for at least 400 years and get their name from the Tuscan dialect verb pappare, meaning “to gobble.” Tagliolini are narrow noodles best suited to cooking and serving in soup and often made from all-yolk dough for richness and supple texture, and because the protein bonds formed by the dough make it strong enough not to shatter when cut thinly.

CARAMELLE

THIS AMUSING pasta resembles caramel candies wrapped in cellophane. The flavor and color of the squash pasta complement the sweet potato filling. To show off their candylike shape, toss the caramelle in a simple sauce of butter cooked with sage leaves until the bits of milk solids are browned and nutty and sprinkle with cheese.

JAPANESE UDON NOODLES

UDON NOODLES are thick, smooth, chewy wheat flour noodles usually served in noodle soup. Korean lowprotein (9 percent) flour yields tender noodles; Italian 00 or pastry flour are also good choices. The dough is made with warm water to encourage gluten formation. Serve udon noodles in a bowl with soupy sauce meant for dipping made from dashi (kombu kelp and shavings of katsuobushi—preserved, fermented tuna), soy sauce, and mirin (thick, sweet rice wine), topped with thinly sliced scallions and garnishes such as grated ginger and strips of shiso leaves on the side.

GENOESE CHESTNUT CORZETTI

CORZETTI (croxetti or corsetti), which likely means “little crosses,” were documented as early as the thirteenth century, and early designs are thought to have featured a Genoese crusader cross. During the Renaissance, prominent Ligurian families would have their coat of arms carved on one side of the stamp with symbols such as a sheaf of wheat or a flower blossom on the reverse. Neutral hard woods such as beech (faggio in Italian), maple, apple, and pear are best for the molds. Because the thin discs dried well, they were a good food for Genoa’s sailors, who were off at sea for months.

GIANT ASPARAGUS RAVIOLO WITH SOFT-COOKED EGG

THIS ARTFUL GIANT raviolo is an impressive dish to serve at a special dinner—one or two per person. It was made famous by the alta cucina San Domenico Restaurant in Imola, Italy, in the 1970s and is still on the menu today as “Uovo in Raviolo San Domenico” with a filling of spinach and ricotta, soft-cooked egg, and a truffle-laden butter and Parmigiano sauce. When cutting into the raviolo, the yolk should be liquid and pour out onto the plate, enriching the sauce. Once made, cook and serve the ravioli the same day. Use dense, rich whole milk ricotta for the best results.