L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.com 12 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 L'Italo-Americano Growing up, my brother and I often helped our mother make a holiday staple – 'passatelli in brodo' – a recipe she learned from my father's Marchigiano family. A few times a year, the big, white passatelli pot would emerge from the cabinet. We were always eager to stand on a chair and help force the dough through the ancient meat grinder she used to form them. I now own that pot and meat grinder. Although more modern tools could more easily do the trick, I just can't part with these icons from my childhood that never f a i l t o b r i n g b a c k a f l o o d o f memories of holidays past. Fond memories of peering cautiously into the big, white pot after the passatelli were dropped into the broth – terrified to stir for fear the delicate passatelli would fall apart (god forbid!) M y brother and I recently traveled to Le Marche to visit our family - a magical visit to see the land where my grand- father was born – Scapezzano. I had often imagined our great grandfather, Gaspare Becci, sta- r i n g o u t o v e r t h e b a b y b l u e Adriatic Sea as he slowly made his way up the gentle hill to Scapezzano. And for the first time, I was able to see the home in which he was born; the places he had walked and played as a child. Generations of family bound by a silver thread that has led me back to the little village near the sea. The cuisine of this largely undiscovered region remains largely unchanged - cuis ine deeply rooted in peasant tradi- tion and greatly influenced by t h e s u r r o u n d i n g r e g i o n s . However, we were surprised to find a dish called 'passatelli asciutti' on almost every menu – a twist on the classic passatelli that serves the pasta in a sauce rather than 'in brodo'. We took photos, wrote notes and asked for recipes as to how we might re-create this at home. Pleas w e r e m o s t l y m e t w i t h ' i t ' s a Finding Our Roots in Le Marche: 'Passatelli Asciutti' with Sausage and Tomatoes MICHELLE BECCI secret recipe' so I was determi- ned to give it a try at home. A n d a f t e r 3 a t t e m p t s , I a m happy to report that I think the v e r s i o n b e l o w c o m e s p r e t t y close. Buon Appetito! 'Passatelli Asciutti' with Sausage and Tomatoes Ingredients: For the passatelli: ·1 cup plain breadcrumbs ·1 cup grated Parmigiano, plus additional for serving ·2 tablespoons flour ·Zest from ½ lemon ·Fresh nutmeg (or dried if fresh unavailable) ·3 medium eggs For the sauce: ·1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, bulk or casings remo- ved ·1 cup dry white wine, divi- ded ·2 tablespoons olive oil ·4 cloves garlic, diced ·Pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste ·1 (28 ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes, with their juices ·Sea salt ·Freshly ground black pep- per ·Water or broth to cook the passatelli Special equipment: Potato ricer Preparation: Make the passatelli dough: I n a m e d i u m m i x i n g b o w l , place the breadcrumbs, parme- s a n c h e e s e , f l o u r a n d l e m o n zest. Grate in a pinch or two of n u t m e g ( a b o u t ¼ t e a s p o o n ) . Mix well. Add in the eggs and k n e a d u n t i l a d o u g h f o r m s . Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. M e a n w h i l e , p r e p a r e t h e sauce: Place the sausage in a medium bowl. Pour ½ cup of wine over the sausage and mix i n t o t h e s a u s a g e w i t h y o u r h a n d s . B r e a k u p a n y l a r g e clumps. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add t h e s a u s a g e m e a t a n d c o o k , crumbling up any large clumps w i t h t h e b a c k o f a w o o d e n spoon. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, a b o u t 5 - 8 m i n u t e s . U s i n g a slotted spoon, transfer the sau- sage to a bowl. Drain all but a few tablespoons of oil from the pan. A d d i n t h e g a r l i c a n d h o t pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the sausage a n d t h e r e s t o f t h e w i n e . Simmer until the liquid is redu- c e d t o a b o u t h a l f , a b o u t 3 - 5 minutes. A d d i n t h e t o m a t o e s w i t h their juices and stir. Break up the tomatoes with the wooden spoon. Allow to cook until the tomatoes begin to break down slightly and release their juices, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season w i t h s a l t a n d p e p p e r . K e e p warm. Remove the passatelli dough from the refrigerator and unw- rap. Bring a large pot of water or broth to boil over medium heat. Using a potato ricer, push the dough through the ricer to create short noodle like pasta and drop directly into the boi- ling water/broth. Bring back to a boil. The passatelli will be done when they float to the top. Reheat the sauce over medium heat and using a spider or slot- ted spoon, GENTLY remove t h e p a s s a t e l l i t o t h e s a u c e . A l l o w t o s i m m e r f o r a f e w minutes and stir gently to incor- p o r a t e . A d d c o o k i n g w a t e r / b r o t h t o t h e s a u c e i f necessary to moisten. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve in warmed bowls with plenty of extra grated parmigia- no! Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who l o v e a l l t h i n g s I t a l i a n . Together, from opposite coasts, t h e y c o - a u t h o r t h e b l o g OurItalianTable.com. Passatelli with sausage and tomatoes

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