MALTAGLIATI PASTA

Maltagliati pasta - badly cut pasta

Maltagliati pasta is a very traditional shape in Emilia-Romagna, used for rustic soups like pasta & chickpeas or pasta & beans. Literally, its name means “badly cut”.

All good Italian housewives never waste food and this pasta is made from the remnants of dough cut for other shapes. When you roll pasta dough with a rolling pin you get an irregular shape, when you wrap it in a roll in order to cut fettuccine, or squares for tortelli, you cut the irregular edges.

I set the remnants aside, pile them up one on top of the other, and cut diagonally, first in one direction, then in the other, creating very irregular diamonds. I even cut small pieces into smaller ones by hand.

I then let them dry for an hour and freeze them in a bag.

If you need to make them from scratch, this is the recipe for 4 servings:

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Sitting Time: 2 hours minutes | Total Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes | Yield: Makes 4  servings.

Ingredients

 

  • 7 oz (200 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

 

On a wooden pastry board, pour the flour into a mound, make a hole in its centre and pour the eggs in it.

Mix by hand to make a dough that you are going to roll out using a rolling pin.

Let the dough sit for at least 30 minutes, wrap it in cling film or, even better, cover it in a glass bowl.

Roll the dough into a sheet about two millimetres (1/24-inch) thick. Let it dry for at least an hour and 1/2.

Flour it lightly, fold a few times to form stacking layers and, using a knife, cut fettuccine about ½ inch wide.

Follow the instructions above.




THE BIRTH OF CARBONARA PASTA

Carbonara pasta is a typical Roman dish. Full of taste and very easy to make, its goodness is thanks to quality ingredients. Be that as it may, it seems that originally, the ingredients were different.

Legend has it that in the Rome of WWII, occupied by allied troops, a local innkeeper was asked to make food for some American soldiers who gave him bacon and powdered eggs from their military supplies. The best way to feed a lot of people with few ingredients is making pasta, so the innkeeper combined these few ingredients to make a dish that is big favourite of Lazio citizens, but it is also loved in many countries.

Later, when things got better and it was possible to have local ingredients again, the recipe was enriched with guanciale (cured pork jowl) and fresh, creamy eggs.

To celebrate Carbonara day, I made spaghetti alla chitarra, reminiscent of Roman tonnarelli (a fresh, long egg pasta) and enjoyed this epicurean dish during this period of quarantine with my husband.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cooking Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Yield: Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

 

For the pasta

  • 100 g semolina flour
  • 100 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • About ¼ cup water, room temperature

For the sauce

  • 3 tbsp grated Parmigiano Reggiano (I did not have Roman Pecorino)
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 egg
  • Black pepper
  • 60 g guanciale (cured pork jowl)

Instructions

 

On a wooden pastry board, pour the flour in a mound, make a well in its centre and crack the egg into it. Blend by hand, making a dough that you are going to smooth with a rolling pin.  It should be rolled to a 3 mm thickness.  Then cut it into rectangles that will be cut on the chitarra.

Cook the pasta in salted water; if it is fresh, it will cook in a few seconds.

You might need to add some flour if the dough is too wet or some water if it is too dry and impossible to work.

TIPS:

As you work it, keep the dough near your belly, when kneading and rolling.

Lean into the dough as you work, exploit gravity, not your shoulders and arms.

In a frying pan, sauté the guanciale in its own fat. While the water for pasta is beginning to boil, I place the egg and egg yolks in a Pyrex or stainless steel bowl and place it over the pot, whisking them until they are fluffy, gradually adding the cheese and a generous sprinkle of black pepper. Remember to keep the bowl away from direct heat to avoid curdling the egg.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss it in the frying pan with the guanciale. Transfer it to the bowl with the egg mixture. Toss until the egg mixture has coated the pasta  and enjoy.




ASPARAGUS RISOTTO, A SPRING TREAT

This risotto recipe is typical of Tuscany and Northern Italy, where asparagus is a symbol of Spring. I use a local asparagus variety that is smaller but tastier than bigger varieties. Risotto is a much appreciated first course on Italian tables, and while this recipe can be used with other vegetables, the main steps are the same.

The origin of this dish is quite ancient. News of the cultivation of rice in Italy date back to the 15th century. Rice has come a long way, since it was domesticated from the wild Oryza rufipogon  grass  roughly 10,000–14,000 years ago the middle Yangtze and upper Huai rivers, as archaeological evidence points out.

In Italy, rice was an exotic grain introduced by the Arabs in Sicily, and later by the Aragon Dynasty during their domination of the kingdom of Naples. From there, it slowly spread north, to Tuscany and later to Lombardy, under the rule of Lodovico Sforza. Since the great Leonardo da Vinci was working at his court at the time, some Lombards like to think that Leonardo himself suggested transforming the Lombard marshes into rice paddies, but there is no historical evidence of it. What we know for sure, from diplomatic correspondence, is that rice was cultivated in Milan, and in 1375 Lodovico sent some sacks of rice to the Dukedom of Ferrara as a gift, in order to introduce its cultivation in Ferrara too.

The typical Italian rice is derived from the Japonica variety, more adaptable in the temperate regions of Europe.

In some way, this risotto with vegetables is a variation of more prestigious recipes, like the typical Milanese risotto with saffron, of which we have a recipe by Leonardo. As rice was still an exotic and expensive grain, it was eaten at the courts, and enhanced with other precious ingredients such as saffron, cinnamon, or the addition of savoury meat stock. It later developed into fantastic dishes such as Parmigiano risotto or the Champagne risotto.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (400 g) asparagus, washed
  • 12 oz (300 g) Carnaroli or Arborio rice
  • 4 tbsp (60 g) butter
  • ½ white or yellow onion, minced
  • 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock, warm
  • 3 tbsp grated Parmigiano
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt

Instructions

Steam the asparagus for 10 minutes – they must be crisp.

Cut the tips and set aside. Chop the rest of the asparagus and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the asparagus tips for 1 minute. Meanwhile keep the vegetable stock warm.

In another saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and  sauté the onion, stirring often, until golden and very soft, about 8–10 minutes. Add the rice. Stir until the grains become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the asparagus (not the tips) and ladle in ½ cup of the  broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until completely absorbed, 5–6 minutes.

Cook the rice according to the package instructions, stirring and adding the warm vegetable stock in small ladles as needed.

When rice is cooked al dente, turn off the stove and add the rest of the butter, stir, add the Parmesan, stir, add the asparagus tips and carefully stir.

Cover the saucepan with the lid and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Serve.




WALNUT SAUCE, A LIGURIAN FRESH DELICACY

Traditionally, this walnut sauce was meant to be served with pansoti, typical Ligurian stuffed pasta, yet it is excellent with fusilli, potato gnocchi and other specialties.
In these super-hot summers 🔥 , we all need something fresh, a fast yet nice sauce that does not need cooking.
This walnut sauce, a delicious vegetarian dish, cannot be kept for more than 4-5 days in the fridge. Store it to a glass container and cover it with some olive oil.

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

FOR THE STUFFING

  • 20 walnuts, shelled
  • ½ cup (100 g) cream or curd
  • ¼ cup (30 g) grated Parmigiano
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • 2 slices of stale bread, Ciabatta-style, deprived of the crust
  • 1 tbsp fresh marjoram, minced
  • ½ garlic clove
  • Sea salt to tast

Instructions

In a small bowl, soak the bread in the milk. After 5 minutes, squeeze the milk out of the bread.

In a food processor, begin to mix the walnuts, garlic, bread and marjoram together. Add the other ingredients, oil and cream or curd in successive batches, mix for one minute, and the sauce is ready.

If you have a mortar, the ideal method is to mix all the ingredients together.

Often, the marjoram will turn brown. An excellent way to prevent this is to add a few ice cubes in the food processor or by keeping the food processor bowl in the freezer.

Traditionally, this sauce was meant to be served with pansoti, typical Ligurian stuffed pasta, yet it is excellent with potato gnocchi and other specialties.

In these super-hot summers, we all need something fresh, a fast yet nice sauce that does not need cooking.

This walnut sauce, a delicious vegetarian dish, cannot be kept for more than 4-5 days in the fridge. Store it to a glass container and cover it with some olive oil.

 




LINGUINI WITH ANCHOVIES: EASTERN SUGGESTIONS

The sauce of this unusual linguini with fresh anchovies combines ingredients that are characteristic of Mediterranean cuisine: olive oil, fish, and the introduction of raisins and dried fruit in savoury dishes. This Middle Eastern touch is typical in the cuisine of Italian cities that were in contact with the Arab world for centuries such as Sicily, whose cuisine was deeply influenced by it, like in the case of Sicilian rolls (link to recipe), as well as other cities on the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas, like Venice, Pisa and Genoa, for example.

I had this pasta at Elba, a small beautiful island across from Livorno, rich in iron and exploited since Etruscan times, with a strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea. Pisa and Genoa fought for the dominion of the Tyrrhenian coasts for centuries.

Pisa and Genoa, with Amalfi and Venice were referred to as the Maritime Republics by 19th century historians. They were city-states that were formally independent. During the time of their independence, all these cities had similar (though not identical) systems of government, in which the merchant class had considerable power. Their power and richness came from the economic growth of Europe around the year 1000, together with the hazards of the mainland trading routes, which made the development of major commercial routes along the Mediterranean coast possible. The Maritime Republics’ relationship with the Middle East was constant, alternating periods of peace and fruitful commercial trade with hostility, due to their involvement in the crusades and territorial competition with the Byzantine and Islamic maritime powers. The complex relationship that Italy always had with the Middle East profoundly influenced its cuisine, like this complex sweet and sour taste which cannot be found in other parts of Italy’s cuisine.

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Cooking Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 60 minutes | Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients for pasta

  • 3¼ cups all-purpose flour (400 grams)
  • 4 eggs

Ingredients for sauce

  • 300 g fresh anchovies, cleaned*
  • 40 g pine nuts
  • 3 tbsps. breadcrumbs or a slice of stale bread, chopped with a knife
  • 30 g raisins, softened in tepid water
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsps. olive oil

Instructions for pasta

 

On a wooden pastry board, pour the flour in a mound, make a well in its centre and crack the eggs into it. Blend by hand, making a dough that you are going to smooth with a rolling pin.  It should be rolled to a 3 mm thickness.  Then cut it into rectangles that will be cut on the chitarra.

Cook the pasta in salted water; if it is fresh, it will cook in a few seconds.

The proportion is always 100 g = 1 egg, per person. Of course since the eggs are never regular you might need to add some flour if the dough is too wet or some water if it is too dry and impossible to work.

TIPS:

As you work it, keep the dough near your belly, when kneading and rolling.

Lean into the dough as you work, exploit gravity, not your shoulders and arms.

 

Instructions for sauce

 

In a non-stick frying pan, toast the pine nuts for 2 minutes, and chop them roughly.

Sauté the breadcrumbs in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. When they are golden, add the raisins and pine nuts and sauté together for a minute. Pour everything into a bowl and sauté the anchovies in the same pan for a couple of minutes.

Add the parsley to the other ingredients and mix delicately. Cook the pasta in salted water and add it to the sauce with a couple of tablespoons of its cooking water. Toss with a bit of olive oil and serve.

 

*Remember to cut off the heads toward the belly and tail, (the direction is important). Pull delicately and the guts will follow too. Insert a finger and detach the spine from the flesh, then break off the spine near the tail.




ROSEMARY NOODLES, SAVOY CABBAGE AND SAUSAGE.

This pasta recipe is quite rustic. Savoy cabbage and Italian sausage give a robust quality to this dish, and you can play with different flours. In this case I prefer blending durum wheat and pastry flour, in Italian a “00”, but also using whole wheat or buckwheat is an excellent choice. I do not love artificial colourings; I prefer to add mashed vegetables or aromatic herbs to the flour.

It is a very rich dish, and perfect from a nutritional point of view. If you open the meal with a very fresh salad, the balance will be perfect.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cooking Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour minutes | Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients for pasta

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 + 2/3 cups (g. 200) pastry flour
  • ½  cup + 1 tablespoon (g. 100) durum wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary, finely grinded

Ingredients for the sauce

  • 3 sausages (350 g. about 12 oz.)
  • 1 small Savoy cabbage
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Marine salt

 

Instructions for pasta

On a wooden pastry board pour the flours in a mound, make a hole at its center and pour the eggs in it. Join the rosemary. Mix, make a dough that you are going to roll out by hand using a rolling pin.  Roll the dough into a sheet about two mm. (1/24-inch) thick.

While pasta is drying, prepare the sauce.

Instructions for the sauce

Put a big pot with salted water on the stove. Wash and core the cabbage leaves (about half of the cabbage).

In a wok, simmer the onion with the oil.

Peel the sausages, chop them in small chops and join them in the pan. Simmer the ingredients together.

Boil the cabbage leaves for a couple of minutes, and then put them in a bowl with water and ice.

Core and shred the leaves. Join them to the sauce.

Sprinkle the pasta dough with durum flour and roll it. Cut it in stripes. If it does not dry, cut it with the tool.

Boil pasta in the same water where you boiled the cabbage and pour it in the wok with the sauce. Add a couple of tablespoons of boiling water, and mix all the ingredients together. Add a bit of olive oil before serving the pasta.




STUFFED PACCHERI PASTA: NEWS FROM NAPLES

Paccheri is a new pasta shape particularly well suited for being stuffed. With truffle sauce, sausage, and porcini mushrooms, it is ideal for festive occasions. In winter, I always look for occasions to turn on the oven, and this recipe is perfect for holidays and meals with friends and family around a festive table.

It is a rich dish, and a bit time-consuming, but you can prepare the filling in a piping-bag and the sauce in advance, and compose the dish at the last moment.

Porcini mushrooms and white truffle are seasonal and are considered  the sovereigns of Italian cuisine.

Prep Time: 1 hour | Cooking Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour + 30 minutes | Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • ¾ lb. (300 g.) Paccheri pasta

Ingredients for the stuffing

  • 13 oz. (400 g.) potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • 6,5 oz. (180 g.) Italian sausage
  • 1 big egg
  • 1,5 oz. – 1/3 cup (50 g.) white truffle paste
  • Sea salt and black pepper for seasoning

Ingredients for the sauce

  • 1 + ½ tablespoons (20 g.) butter
  • 3 tablespoons (20 g.) flour
  • 1 cup (200 ml.) milk
  • 3 oz. (100 g.) Porcini mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, finely minced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • For the final touch:
  • Parmigiano Reggiano, a piece

Instructions

 

In a blender, combine the ingredients for the filling. Mince everything finely and pour them in a piping bag.

In a pot, make a béchamel melting the butter over low heat, combining the flour and salt and whisking with a fork as you add to prevent lumps. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking as you pour. Raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken, whisking to prevent and break up any lumps (eventually use an immersion blender).

In another small pot, combine olive oil, parsley and garlic and simmer for 1 minute over very low heat, then join the mushroom, cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes.

Join half of the mushroom to the béchamel and mix with an immersion blender.

Pour the sauce on a serving dish that can be used in the oven.

In a pot with salted water, boil the pasta for 2/3 of the cooking time indicated on the box.

Drain pasta and sprinkle with a tablespoon of olive oil and mix. When it is tepid, stuff it with the filling and gently lay it on the sauce, vertically.

Arrange the remaining mushroom around pasta and grate chips of Parmigiano using a potato-peeler.

Bake it in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes at 400 F. (200 C).




MEAT STUFFED GNOCCHI

The stuffing of this gnocchi is very similar to the one of Ascoli olives, a skilled mix of meats cooked in a soffritto, whose taste is made lighter by a touch of lemon zest. The only complicated phase is finding the procedure to fill the gnocchi; I think that using a piping bag makes the operation a lot easier.

It is quite hard not to find intriguing recipes in Italy: its regional cuisine is extremely rich and varied and, Marche region, not very known by mass tourism, offers us wonderful dishes with meat, vegetables, and fish.

In the near future, I am going to propose some Marche recipes: I learned to appreciate various dishes thanks to some sibling who introduced me to many treats. In addition, some trips in which I explored wonderful restaurants made me appreciate this region even more.

The scarce knowledge of the regional treasures contributed to maintaining an Italian atmosphere, not wretched by the mechanisms of great masses of tourists.

I have always been thinking that the real atmosphere of a country is much better seized in small towns, which tend to be more conservative and contribute to keeping the great Italian culinary tradition alive.

Now the region is living a new awakening, also as a reaction to the destructions caused by an earthquake, which stroke it in 2016: concerts like “Marche Rise Again” and new cycles of art exhibits propose a panoramic view of artistic treasures of the region, like, for instance, the cycle dedicated to Lorenzo Lotto.

 

Prep Time: 50 minutes | Cooking Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour + 30 minutes | Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients for the stuffing

 

  • 2,5 pounds (1 kg) white, russet or other starchy potatoes, steamed and peeled
  • 2 cups (250 g.) pastry or “00” flour, plus more as needed
  • 10 oz. (300 g.) mixed meats (chicken breast, pork, and veal)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 carrot, finely minced
  • 1 onion, finely minced
  • 1 celery stalk, finely minced
  • ½ glass of white wine
  • ½ glass water
  • ¼ organic lemon grated zest
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons butter

 

Ingredients for the sauce

 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 14 oz.  (400 g.)  finely chopped tomato sauce
  • Sea salt

 

Instructions for making the gnocchi

Heat butter and oil in a saucepan and sauté the vegetables in it. When they are cooked, add the meats roughly chopped. Cook the meats, adding water and wine. Stir the meats and, when the wine has evaporated, cover with a lid and make the meats simmer for half an hour. When it is cooked, take the meats, draining them from the cooking liquid, and put them in a mixer.

Filter the cooking liquid with a sieve, and put it aside. Ground the meats in the mixer, then add the yolks, the Parmigiano, the lemon zest, and the cooking liquid. Mix again. Move the stuffing to a piping bag.:

While the meat is cooking, steam the potatoes for the gnocchi.

For making gnocchi, follow the instructions in this recipe.

Divide the dough into parts bigger than usual, since it must contain the filling. Stuff the gnocchi and close the little balls by rolling them quickly between the palms of your hands.

Lay the gnocchi on a paper tray previously sprinkled with flour.

Instructions for making the sauce

In a non-sticking pan, sauté garlic cloves in oil and discard them when golden. Add the tomato and make it simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water for few minutes, it can be drained when it floats and poured directly in the pan with the sauce. I suggest using a pastaiola or draining them in batches, using a slotted spoon.

 




BUTTERNUT SQUASH: THE JOY OF AUTUMN

Butternut squash is one of the many joys of the season: rain and cold temperatures are compensated by incredibly rich and comforting foods. It is another gift from the Americas, like potatoes.

Accompanied by a creamy Taleggio cheese sauce, this dish speaks about the valley crossed through the Po river, its fog, its chilly temperatures. In this discomforting weather, nevertheless, the inhabitants created a varied cuisine, sophisticated, that requires some manual skills but is a great source of satisfaction.

One of my personal favorites is this recipe of gnocchi: the great canonic recipe of gnocchi is enriched by the addition of Butternut squash. It is extremely versatile: the 00 flour can be easily replaced by the same quantity of gluten-free flour in order to create a dish which can be tasted by our celiac guests. It is important to underline that the temperature of potatoes and squash is fundamental: just tepid, not too hot, or it would require an excessive quantity of flour, nor too cold, or it would be very hard to knead. Still, for the egg intolerant or vegan tablemates, we can decide not to add the egg. We must be quite skilled, though, since the egg makes pasta easier to knead. (and of course, the Taleggio sauce should be replaced by a vegetables one.

This recipe, like many others, is a starting point for a journey in the pleasures of Autumn.

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cooking Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours | Yield: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients for gnocchi

  • 2 pounds (800 gr.) Hubbard squash, deseeded and cut in thin slices, then baked
  • 1 pound (400 gr.) russet potatoes , steamed and peeled
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1 cup (130 gr.) pastry/00 flour

 

Ingredients for Taleggio sauce

  • 7 oz. (200 gr.) Taleggio cheese
  • ¾ cup (200 ml.) milk
  • 1 tablespoon (20 gr.) butter
  • 2 tablespoons (20 gr.) pastry/00 flour
  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

 

Preparation of gnocchi

Push the potatoes (while still tepid/warm) through a food mill or potato ricer, onto a lightly floured work surface. In case the potatoes are too humid (moist) bake them for 5 minutes in the oven, before mashing them.

Gather the potatoes into a mound and make a well in the center. Peel the squash. Squeeze it, push it through a potato ricer and add it to the well. Sprinkle ¾ of the flour into the well and add in the egg.

Mix the ingredients by hand until a soft dough forms. If necessary, add more flour, a little at a time, until the dough has a smooth, evenly moistened consistency.

Lightly flour your work surface and divide the dough into at least eight portions. Roll the portions into 1-inch-thick ropes and cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over a fork to shape them, if desired.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and stir a few times with a wooden spoon to submerge and separate them. Cook at a gentle boil until the gnocchi is tender and just beginning to float about 2 to 3 minutes.

Preparation of Taleggio sauce

Make a béchamel melting the butter over low heat, combining the flour and salt and whisking with a fork as you add to prevent lumps. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking as you pour.

Raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken, whisking to prevent and break up any lumps (eventually, use an immersion blender). Add the Taleggio, whisk for about 5 minutes to break up any lumps and join the gnocchi. Grate a pinch of nutmeg on the dish.

 




CLAMS AND SUMMER, AN INSEPARABLE DUO.

When summer approaches, two things cannot be missed on an Italian table: spaghetti with fresh clams and a bottle of chilled dry wine
Usually, I love making fresh home-made pasta. However, sometimes stopping for a while, opening a bag of excellent durum wheat spaghetti, and making this simple and delicious pasta means it is summer – the holiday period for the most of Italians.
According to personal and regional preferences, there are a lot of variations in this dish: a pinch of chilli peppers, or 4-5 roughly chopped cherry tomatoes… This version is my favourite because nothing interferes with the taste of clams. To me, it is the symbol of Northern Adriatic – a small, enclosed sea and one of the richest for the production of seafood, particularly shellfish.

Spaghetti with fresh clams

  • 1 lb. (400 gr.) spaghetti
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 2 lbs. fresh clums, purged*
  • 6 teaspoons marine salt
  1. *How to purge clams:Purging the clams is a simple but time-consuming process: first, pour fresh water in a bowl with a tablespoon salt, and lay a strainer in it. Move the clams in it, discarding the ones with cracked shells. Leave them sit for 20 minutes. Take the strainer off the bowl. You will find sand on the bottom of the bowl, discard the water and rinse the bowl, then pour more cold water in the bowl, a tablespoon salt and the strainer with the clams back in water. Repeat this operation four times more for a total amount of 2 hours.
  2. Heat the clams in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat, covered with its lid, until clams pop open.
  3.  Check them one by one as you move them to a bowl, discarding the ones which did not open (it means that they were not fresh).
  4. Filter half of the water produced by the clams pouring it through a white cotton napkin laid inside a fine mesh sieve. Since the quantity of water is a very limited one, also replacing the napkin with cheesecloth or a coffee filter is not a very lengthy process.
  5. Rinse the skillet and heat oil in it.
  6. Add sliced garlic and sauté until light brown, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley; stir 2 minutes. Add clams and their juice. Cover and simmer about a couple of minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Add pasta to clams and toss to coat. Usually there is no need to season to with salt, just add pepper.
  8. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and serve.