The Inside Story from Italian Wine Merchants

My Summer Pasta Love

Eating well whatever the weather

This summer has been brutal—there have been waves of heat and rain and occasional weird drops in temperature. This past summer’s weather means days when I don’t know what to eat, whether I should eat something light or something heavy, whether I should eat something cold or something hot. My body doesn’t seem to know exactly what it wants, so this summer I took it upon myself to create the perfect summer pasta. It can be served either hot or cold; thus no matter the weather, it’s a perfect dish.

Ingredients:

1 box of pasta (I prefer farfalle)

1 bunch of asparagus

1 lemon, zested

A few basil leaves, about 4 big ones

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Red pepper flakes (choose amount based on how spicy you like your pasta)

1 pint container of crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup of pine nuts

Directions:

Cook pasta according to the package—I like it al dente. Once the pasta is cooked, I rinse it and then put it back in the pot. I drizzle the pasta with olive oil, and let it sit. As the pasta sits, I steam the asparagus and then chop the stalks into pieces about 1 inch long.  I coarsely chop the basil and zest my lemon. I toss the asparagus in with the pasta, and then add the basil, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and mix it all up.  Then if I’m serving the dish cold, I refrigerate it.  When I am ready to serve the pasta either as a cold pasta salad or a hot pasta dish, I add in pine nuts and feta cheese.

Rare is the dish that is equally excellent hot or cold, no matter the weather. I’m proud of myself for coming up with this one, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do—rain, shine, or days in between.

Pici

There’s no going back after hand-rolled pasta

I’ve often imagined rolling each strand of pasta by hand, one by one by one. My fingers might go numb, but I’d get to indulge in the fruits of my labor. In Italy, this artisanal endeavor is not uncommon. In fact, pasta is almost always hand-rolled all along the boot. Rare is the person who would fathom doing it any differently (though, of course, supermarket packaged pasta is always available for lazier cooks). And yet even in a land of handcrafted pasta there are some that rise above the madding handmade horde.  One such different breed is pici, the local pasta of the Montalcino and the rest of Toscana.

Pici, or pinci in Montalcino, are thicker, chewier and richer than your basic spaghetti strands—and it’s easy to make! Unlike most pasta, pici doesn’t require eggs. You just need two cups each of semolina and all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt and one cup of water. Mix everything in a large bowl, and then take tiny pieces and roll them between your hands. That’s it! If fresh, the pasta will cook in under 10 minutes and rise to the top of the pot. You can also freeze the pici for several months for later use. Once cooked, you can top pici with some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or serve it all’aglione (with garlic). A ragu of wild boar, lamb or a simpler one of basil, garlic or salami can also be added to the pasta.

The taste of fresh pasta makes it hard to go back to store-bought—just as tasting artisanal wines makes it hard to enjoy those that are mass-produced. This chunky pasta is a perfect match for the deep, structured wines of Montalcino. Any Brunello di Montalcino or Super Tuscan with a sturdy structure, full of spice and bright with tannin complements the heartier sauces and pasta.

I haven’t cooked much lately, but I’m looking forward to spending some time around the stove soon. I see myself sipping a nice red, enjoying the moment— and rolling some pici for dinner.