Pastificio and curation
Adam Robinson
As some might have noticed, we have taken to selling uncooked fresh pasta in the bakery in Glenwood. There has been some confusion about this.
I think that many of you know the story when staying in a village in France or Spain about buying bread. Get to your local boulangerie or panaderia early and when the bread is sold, it is sold. No bread baked for the next day.
Imagine something similar in your holiday in Northern Italy, the home of fresh pasta.
The village pastificio will be making fresh pasta for their customers for that day. Whether it be filled tortellini, rolled tagliatelle or prepared pasta al forno. You pick it up during the course of day or on the way home from work and you have your supper. Fast food. Glorious food. A treat that takes four minutes to cook.
What to serve with your pasta. You might have some dried porcini in the store cupboard. Certainly some parmesan. Certainly some garlic. Basil and parsley in pots on the windowsill. Butter. Maybe some passata in the fridge and probably a jar of pesto, maybe a tin of anchovies. Olives will also be there.
All these can be used together, in combination, or alone to create one of the finest suppers known to me. There must always be butter. This is northern Italy after all.
You will find, pesto, butter, tomato sauce, olives, tapenade in our shop, all house made. And Italian parmesan. You will find pasta kneaded and rolled that morning. Our pasta, as is traditional, consisting solely of stoneground flour, salt and eggs. Nothing else. Pasta to be cooked on the day. R20 per portion. Pick it up for supper. Don’t keep it for the next day. It is not dried, extruded pasta. It is a different animal, though both can be delicious.
A generous pot of water, healthily salted. Fluff up the pasta gently. Drop into the water and stir it with a wooden spoon. Four minutes later, drain it. Put slightly more butter than you think you need in the pot, return the pasta to the pot and add your herbs, or olives, or anchovy etc. Remember the pasta is the star, so don’t gild the lily. Toss, taste for seasoning and that’s it. Really. That’s it.
If you’re concerned that there won’t be enough for you and those you are supping with, WhatsApp Adam on 072614 6081 and reserve your portions.
