And no, that’s not a typo for “lasagna.” We’ve already done that recipe … remember?
Lagane is a homemade southern Italian pasta that many food historians believe to be the origin of modern-day lasagna. It is traditionally served with chickpeas, but you’ll have to wait until next week for that recipe.
Today, we’re delving into my mother-in-law’s Cosentino past and drudging up one of my husband’s favorite childhood pastas … lagane. This flat, short, fettuccine-like pasta is easy to make and is a fun alternative to traditional homemade pasta.
Here’s the deal.
Ingredients:
>> 2 cups all-purpose flour
>> Dash of salt
>> 1/2 cup of water
Directions:
1. Add a dash of salt to the flour and mix well.
2. Slowly add the water and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. (If you need to, add a tiny bit of water, as necessary, but be careful not to saturate the dough.)
3. Form the dough into a ball, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
4. Roll the dough on a floured surface, using a rolling pin to form a circle about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Continue to roll and thin the pasta. (Cutting the circle in half will make it easier to handle.)
6. Using one side of your dough, pull the end upward and fold the dough to form a long roll.
7. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 1/4 inch strips.
8. Unroll the strips and lay them on a clean, flat surface.
9. Cook immediately.
Buon Appetito!
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I miss this kind of food. sigh
You’ll be back soon!!!
We had lagane with fresh porcinis in Rome at the Mercato restaurant in the Campo dei Fiori. The owner/chef is Calabrese and it was terrific. We went back again and there were incredibly fresh chanterelles with scallops- the orange egg sacks and the mushrooms were color coordinated. Just barely sauteed with oil and seasoning. Miss it.
Bruce Heckman