This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
Chef Massimo Piedimonte has recently designed, with the mixture of tradition and audacity that characterizes him, a Christmas menu paired with wines from the great Italian house Ruffino, whose history dates back 145 years. For the main course, he reinvented the classics anolini, traditional stuffed pasta from Parma, with sea bass stuffing and Tuscan tomato sauce.
For the pasta
Ingredients
270g flour
6 egg yolks
1 whole egg
Salt
Preparation
1. Place the flour and salt mixture in the center of the cutting board or bowl and make a well in the middle.
2. Beat the 6 egg yolks and the whole egg in a bowl — this is the wet mixture.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the well.
4. Using a fork, stir the flour into the wet ingredients, starting at the inside edge of the well. Continue adding flour to the egg mixture until the egg is completely absorbed into the flour.
5. The dough will form a mass. Using your hands, squeeze it.
6. If the dough is sticky, add a little flour until it is kneadable. Use extra flour sparingly when incorporating it, otherwise the dough will become tough.
7. Knead the dough for 15 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky.
8. Form a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Let it rest at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes.
For the stuffing
Ingredients
1 kg common sea bass
800 g of cream
400g egg whites
30g of salt
Olive oil
Preparation
1. Drizzle the sea bass pieces with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste.
2. Bake until tender and flake easily with a fork, about 15 minutes at 160°C.
3. Leave to cool.
4. Once the fish has cooled and crumbled, mix this flesh with the cream and egg whites, and whisk until a foam forms. To book.
For the anolini
Preparation
1. Roll out the dough using a pasta machine.
2. Add about a teaspoon of filling to the center of the strip of dough at regular intervals.
3. Cover with another strip of dough.
4. A metal, round or serrated pastry cutter is used to seal the edges of the pasta. Otherwise gently press around the filling to ensure that all edges are well sealed.
5. Cut the anolini. To book.
For the pappa al pomodoro sauce (Tuscan tomato sauce)
Ingredients
1 leek (white part only)
6 tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
6 basil leaves
120g stale Tuscan bread
Olive oil
Preparation
1. In a large saucepan, sweat the minced leeks, minced garlic and basil stems in a little olive oil.
2. Add the diced tomatoes and, once these are incorporated, the large chunks of stale bread.
3. Simmer the sauce over low heat for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent it from reducing too much or burning.
Assembly
1. Once the sauce is finished, boil the anolini in salt water. Cooking is complete when the anolini float on the surface and are al dente.
2. Serve the anolini with a generous dollop of sauce and garnish with basil leaves.
Food and wine pairing recommended
Toscana IGT Modus by Ruffino, a red wine rich in silky tannins, and with flavors of blackberries, cherries, plums and cocoa, which surprises with its finesse even though it is a Super Tuscan.
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.