Longarini from Cretone, a hamlet in the Palombara Sabina area, in the province of Rome, are a true peasant tradition that withstands the test of time.
Today, I present a typical first course from central Italy; actually, a very limited area, for which we should be more proud. My list of typical dishes is updated with this format known to few. And the search continues!
A fresh pasta made with water and flour; a sort of very thick and rough spaghetti that embrace the seasoning with tenacity and taste.
One of the recommended dressings is a light sauce made with tomato, garlic, oil, and chili.
In the summer period, you can try them at their dedicated festival cooked by the local ladies.
One of them, Cecilia, told me they were excellent with chicory tips and Pecorino Romano.
Said and done! Longarini are very simple to prepare and, seasoned with chicory tips, offer a particularly tasty experience.
Chicory tips are the heart of Catalonia chicory, pointed sprouts, from which they take their name. A symbol of Roman cuisine. They seem bitter to many people, much loved by Romans, excellent boiled and seasoned in various ways.
One of the many winter vegetables to bring to the table. In fact, they pair perfectly with longarini. The bitterness of the chicory tips is mitigated by the sweetness of raisins and appreciated contrast with anchovies.
Semolina remilled durum wheat and water give a soft and elastic dough.
Other pastas that Italian tradition gives us can be found in the following tips
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
Remilled semolina, chicory tips, anchovies, and raisins are the protagonists.
- 10.5 oz remilled durum wheat semolina
- as needed water (Warm)
- 17.6 oz chicory tips
- 4 salted anchovies
- 1 teacup raisins
- 1 coffee cup pine nuts
- as needed olive oil
- as needed salt
Tools
Bowl, rolling pin, if you have a ridged one even better. Pan to cook the seasoning and mix the pasta. Clicking on Shopping Tips you will find the tools I use.
- Wok
- Pans
- Rolling Pins
Steps
Prepare the dough with semolina and water and let it rest for about half an hour covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.
Roll out with a rolling pin until you get a thickness of about 1/8 inch, and cut into small strips, as you see in the photo. If you have a ridged rolling pin, it is perfect. Keep the pasta length around 6 inches.
After cleaning the chicory tips, cut them into thin strips and blanch in salted water, which you will later use to cook the longarini. Transfer them to a pan with olive oil, and after browning them a little, add the deboned anchovies, raisins, and pine nuts. Cook for ten minutes and turn off the stove.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta and then mix it with the chicory tips.
Serve with Pecorino Romano and black pepper. A white wine from the Roman Castles will do the rest!
Some Extra Tips
Making fresh pasta gives me relaxation, and when I serve it, it also gives me satisfaction in seeing how appreciated it is. This format, besides the recommended dressings above, is excellent with a sausage sauce and even Carbonara style. Another super dressing is with finely sliced onion sautéed with white wine until you get a sauce that, together with aged ricotta, will give you a dream. You can also freeze the longarini, first spacing them out and then closing them in portioned bags. After using the rolling pin, make horizontal cuts; you will get excellent pasta for your soups.
