Tajarin with Castelmagno is a truly flavorful and fragrant first course! I hope everyone is familiar with Castelmagno, an Italian PDO cheese produced in certain municipalities, including Castellano, in the province of Cuneo.
This cheese is very tasty and has a very intense aroma. Perfect as a table cheese but truly special when used in fondues to accompany potatoes, or in this case, fresh pasta. The tajarin are the classic Piedmontese pasta shape, perfect to pair with this cheese because the pasta, made with only flour and yolks, is velvety and robust, and pairs perfectly with the strong and decisive flavors of this cheese! Have I piqued your interest? Try making them yourself!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 9 egg yolks
- 10.5 oz Castelmagno cheese
- 1/3 cup milk
- hazelnut crumbs
Steps
Pour the flour in a mound on the work surface and create a well in the center.
Pour the egg yolks into the center of the flour. Then, with a fork, start beating the yolks and slowly begin to incorporate the surrounding flour.
As soon as the mixture starts to get firmer, begin kneading by hand, more and more energetically, until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough.
Cover it with a bowl or wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out and cutting your tajarin.
When the dough has rested, roll it out with a rolling pin or pasta machine to a thickness of about 1/16 inch. Cut your tajarin by hand or with the pasta machine cutter.
Remove the rind from the Castelmagno and cut it into medium-sized cubes.
Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat it gently. When it begins to simmer, add the Castelmagno inside, gently lower the heat, and stir to melt it. Make sure to lower the heat significantly, otherwise, you risk the cheese curdling and not melting well.
When you have obtained a smooth cream, cook the tajarin in boiling salted water, and as soon as they are ready, drain them and pour them directly into the saucepan with the fondue. Stir and serve hot.
STORAGE
I recommend preparing and consuming the Tajarin with Castelmagno immediately. If there are leftovers, heat them in a pan adding a little milk, or in the microwave.
