Neapolitan Ziti Lardiati
Among my TOP dishes of Neapolitan cuisine, undoubtedly the ziti lardiati (or “allardiati”) stand out, from “lard,” which is the main ingredient of this typical dish of the humble Neapolitan kitchen. A dish belonging to the ancient Campanian peasant tradition when there was still no olive oil and everything was cooked with pork fat, in fact, there is a saying: “nothing of the pig is ever wasted.” A dish – as I was saying – very simple from the old peasant tradition, but in truth, still today, it is able to satisfy even the most refined palates.
The “allardiati” ziti are a true delicacy of the Neapolitan tradition, don’t miss this tasty and hearty recipe!
For those who don’t know, Ziti is a Neapolitan pasta shape, the name comes from the Neapolitan dialect and means “Zite” (spinster – unmarried) and they are called this way because it was a type of pasta that the “zita” (the future bride, still a spinster) would cook for her husband on the wedding day.
The ziti must be long in shape; you can find the already broken ones in the market, but they are not suitable for this recipe, because this dish must be absolutely prepared with ziti broken into 4 parts, strictly by hand, so that the crumbs that result can capture all the seasoning well.
If you have difficulty finding the long format of Ziti, you can easily order them here on Amazon. #adv
You might also be interested in the recipe for “Sausage Ragù Step by Step”.
If you are looking for foolproof recipes (sweet or savory), super-tested and flop-proof, click on the Special: “My TOP Recipes“.
If you love Neapolitan cuisine and are looking for other recipes (sweet or savory), click on my Special: “Authentic Neapolitan Cuisine“.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for Neapolitan Ziti Lardiati
- 17.6 oz ziti (long)
- 7 oz Lardo di Colonnata
- 3.5 oz lard (optional)
- 1 garlic (whole)
- 1 golden onion (whole)
- 2.8 oz tomato paste (I use double concentrate)
- 1 bouillon cube (beef flavor (even better meat extract))
- 3.4 tbsp dry white wine
- to taste chili pepper
- to taste black pepper
- 3.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1.1 oz Pecorino cheese (grated)
- to taste basil
Tools
- Bowl
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Pot
- Pan
Steps for Neapolitan Ziti Lardiati
Take a bowl and break the long ziti into 4 parts by hand, collecting all the pasta crumbs that form.
Put 3.4 tbsp of water in a small pot on the stove and dissolve the meat extract (or meat bouillon cube) in it.
Cut the lard, together with the garlic and chili pepper, repeatedly with a sharp knife until it becomes a creamy paste (in Naples it is said to “allacciare“, meaning: turn the lard into a paste, as shown in the photo below). Choose the softest and whitest part of the lard (I used Lardo di Colonnata, in absence you can use thick slices of ham fat) to facilitate the operation, heat the knife with which you “bind” the lard.
In a pan, gently melt the lard and the creamy lard, garlic, and chili pepper, then add the finely chopped onion, black pepper, and deglaze with white wine, browning the onion for about 7 minutes.
Take the tomato paste, pour it into a cup, and dissolve it well with 2.7 tbsp of boiling broth, then add it to the lard and onion mixture and lower the heat to the minimum.
Cook everything for about 30 minutes (if the sauce tends to stick to the bottom of the pot, add a little more boiling meat broth) and finally, add basil.
Once the sauce is ready, cook the ziti al dente, in salted boiling water.
Then pour the al dente ziti into the sauce, also adding a bit of cooking water to mix well.
Off the heat, add Parmesan, Pecorino, and basil (if you like, also chopped parsley) to the larded ziti and serve the pasta hot.
Shopping Tips!!!
To prepare this dish, I recommend Tognana pans that you can find on Amazon by clicking HERE. They have an excellent quality-price ratio; I have found them excellent and hope to gift myself the entire cookware set from this brand soon. #adv
I used the artisan Rummo long ziti, which have an exceptional cooking hold, you can buy them here on Amazon. #adv
This is the meat extract I use (preservative-free and gluten-free). #adv
This is the meat extract I use (preservative-free and gluten-free). #adv
