Corzetti date from the Middle Ages.
gettyPasta’s many forms range from commonly known versions like fettucine to such lesser-known varieties as the threaded sheets of Sardinia’s su filindeu, or the stuffed cjarsons, an Alpine ravioli, from Friuli. But one version stands out among the myriad shapes—corzetti (also known as croxetti), a unique, engraved pasta found in Liguria, Italy’s sea-fronting region that runs from the Côte d’Azur to Tuscany.
Most references date corzetti to the Middle Ages, but it’s a pasta that has survived to this day, thanks to the efforts of a group of artisans, chefs, and cooking experts like Enrica Monzani of A Small Kitchen in Genoa, a website devoted to the historical culinary traditions of Liguria. Monzani calls the pasta “edible art.”
A sampling of corzetti discs.
Courtesy of ©Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and © Enrica MonzaniThe earliest forms of these medal-like discs of dough were imprinted with local coins, according to Monzani. Later the region’s aristocrats, seeing the chance to indulge in a bit of personal branding and culinary showmanship, had special stamps bearing their coats of arms made to impress upon the corzetti before they was cooked. Over the centuries molds with intricate non-heraldic patterns were also created to embellish the pasta.
The dough is made with flour, eggs, water and wine.
Courtesy of Enrica MonzaniMORE FOR YOU
Today you can buy corzetti stamps with classic designs or have them customized by a handful of artists and artisans specializing in the craft. One of them is Franco Casoni, a renowned wood sculptor based in Chiavari, a town on Liguria’s eastern Riviera. In addition to producing special pieces for churches, private clients and yachtsmen—he is well-known for his polone, or ship figureheads—Casoni makes corzetti molds, and has done so since 1975. He says his designs, which have gained an international following, range from the simple to the complex and that his clients today are more likely to ask for stamps with personal monograms or company logos than heraldic motifs, although his customers among the Italian aristocracy request them too. His beautifully carved pieces, which are made from beechwood, cost 50€ . (Franco Casoni’s studio is at Via Bighetti 73, tel.: +39 0185 301448.)
Corzetti molds made by Franco Casoni.
Courtesy of Franco Casoni, Studio CasoniThe Picetti studio, in the small town of Varese Ligure, designated one of Italy’s most beautiful villages (it’s about an hour’s drive from La Spezia), is another must stop for anyone interested in these cooking implements. The late Pietro Picetti, a retired banker, brought new attention to the pasta and its traditions, which endure in the Val di Vara, the valley in Liguria where Varese Ligure is located. His daughters, Alessandra and Monica, who run the workshop today, can create individualized stamps or provide you with molds based on antique patterns. Both versions cost 50€. (Pietro Picetti, Via Pieve 15, Varese Ligure)
Having a corzetti stamp is essential for producing this type of pasta, but the process of making it, from a dough consisting of flour, eggs, water and a little white wine, is straightforward. Monzani’s blog can take you through the dough-preparation steps and show you how to create the simple sauce that goes well with the fancy corzetti—a pesto made with pine nuts, walnuts and marjoram leaves. Alternative pairings include Liguria’s well-known basil pesto and walnut sauce, salsa di noce. (Monzani is hosting an online class on how to make fresh Ligurian lasagna, but the dough demonstrated in the tutorial can be used for corzetti, as long as you have the molds.)
Corzetti with marjoram pesto.
Courtesy of Enrica MonzaniOnce the dough is rolled to the desired thinness, the stamp’s cutter is used to create the various pasta circles. Each wafer is then inserted into the carved mold to imprint both sides with a design. The deeper the engraving the more sauce that the pasta retains, says Franco Casoni.
When you’re able to travel to Liguria again, you can try corzetti in some local restaurants, most typically in places on the Riviera di Levante, the eastern part of the region, like Cinque Terre and its surrounding areas, and villages and towns close to the Tuscan border, says Monzani.
Until you get to Italy to visit the corzetti ateliers and sample the pasta in situ, you can buy corzetti/croxetti at eataly.com and prepare them with one of the recommended sauces at home.
The Link LonkMay 02, 2021 at 07:30PM
https://ift.tt/3nEl5Au
The Beautiful Pasta You Probably Don’t Know About But Should - Forbes
https://ift.tt/31oM9uv
Pasta
No comments:
Post a Comment