Cazzarielli e Fagioli
Fresh Cazzarielli with Borlotti Beans & Seasonal Greens
Serves 6
A simple dish that represents the heart of Abruzzese cooking. Legumes have sustained families in Abruzzo for centuries and were traditionally known as la carne dei poveri – “the meat of the poor”. This is the kind of food I love: humble, seasonal and comforting.
Cazzarielli ingredients
• 300 g semolina rimacinata
• 150 g hot water, approximately 60–70°C
Method
• Combine the semolina and hot water and knead until you have a smooth, soft and elastic dough. Keep covered with a damp cloth while working.
• Roll pieces of dough into thin logs and cut into approximately 2cm pieces. Shape each piece by dragging it with your fingers to create the characteristic hollow shape, or pass the dough through a manual cavatelli machine.
• Use immediately, refrigerate for later that day, or freeze in a single layer.
Cazzarielli e fagioli Ingredients
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• soffritto
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 fresh chilli, sliced
• 1 kg cooked borlotti beans, drained, cooking liquid reserved
• 500 ml reserved bean cooking liquid, plus extra if needed
• seasonal greens or vegetables, such as chicory, broccoli or zucchini
• salt and black pepper
• fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• grated Parmigiano Reggiano, optional
Method
• Warm the olive oil in a large pot and gently cook the soffritto, garlic and chilli until soft and fragrant.
• Add the borlotti beans and cook for a few minutes, then add approximately 500 ml of the reserved bean cooking liquid. Blend one or two ladlefuls of the beans and liquid until smooth and return to the pot. This gives the dish its creamy consistency.
• Add your chosen seasonal vegetables, season with salt and pepper and simmer gently. Keep the mixture quite loose, as the pasta will absorb some of the liquid.
• Cook the fresh cazzarielli separately in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then drain and add directly to the beans. Cook everything together for another couple of minutes.
• Finish with chopped parsley and rosemary, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if you like, grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Dining and Cooking