What distinguishes the cooking of Acqui from the rest of Savoy-influenced Piedmont is its proximity to the sea along the Ligurian coast, as demonstrated through this recipe, which combines woodsy morel mushrooms with salty anchovies and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
1 recipe pasta dough (see below)
Kosher salt
4 salted anchovies
8 oz. fresh morels, cleaned and cut in quarters
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of Basic Tomato Sauce (see below)
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves, minced
1 cup brown chicken, veal or beef stock
2 tablespoons toasted fennel seeds, or 2 teaspoons wild fennel pollen
¼ cup packed basil leaves, washed, dried and julienned
Groviera or Toma Piemontese for serving
Roll out the pasta dough to the thinnest setting on a pasta machine. Cut the dough, crosswise into ¼ inch wide strips. Place the tagliatelle on a sheet tray that has been dusted with semolina flour, cover with a clean dish towel and set aside.
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt
Under running water, rinse the anchovies well, remove the heads, tails and spines, and finely chop them. In a 12 to 14 inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic briefly, just until begins to soften, about 20 seconds. Add the anchovies and cook for a few seconds more, then add the sliced morels. Sauté the ingredients together until the mushrooms just begin to release their juices and brown around the edges.
Add tomato sauce to the pan, along with the basil and marjoram and bring the mixture to a boil; cook for a minute, then add the stock. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes or so, until the sauce is reduced by one-third.
Cook the tagliatelle in the boiling water until tender yet al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some ofthe cooking water, and add the pasta to the pan with the fennel seeds and basil. Toss over high heat to coat the pasta, adding pasta cooking-water if necessary to keep the sauce from getting too tight.
Divide equally among four heated pasta plates and grate the Groviera or Toma cheese over each plate, and serve immediately.
BASIC PASTA DOUGH
3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs
½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Mound 3½ cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and the olive oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.
As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.
Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly reflour the board and continue kneading for six more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll or shape as desired.
Basic Tomato Sauce
Makes 4 cups
Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tablespoon dried
½ medium carrot, finely shredded
2 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes
Kosher salt, to taste
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the carrot I quite soft. With your hands, crush the tomatoes and add them with their juices. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve.
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