Scialatielli alla primavera
Everyone I know has tried pasta… but have you tried scialatielli? A recent innovation from the 1960s, this relatively short, thick, slightly irregular, slightly curvy shaped pasta originates from the Amalfi region where chef Enrico Cosentino decided to experiment with pasta dough in the 1960s. Instead of eggs, he added milk and he flavoured the mixture with extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil leaves, and parmigiano. It was so good that the fresh pasta earned him the first Michelin star in Campania! Shortly after, a dried version quickly gained a following even though it didn’t have any of those ingredients. Often served with fish and seafood, scialatielli pasta is so versatile that it is perfect for almost any sauce! No wonder scialatielli have been recognized in Campania as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale, a designation status of traditional food products, attributed by the regional government, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. And thanks to Nardini’s Private Label, scialatielli can be your next award-winning dish!Just a quick tip...Select 3 to 5 of your favourite vegetables for this recipe. Do not feel limited to the vegetables listed in this version. Try not to stress too much about the amounts. Even the order of cooking the vegetables can vary. There are just a few key steps that are important.- Be sure to use a large enough pan to cook the vegetables. Remember that it needs to be large enough to hold the pasta and allow for amply tossing. - Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil as it adds flavour and contributes to the velvety sauce.- Use whatever aromatics you like. Consider onions and/or garlic. Adding garlic towards the end of cooking gives a different flavour than starting with it.- When you are cooking the vegetables, remember that some vegetables will cook faster than others. You may also want to consider your preference of doneness.- Keep the pasta undercooked by a few minutes (less done than al dente) to add to the pan with vegetables. It will continue cooking as you are tossing it. Be sure to add some of the starchy pasta water to help with the emulsification. - Just before serving, drizzle with a little olive oil for extra flavour.
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp Nardini Private Label Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
- 1 large sweet Vidalia onion thickly sliced
- 1 large red or yellow bell pepper thickly sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced or cubes
- 2 handfuls green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut in half
- ½ cup Nardini Private Label sundried oil-packed tomatoes
- ½ cup white wine or chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- Fresh basil leaves torn
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Put large pot of water to boil. When water comes to a boil, salt generously and add pasta. Stir for a minute, cover with lid to bring back to a boil. Once boilling, remove lid, stir, and cook until almost done, about 10 minutes. Start preparing sauce while waiting for water to boil and while pasta is cooking.
- Place pan on medium high heat and add 5 tbsp oil.
- When hot, add onions and garlic. Stir for a few minutes.
- Add peppers and zucchini. Cook for a few minutes. Then add white wine and cover pan with lid for a couple of minutes.
- Remove lid. Add string beans, asparagus, and oregano. Stir and cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in garlic. Do not burn garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for a minute.
- When pasta is just about done, use spider to lift pasta and place in pan.
- Add one ladle of pasta water and toss.
- Drizzle few tablespoons of olive oil and toss.
- Increase heat and toss continuously for a couple of minutes. Tossing the pasta and liquid is critical as it helps with the emulsion of the creamy sauce.
- Add a few tablespoons of cheese and torn basil. Toss again. The sauce should be minimal but creamy. If too dry, add more pasta water and toss.
- Serve hot with an extra drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of cheese.
Notes
Try your own favourite combination of vegetables.
Add freshly sauteed shrimp or leftover cooked chicken to increase the protein.