We’ve explored the land of the Monferrato and the Asti Monferrato hills that are a UNESCO World Heritage site in a previous article. We have also talked about piedmontese cuisine and food in the Monferrato with an starter/appetizer recipe for traditional chicken salad. Today, in the next part of our series walking you through an authentic Italian meal from start to finish, we get to the primi piatti, or pasta dishes. Learn what is a ‘primo piatto’, how to make one yourself, and what wine to pair with different pastas (hint, search for a winery with a lot of variety like Ivaldi who has dry white sparkling wines, sweet wines, such as Moscato d’Asti and red spumante Brachetto d’Acqui, and also delicious red Barbera wines ranging from the young, fresh and fruity Barbera d’Asti to the oak-aged barbera Nizza DOCG.)

Let’s go make some pasta!

Pasta in the Monferrato

In Italy, pasta is not served as ‘dinner’, but rather as a course, following an antipasto (check out one from the Monferrato in our last article HERE), or followed by an entrée, also called a secondo (subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to find out when our Monferrato secondo recipe comes out!)

While most primo recipes are pasta based, not all are. For example, lasagna (like this recipe from Abruzzo made with crepes) and rice based risotto (like this recipe with tuma cheese and Barolo wine) are also primo dishes.

In the Monferrato where most meals include some form of pasta, primo dishes are widely varied. Some primo plates are stuffed, like the agnolotti ai tre arrosti (three roast ravioli). The name comes from the filling: all the ugly off cuts of three types of roasts (rabbit/chicken, beef, and pork) are kept and then minced together. They are cut differently than the Langhe agnolotti del plin which are normally stuffed with just beef and pork, then formed by pinching (or plin in dialect) the ends to form the distinctive shape. Agnolotti from the Monferrato are traditionally a square shape, cut and crimped on all four sides. They are usually made with a little handheld press to help crimp and seal the edges.

Flat pastas are common too, most common being the exceptionally thin and fine Tajarin. Chefs pride themselves in how thin can they hand slice their tajarin without using a machine. You can find a recipe for tajarin with ragu from a traditional Langhe Trattoria in our previous article HERE. Another traditional and easy to make type of pasta are noodles known as lasagnette, or ‘little lasagna’.  Paper thin and about the width of your finger, they don’t require near as much technical handiwork as the very thin tajarin. 

Part of the beauty and versatility of the primo plate is the combination of pasta type with sauces. While it is true certain pastas go better with certain sauces (for example the lasagnette pairs well with chunky sauces, like the fresh mushroom one below), you can always try to mix and match to find your own personal favorite combo! Some traditional sauces from the Monferrato are butter and sage with agnolotti or a bolognese style meat ragu sauce with tajarin. Pesto or basil-based sauces from the Ligurian influence in the Monferrato are also commonly found, and great for summer months. With the world famous Alba White Truffle coming into season, winter months often see a lot of tajarin dressed with just simple salted butter and shaved truffles. In the fall, when fresh porcini mushrooms or the galliture (oyster mushrooms) are found in the forests, hillsides and mountains, mushroom pasta is a welcome addition to fall tables.

Wine Pairing with Pasta in the Monferrato

When considering pasta and primo recipes, there is such a wide variety of flavors and textures, you need to consider versatility. A four generation winery like Ivaldi in Nizza Monferrato has a little bit of something for nearly every type of pasta you can dream up! Between all their versatile and varied wines, you can find something for every dish, and every person. Simple butter and sage? Try bubbles and their Andrea Alta Langa. A mushroom pasta like our recipe below? Try a fresh, young red like the single vineyard Piccona Barbera d’Asti. A hot bowl of tajarin and ragu, simmered for hours? An aged complex red like their Nizza DOCG is a unique alternative to nearby Barolos or Barbarescos that will be a wine pairing to remember. Finishing off the meal with a little dessert? Sweet wines from Ivaldi are delicous to pair with, such as their Moscato d’Asti and Brachetto d’Acqui. No matter your need, dish, or personal preference, Ivaldi can help you serve a great Monferrato meal… from start to finish!

Meet and Taste with the Winemaker

In fact, you can meet and taste alongside Andrea Ivaldi on Wednesday October 5th at 3pm ET / 12pm PT on Zoom for a VeroTalk live from the Ivaldi’s wine cellar in Nizza Monferrato. We will be tasting the full lineup of his 5 wines. Purchase our Asti Monferrato Explorer Set to get started tasting, and with shipping included add on the sparkling Alta Langa and aged Nizza DOCG to be able to taste along with Andrea and wine educator Mary Beth Vierra all 5 of Ivaldi’s Monferrato wines. Visit the VeroTalk page to learn more about this event.

Register to participate on Zoom and buy the Ivaldi wines to taste along with the winemaker live from the Monferrato. But before, be sure to try the traditional chicken salad recipe and this Lasagnette and Mushroom Pasta out for yourself, and taste a little bit of the Monferrato, wherever you are!

Lasagnette con Funghi - Lasagnette and Mushroom Pasta

Cooking and Prep Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Lasagnette:
5 eggs
450g semola flour
40g all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil 

For the Mushroom Sauce:
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
500g fresh mushrooms
300g tomato sauce
q.b chopped parsley
q.b Salt/Pepper
q.b. Olive Oil
q.b Grated Parmesan

Suggested Wine Pairings
Ivaldi | Piccona Barbera d'Asti Single Vineyard Red Wine

Procedure:

1. Start by making your pasta.  In a bowl or mixer, make a well in the flour and add your eggs.  Add salt and olive oil, then begin to mix.  If too wet, add a sprinkle of flour, if too dry or sandy in texture, add a few drops of water at a time until it begins to form up.  When a uniform mixture, cover and let rest.

2. Wash and cut the mushrooms into large chunks, and set aside. In a pot, begin to sauté the onions.  When translucent and soft, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.  Add the mushrooms and let everything cook together, stirring to not let burn.

3.  When the mushrooms are nearly cooked and the water evaporated, add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add a sprinkling of parsley for color.  Let simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally while you prepare your lasagnette pasta. 

4. Uncover your pasta and with a pasta machine set on the largest level, roll out several times the pasta, then move it to a medium width, and roll out several times more.  Lastly, move it to the smallest setting and carefully roll out paper thin sheets of pasta about 12 inches in length.  Let these sheets dry for about 10 minutes.  Then, with lots of flour, lay one on top of the other, and roll them up together.  Starting at one end, slice in pieces about ½ inch wide, or roughly the width of your finger.  Gently shake the noodles to separate into a messy pile to allow them to dry, or you can use them right away.

5. Bring a pot of salted water to boil, and heat some mushroom sauce in a skillet. Drop the lasagnette into the boiling water and let cook for 3-4 minutes maximum. Drain and mix the pasta with the heated sauce in the skillet. Serve with grated parmesan on top and glass of Barbera d’Asti.

N.B. This recipe is courtesy of Trattoria Risorgimento in Treiso, Italy.

Get Olive Oil and Wine to Pair for this Monferrato Recipe

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