“The maltagliati – its name literally means ‘badly cut’ – is a fresh and simple dish with nowhere to hide. It’s been a perennial favourite at the restaurant for close to 20 years now. If the calamari is not the absolute best, we will not serve it.” Steven Rofe, Café di Stasio, St Kilda, Vic
Ingredients
Maltagliati
Method
Main
1.For maltagliati, combine flour, breadcrumbs, parsley and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Form a well in the centre, add eggs, stir to combine, turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (5-7 minutes). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (1 hour). Feed dough through a pasta machine starting at the widest setting, flouring dough as you fold and feed it through, reducing settings notch by notch, until pasta is 3mm thick. Cut into two 60cm sheets, place on a lightly floured work surface, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rest (5-10 minutes). Cut pasta sheets into 2.5cm-wide strips using a fluted wheel cutter, then cut on an angle to form even diamond shapes. Spread pasta diamonds on a tray lightly dusted with fine semolina and set aside to dry (3 hours).
2.Heat olive oil in a frying pan over high heat, add calamari, salad onion, radicchio and garlic, stir occasionally until radicchio wilts (2-3 minutes), deglaze with wine and season to taste.
3.Meanwhile, cook maltagliati in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (3-4 minutes). Drain pasta (reserve 30ml pasta water), add to calamari with reserved water, toss to combine, season to taste and serve.
This recipe is from the May 2011 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Notes
