Zipping through the neighborhood with minutes to spare before friends arrived for an impromptu dinner Friday night, I had only a loose inspiration for a pasta with Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper), an old Roman recipe that depends on having fresh, good-quality Pecorino Romano, pasta and peppercorns. That seemed like a good place to start.
Recipe: Strozzapretti with Pecorino, Prosciutto and Something Green
From there, I imagined egg yolks, prosciutto and some kind of green element. The idea was to make something fresh and seasonal, but adaptable no matter the season. This time I used chopped Belgian Endive, but in the summer you could substitute basil, baby chard leaves, or just about anything light and green from the soil. For winter, try chicories, chard while you can still get it, kale (cook it down first), or whatever else you can find that is in season.
The pasta shape we used was Strozzapretti, which means "Choked Priest" (grim, indeed) and it holds onto the yolky sauce nicely. Rustichella d'Abruzzo, a brand of pasta found in many gourmet shops and online, makes a nice Strozzapretti. Of course, you may substitute other pasta shapes in this recipe. Try something small that will hold the sauce and nestle with the sheds of prosciutto, like penne or orechhiette. If you are concerned about Salmonella, use pasteurized eggs (I got mine, along with my Pecorino and Prosciutto, at Murray's and they come from a small upstate farm). But know that the yolks will cook a bit when you add the hot pasta and broth.
Strozzapretti with Pecorino, Prociutto and Something Green
serves 4
1 lb Strozzapretti pasta
1 cup chicken stock
6 egg yolks
1 cups freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus 1/2 cup chopped
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon good quality, flaky salt
3 heads Belgian endive, chopped cross-wise to within 1 inch of stem, or total 2 cups chopped green (herbs, cooked kale, chard, etc.)
1/4 lb prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces.
Set a large pot of water to boil. In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer over low flame.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine egg yolks, Pecorino, pepper, and salt. Whisk gently. Add endive.
When the pot of water reaches a boil, add a good shake of salt and cook pasta to al dente. Drain it quickly and toss into the bowl with the egg mixture, allowing some of the pasta water to mix in. Pour the simmered stock over the pasta and toss everything together gently.
Divide between four warm pasta bowls and lay a nice handful of prosciutto across each portion. Serve immediately.
Comments (11)
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I am so making that this week, only with spinach and pancetta, because that's what I have on hand right now.
view zunzie's profile
yum
view art's profile
I used to make a variation of this -- basically, sautéed onions, chopped mushrooms with red wine vinegar, salt and pepper; in a separate bowl, egg yolks beaten with very sharp grated cheddar & parmesan; pasta al denté, drained with some water retained, and everything mixed together in pot. At the time, pasteurized eggs did not exist, so I would put it back on the heat for a bit, careful not to scramble everything. Somehow, the vinegar and cheese would keep that from happening.
This is my favourite shape of pasta -- had no idea what the name meant!
view monika1's profile
The recipe sounds good, but the photo creeps me out, and I'm not even a vegetarian.
view quercus's profile
I wish I'd read this post earlier. I just did my grocery shopping for the next 3 to 4 days, and I want to eat this tomorrow night.
view MMG's profile
sounds delish - can you freeze the egg whites so they don't get wasted? i usually never do yolk only or white only recipes because i can't think of what else to do with the other part!
view Joan in SB's profile
You can successfully freeze egg whites. Don't forget to mark on the jar or bag how many you put in.
view quercus's profile
Actually, strozzapretti commonly translates to "priest stranglers" - the priest eats it so fast he strangles!
view MP's profile
I just made a variation on this the other night (with canadian bacon and basil) - it was so good! Especially the pasta you recommended... trying out a new variety was fun. I felt like there was a lot of liquid once I added the broth, though. But still, it was delicious, and perfect for a night when there was 3 feet of snow on the ground and I didn't want to go out shopping!
BTW, for those who don't like making yolks-only or whites-only recipes, how about putting them on a list so that you'll have a counterpart ready? The other night I did a fritatta with some egg whites, and then made chocolate pudding the next night with the other yolks.
view SisterRae's profile
Looks amazing! thank you!
view Lorilei's profile
Made this (or something similar) last week and it was FABULOUS. Only used 1 egg, about 1/3 c broth, 2/3 bag of baby spinach leaves, and whole wheat penne. Boyfriend agreed- it is probably one of the tastiest dishes I've cooked.
I couldn't find the recommended pasta though. Does anyone in Austin know where I can get it?
view ashleym's profile