Pisarei e faso – Lockdown larder.

There is an old wives’ tale attached to this pasta shape. Due to the shape, the thumb is used to apply pressure to the dough forming a dent, hence possibly leaving a tough outer skin on the thumb if they were made often enough. If a well-used thumb was seen on a young lady then is was said she would make a perfect wife and mother. Pisarei (pasta dumplings) are still made by grandmothers, mothers and daughters and are from the province of Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna. The art of making pasta is still very much loved in Italy, especially within the family home, and I like the idea of the fairy tale too, which adds a sense of romance.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Italian

Keyword Breadcrumb Gnocchi with Beans, Dumpling and Beans, Pasta Dumpling with Beans

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Servings 4

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTA:

400 gm 00 Flour
150 gm Stale White Breadcrumbs
350-380 ml Warm water

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 tsp Olive oil
1 Medium Shallot peeled and finely chopped
30 gm Lard
2 Garlic cloves peeled and crushed
Small bunch of Parsley chopped
600 gm Passata
100 ml Water
1 tsp Tomato Puree
1 x 400 gm Tin Borlotti Beans drained
Salt and Pepper to season
10 Basil Leaves torn
70 gm Parmesan grated

Instructions

Into a bowl, tumble in the flour and breadcrumbs and stir.
Make a well in the centre and slowly add the water.
Form the mixture into a ball of dough using your hands.
Knead for 4 minutes on a lightly floured surface until elastic and smooth. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Once rested, cut the dough into four portions. Roll each quarter out into thin sausages. Using a knife, cut each into small pieces of dough. The pasta should not be too thick and should be the size of a swollen borlotti bean. Use your thumb to push each small piece and make a concave dent.
Continue making the pasta in this way. Place each dumpling onto a clean tea towel to dry a little whilst you make the sauce.
Into a shallow saucepan, add the olive oil and onion. Fry off the shallot for 2 minutes over a low heat until softened.
Add the lard, garlic and parsley. Stir well.
Pour in the passata along with the water, tomato purée and drained borlotti beans. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Cook slowly for 30 minutes.
Cook the pisarei in salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving a small ladle of the starchy pasta water.
Add the pasta and reserved water to the sauce and stir gently. Add the basil leaves.
Serve in bowls with some grated Parmesan.

Notes

CARMELA’S TIPS
If you prefer, you can soak beans the day before and cook them for much longer. I cheat by using canned as they take a lot of the initial preparation out of cooking. Borlotti beans can be replaced with cannellini beans, butter beans or chickpeas.