The interpretation of wheat according to Giuliano Montesanti: Autonomy B

When I was asked to interpret the scents of wheat by accompanying each pasta with the right seasoning I was surprised. It is not easy to taste monovarietal pastas and experience such different sensations, and when I tasted Donna Vittori's Cappelli, Autonomy B, and spelt pastas I immediately embraced the project of enhancing wheat by trying to enhance the sensory characteristics of the different pastas.

The three pastas are immediately different in terms of color and roughness starting from the light, almost whitish color of the Autonomia B soft wheat to the yellow color of the Cappelli durum wheat to a decidedly hazelnut color (dark at times) of the spelt spelt.

The palate is a further surprise. Each of them is different: spelt imposes itself with its strong character through its assertive, masculine taste. In contrast, Autonomy B is elegant, almost philosophical, while Cappelli has golden characteristics, as if to tell us that it is the lord of the wheat.

So I chose to accompany the sweetness of the soft wheat with the bitterness of chicory and lemon imagining I was in a meadow in spring, I then chose a meat sauce for the durum wheat pasta, and I referred back to one of the most popular dishes of Neapolitan and lower Lazio cuisine for spelt.

Autonomy B wheat casarecce pasta with chicory pesto, burrata cheese and lemon bread croumble

This recipe is inspired by the beauty of our countryside, the greenness of its meadows full of spring flowers, both in flavor and in planting. The countryside of Paliano and lower Lazio is full of chicory and tasty wild herbs, and it is easy to come across ladies bent over the lawn to 'capare le verdure'. To the flavors of these local wild herbs, I combined our Mediterranean scents of lemons by finishing the dish with raw oil, a true hymn to Italian-ness.

PROCEDURE:

First we need to prepare the pesto: let's blanch the chicory and immediately put it in water and ice so that it remains with a nice green color and good texture.

Next, we chop the almonds, Parmesan cheese, chicory, half a clove of garlic, salt and olive oil in a blender until the pesto has reached the right consistency.

To prepare the bread croumble we need to chop the bread and toast it in a nonstick pan with a drizzle of oil. Once toasted we season it with the grated zest of half a lemon and some thyme.

While we boil water in a pot, cook the pasta and drain it in a bowl where we will have put the pesto. Our advice is to pay attention to the cooking time so taste it often because wheat pasta cooks in a very short time and the cooking window is limited.

We will need to use a square mold for implanting, if possible. Once the pasta is implanted, we scatter the lemon bread croumble, place the burratina on top of the preparation and decorate the setting with wildflowers.

With this dish I would pair a white wine of good texture and body, one that has also matured in some wood so as to be able to counteract the bitterness of the chicory. Perhaps a typical varietal from the Latium coast such as Biancolella.

More Recipes...

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  Casarecce di Farro - The country traditions of our area.