Tagliatelle Paglia e Fieno, a classic Italian pasta dish. ‘Paglia’ means ‘Straw’ and ‘Fieno’ means ‘Hay’ – the yellow pasta and the green pasta made by adding blended spinach to the pasta dough. An easy to prepare dish and always welcome at the dinner table.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (160 g) frozen artichoke hearts, halved or quartered
- 5 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 lb (115 g) prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, sliced thinly
- 1/2 lb (225 g) fresh spinach Tagliatelle
- 1/2 lb (225 g) fresh plain Tagliatelle
- grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place artichoke quarters, cut side down and sauté them for about 3 minutes or until golden on the sides. Set them on kitchen towels to drain.
In the same skillet add the remaining tablespoons of olive oil and sauté shallot and garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook it until the wine is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Add the prosciutto strips and sauté it briefly until crisp, about 2-3 minutes more. Set aside on a plate.
Add chicken stock to the same skillet. Bring to a gentle boil, scraping the bottom of the skillet to obtain the nice brown bits clinging to it. Add the heavy cream and continue to cook until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring now and then. Add half of the parsley and basil.
Bring a pot with salt water to a boil add a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the pasta and cook it as instructed or until “al dente”. Drain keeping a 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the cooking liquid to thin up the pasta sauce, if necessary.
Return pasta to the pot. Add the cream mixture, the shallot, prosciutto mix, and the artichokes. Toss gently until pasta and other ingredients are well incorporated. Use some fresh basil for decor and serve it with grated Parmesan.
