Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 48
THE ISLAND WITHIN
discover that every single person had
brought enough homemade frittata,
focaccia, quiche, crostata and cake to
feed the entire group of 20-plus people.
One couple pulled out an entire leg of
homemade prosciutto and began slicing
it on the spot. Another group shared
around spoonfuls of homemade sheep’s
milk ricotta with homemade honey
– a demonstration of the pride that
is a Sardinian’s larder.
The scene isn’t reflective of the whole
island. It is often said that there are two
Sardinias: The Coast and The Interior.
The former is more international, more
developed, more modern, whereas the
true grit of the Sardinian soul resides
inland. Here, the same scraggy sheep
graze the same pastures, the olive trees
stand silver and unmoved for centuries.
Yet there is a slow sort of tourism
emerging, taking root and growing like
an olive sapling. This tourism is so slow,
so small, that many practitioners do
not even have a website or (the horror!)
an Instagram page.
Mario Cesare (the sister b&b to the
aforementioned Domu Antiga) has
SERVES 2
When I talk about a dish being
a carbonara, I mean the method
of creating a creamy pasta
sauce with eggs that are cooked
just enough to emulsify and
thicken but not so much as to
become scrambled or solid.
I prefer carbonara sauces made
without pancetta/guanciale,
as I find the classic version
of the dish quite heavy, so
instead I like to use vegetables.
Artichokes, peas, broad
beans and braised greens all
make delicious carbonaras,
as do courgettes.
This courgette carbonara is
lifted by a hefty hit of lemon
(both zest and juice), which cuts
through the richness of the
eggs beautifully. Choose small,
young courgettes: their flavour
is superior and they have a lower
water content. I also use
pecorino sardo, which has both
46
TA S T E B O U N D
The Sardinian pastas to seek out, from ‘threads of God’ to hand-twisted spirals
Culurgiones (below)
Delicate dumplings from
Ogliastra, filled with potato,
garlic, mint and pecorino.
Claudia Casu of Sardegna
Cooking Studio makes
some of the best.
Fregola
Toasted, nutty Sardinian
couscous – eaten in broths
or risotto-style with seafood,
sausage or artichokes.
Lorighittas (right)
Little hand-braided pasta
rings from Morgongiori,
which look like baby’s
bracelets; often paired
with chicken ragù.
Chiusoni
A rustic pasta from
northern Sardinia: these
small, conch-shaped
curls are pressed against
a basket to create their
distinctive rough texture.
but two rooms and, until recently,
you wouldn’t have been able to find it
online. Giulia (the daughter of Domu
Antiga’s owners and sister of Samuel,
who runs a nearby mini dairy making
Su filindeu
One of the world’s rarest
pastas: just a few women still
know how to make these
fine, interwoven threads of
semola, which are broken
into pieces and served in
broth. The name ‘threads of
God’ is testament to the
hours of labour that go into
their heavenly taste.
raw sheep’s milk cheeses) bought this
simple mud-brick dwelling from the
postman, who had been left it by the
local artist and recluse Mario Cesare,
who lived within the grounds, without
a lemony flavour and nutty
sweetness that work perfectly
here. If you can’t find it, use
Parmesan or a mix of pecorino
romano and Parmesan.
I often make the sautéed
courgettes the night before
and keep them in the fridge.
I use smooth penne, but
spaghetti or rigatoni also work.
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4tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
plus extra to serve
1 garlic clove, bashed
2 medium or 3 small
courgettes, sliced in half
lengthways, then into
half moons
180g pasta of your choice
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks
4tbsp grated pecorino (or
Parmesan), plus extra to
serve
zest 1 small lemon and juice
1/2 small lemon
basil leaves, to serve
Heat the oil in a frying pan over
a medium-low heat, then fry the
garlic clove until it just begins to
sizzle and smell good. Add the
courgette slices and sauté,
stirring regularly, until they are
golden all over, beginning to
break down and become almost
jammy. Season with salt and set
aside (or leave to cool, then keep
in the fridge for future use).
Cook the pasta to packet
instructions in a large pan of
salted boiling water until al dente.
Meanwhile, mix the egg, yolks,
cheese and lemon zest and juice
into the courgette mixture and
begin to heat very gently, stirring
all the time. With a slotted
spoon, scoop the pasta into the
courgette pan with a splash or
two of the cooking water. Stir
and toss over a low heat until the
sauce is creamy and coats the
pasta. Taste for seasoning, add a
few basil leaves, some extra
Parmesan and a drizzle of olive
oil, then serve immediately.
Variation
Artichoke carbonara
Make as for lemon and courgette
carbonara, but in place of the
courgettes, use 4-5 prepared,
sliced artichoke hearts and
finish with fresh chopped mint
rather than basil.
PHOTOS: CHARLOTTE BLAND; MATT RUSSELL; TEAL THOMSEN
Lemon and
courgette
carbonara
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