PENNE DELL' ORTOLANO (UMBRIAN GREENGROCER-STYLE PENNE)

May 11

May 11 PENNE DELL' ORTOLANO (UMBRIAN GREENGROCER-STYLE PENNE)

The Kitchen Scholar

Starches and Grains

SOURCE: GIULIANO BUGIALLI. GIULIANO BUGIALLI’S CLASSIC TECHNIQUES OF ITALIAN COOKING.

For a mountainous region lavished with reddish-brown mineral deposits of iron and manganese oxide pigments that darkly shaded the chiaroscuro paintings of Caravaggio and Rembrandt, Umbria has displaced its umber-quarrying etymology to a distant memo… — For a mountainous region lavished with reddish-brown mineral deposits of iron and manganese oxide pigments that darkly shaded the *chiaroscuro* paintings of Caravaggio and Rembrandt, Umbria has displaced its umber-quarrying etymology to a distant memory. The modern title, “The Green Heart of Italy”, directly refers to a line from ***The Head-waters of Clitumnus*** by 1906 ***Nobel Prize*** honoree Giosuè Carducci. Enter the *ortolano* or the greengrocer, who perpetuates Umbria’s poetic designation with an environmentally sustainable idea for his unsold fresh produce. His task is pretty simple- just transform his mix of leftover aromatic vegetables and herbs into a consummate and satisfying *battuto* pasta sauce.

Ingredients

1 pound/500 grams carrots, peeled

Salt to taste

2 cups/110 grams finely chopped red onions

2/3 cup/70 grams finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon/9 grams finely chopped garlic

1 1/2 tablespoon/6 grams finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

1 pound/500 grams penne

1/2 cup/120 grams unsalted butter

1/3 cup/80 mL olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

OPTIONAL:4 to 6 tablespoons/25 to 40 grams freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Specific Equipment

Medium-sized pot

Mixing bowl

Deep-bottomed stockpot

Colander

Deep-bottomed saucepan

Serves 4 to 6

Instructions

1. Soak the carrots in cold water for 30 minutes.

2. Fill the medium-sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Stir in the salt and drop in the carrots. Boil the carrots for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the carrots from the pot and coarsely chop the carrots into bite-sized pieces. Set the carrots aside to cool.

3. Combine the chopped red onions, celery, garlic, and parsley in a mixing bowl until well-blended. Drain the penne in the colander.

4. Cook the penne in a stockpot of boiling salted water until al dente or almost but not quite tender.

5. Place the butter and oil in a deep-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté in the carrots for 2 minutes. Stir in the mixture of onions, celery, garlic, and parsley and cook for 1 minute.

6. Toss in the drained penne and season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Continue tossing the pasta over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and transfer the pasta to a serving platter. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, if desired.