Feb. 16: Amante della pasta

A while back I attempted a rave review of the dinner we were served when we visited Jack and Nobbi. I don’t think I did that meal justice in my reporting; it really was exquisite. I mentioned the unique pasta they served us—maccheroncelli—and guess what? A Christmas elf named Sherilee sent me some for Christmas!

Clever, sneaky elves that use their powers for good are the best kind, especially when they’re my friend.

I wanted to wait for a special occasion to make it, and Katie’s birthday last week was the perfect opportunity; every time she’s opened the pantry since Christmas she’s asked if we can cook up “the big noodles.” The cooking suggestions I found across the Internet recommended a thick, hearty sauce to go with maccheroncelli so I went with a Bolognese. However, I thought pesto would be good too, and being able to see the noodles through the sauce was a plus. Why does being able to see through the sauce make me so happy? I have no idea. I also provided an Alfredo sauce for no reason whatsoever.

Everyone at the table made up their pasta a little bit differently. Katie ate hers with a bit of olive oil and myzithra cheese. Jack had browned butter and myzithra—you can tell our kids enjoy the Spaghetti Factory, huh?—and the rest of us used combinations of the Bolognese, pesto, and Alfredo sauces with shaved parmesan and reggiano cheeses. My plate:



The verdict: Il piatto della pasta era squisito (thank you babelfish, BTW). Maccheroncelli isn’t the easiest thing to eat; it doesn’t wrap around your fork like most long noodles, and that means you end up cutting a lot of it. But it’s still tasty, and it’s kinda fun to have an unusual pasta once in a while, don’t you think?

You can find your own maccheroncelli at a specialty shop near you, or by searching the Internet, or by coming to my house. I have two more boxes!

Thank you, Sherilee, for this Italian delight! We’re planning to experiment with it again soon.