Bella Dona dei Sorci

Ciao and benvenuto!

My name is Lady Bella Dona dei Sorci, however, many just call me Bella. I am Sicilian and Indian and I was raised in my family's deep Sicilian heritage and tradition. I suppose one could say that pasta making is in my blood.

From a very young age, four or five years old, I have fond memories of my grandmother, aunts, cousins, my sister and me pushing tables together in the kitchen, dining room and living room to make thousands of raviolini. We would spend days making enough pasta and marinara to feed the whole family all year, while spending nights drinking limoncello, laughing together and playing bocce. In addition to the chickens my grandfather raised for food, we would pick fresh fruit and vegetables for every meal.

"Kristin, vai a raccongliere i fagioli!" (When I was younger, it was my job to pick the beans.) I would sit and snap the ends off of the sun warmed beans, peel and crack the sundried shells of the pecans until my fingers stained, boil the milk for the ricotta, pick and wash the tomatoes, grind the meat, carefully gather garden basil and oregano and always remember to shake off the bugs before bringing them inside, slice the figs to ready them for the drying process, and gently collect the eggs, all while taking time in between my tasks to slowly learn how to make pasta. They would say, "Usa le tuoi mani", you must always use your hands to knead the dough. I would ask my great aunts when I was done kneading, and they would always reply the same, "I'll tell you when, and from then on, you'll know." I can say now unequivocally that they were right.

There wasn't much measuring that I can remember. Just strong, knowing, twisted fingers measuring by memory and feel. They would measure with knuckles, by texture and taste, and by color.

My grandfather would come in to refill his gin martini and sneak pieces of castoff raw dough. He'd immediately be ushered back out again by angry aunts shouting Sicilian obscenities and waving rolling pins. "Yea, yea, yea. . . " he would grunt, knowing it was always a battle he was destined to lose. My great grandmother would smack him for getting in the way, and shove him out the back door to adjourn with the rest of the waiting males in the family. They would usually be building things or getting into trouble, or building things to get into trouble, and we would sing songs passed down from generation to generation and dance while we worked.

This is how I learned. This is what I know. And so, this is how I pass on the tradition.

Please feel free to sign my guestbook below and include any questions or comments you have.

Tanti baci,

Bella

Princess' Artisan

A VERY brief history of pasta.

(for the sake of our sanity)

The history of pasta is a long standing and continually ongoing discussion by historians, pastaio, and nonne around the globe. The following is a very brief description of these pasta origin belief systems.

Many believe that the origin of pasta began in China. It is said that when Marco Polo visited China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), he found that the Chinese had been consuming noodles as early as 3000 B.C. in the original Qinghai province. There is evidence found in 2005 of a 4,000 year old overturned sealed bowl of noodles made from foxtail and broomcorn millet, grains indigenous to China and widely cultivated there 7,000 years ago. The bowl, discovered in the Lajia archeological site in northwestern China, was buried under 10 feet of sediment. "This is the earliest empirical evidence of noodles ever found," Houyuan Lu of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at Beijing's Chinese Academy of Sciences said in an e-mail interview." - National Geographic.

However, there have been problems argued with this theory. Polo described the Chinese noodles he saw as being like "Lagana", (In ancient Greek and Roman cuisine the laganon, used by Apicius in a similar way as the medieval lasagna to make a couple of patinae in which layers of pasta alternate with other ingredients. According to a short note written by Hesychius, ancient laganon (in the plural form, lagana) was a circular shaped and thin sheet, let dry and then deep fried in oil ), which implies he was possibly already familiar with a similar boiled dough before embarking to China. There is also a story in ancient Greek mythology that describes the Greek god Hephaestus pushing dough through a device that converts it into thin, edible threads.

From Apicius’ De Re Coquinaria 7.11.3

Aliter dulcia: siligineos rasos frangis, et buccellas maiores facies. in lacte infundis, frigis [et] in oleo, mel superfundis et inferes.

“Slice fine white bread, remove the crust, and break it into large pieces. Soak these pieces in milk and beaten egg, fry in oil, and cover with honey before serving.”

The modern pasta as we now know and love was first described by Arab geographer Idrisi in 1154, as being common in Sicily. Many food historians believe Arabs brought pasta to Sicily from Libya, during the Arab conquests in the 9th century AD. It is also widely accepted that by the 12th century, Sicilians had learned how to dry and preserve pasta for storage and travel from the Arabs. This acceptance is further supported by Arab gastronomic introductions in many old Sicilian pasta recipes. (Sicilian Pasta with Sardines and Wild Fennel. – The Pasta Project (the-pasta-project.com) )

In the 14th century, book-makers in Lombardy published an illustrated Latin edition of the encyclopedic 11th-century health manual by Ibn butlan of baghdad. It included a recipe for pasta, called trij, and this illustration of women rolling and drying it.

Main types of pasta dough.

Semolina Pasta Dough

Semolina is a milled flour of durum wheat, (or other hard wheat), used mainly in pasta.

Semolina dough, a typically eggless dough, is comprised of Semolina and warm salt water, and is wonderful for drying. It is a beautifully malleable dough that is particularly suited for hand made shapes.

Egg Pasta Dough

Egg dough, heavy in egg yolks for richness, is often used in pasta lunga, as it is firmer and will hold it's shape while being rolled out and cut. This is not to say that egg dough is never used for hand shaping, only that this dough has a stiff texture less like playdough and closer to pie dough.

Traditional tools of a Pastaio.

(Tools passed down to me have been noted.)

gnocchi board

This Beechwood paddle is widely used for making the traditional grooves that you see in malloreddus, gnocchi, garganelli and many other variants. These tools are always made of wood and never have a varnish, as that would contaminate the pasta.

The gnocchi board, or paddle, can be used with a roller or by using your fingers to run the pasta down the paddle to ensure a consistent grooves that will allow the pasta, or in the case of gnocchi - dumplings, to not only be more ornate, but to also absorb more pasta to its surface area, and to cook more evenly.

The grooves on this tool can be mimicked by rolling pasta down the prongs of a fork.

Ferretto

The ferretto (or fero), meaning "wire" and "iron", is a roughly 30 cm brass tool used for making all pasta al ferretti. This 5x5 millimeter, square Calabrian tool is typically used to make pasta shapes includingbBucatini, maccheroni, busiate, and fusilli.

The dough is rolled around the ferretto, making the desired corkscrew result.

The action of this tool can be mimicked by using a knitting needle or a pencil.

Raviolini and Ravioli Roller

A raviolini, or ravioletti, roller is used to press dough together with filling to make many small raviolo at one time. This type of roller is available in large and small quantities, and is typically about two feet in length. Fashioned out of a more durable wood, and always unvarnished, this roller is a staple for families looking to make multiple raviolino quickly. There are also ravioli rollers that produce less, but larger raviolo.

Raviolo are also made by hand, and as such, are the substitution for this tool.

(Dark roller pictured is my great grandmother's.)

Raviolo Stamp

The ravioli stamp, or timbro di ravioli, is made in both round and square fluted shapes. With a wooden handle and steel stamp, these are use to flute and cut individual raviolo.

This tool is generally 1 to 1.5 inches squared.

Wood Rolling Pin

It is believed that the cylindrical wooden tool called a rolling pin was first used by the Etruscan civilization in Italy starting in 800 BC.

Now often seen with or without carved handles, traditional rolling pins were fashioned out of wood without a varnish, and without handles. These long cylinders typically range from one foot to one meter and are an essential tool for both home and professional pasta makers alike.

This tool can be substituted with a wine bottle. (Rolling pin pictured was handed down from my grandmother and it is one meter in length.

Fluted and Non Fluted single Bicicletta

Whether homemade or professionally made, this traditional tool is a necessity.

The single bicicletta is used for making flat and fluted cuts and is essential for making farfalle, raviolo, mafaldine, and more.

(The fluted bicicletta with a triangular handle is one my grandfather made at age 15, in 1935, for his mother out of a pressed bottle cap.)

Corzetti Stamp

A corzetti stamp is a two-piece pasta tool: one piece is a pasta cutter, the other is an engraved stamp with a design that embosses itself on the pasta. These tools are traditionally handmade using quality woods and no paint or lacquer.

A Ligurian pasta tool, corzetti del Levante are described as ‘printed’ or ‘stamped’ due to the decoration stamped on these small circles of pasta.

Additional modern Pastaio tools.

Pasta Roller

Patented in 1930, the manual pasta roller appliance was invented by Otelio Mercato to be a hand powered device that would flatten, and sometimes cut, pasta dough with less arm power than was traditionally required to create pasta.

There are now multiple styles and designs of both manual and electric pasta rollers available.

Extendible Bicicletta

The bicicletta, meaning "bicycle", is a very sharp set of adjustable blades used for cutting equal sheets and pieces of pasta very quickly. This tool keeps pasta uniform to ensure even cooking and a pleasing visual uniformity. It helps to eliminate pasta scraps, as every sheet is measured exactly.

Made from stainless steel, this bicycle accordion is a pastaio's best friend. The bicicletta is used to make farfalle, gaganelli, pasta lunga, tortellini, strichetti, sacchetii, to name a few.

This tool can be substituted with a very sharp knife, or sharp bench scraper, and a clean ruler.

The following are my photos of some of my favorite pasta shapes. These shapes are all made by hand, using traditional Pastaio tools.

Malloreddus with Semolina Dough

These ridged shells are often called “little Sardinian gnocchi.” It’s so popular in Sardinia that it’s sometimes considered the island’s signature dish. Malloreddus is sometimes flavored using saffron, first introduced to the region by either the Moors or the Phoenicians.

Trofiette (or Trofie) with Egg Dough

The name for this Ligurian pasta might come from the word strufuggia, meaning ‘“to rub.” Originally, the pasta was prepared by rolling or rubbing pieces of pasta dough against a wooden board. Trofiette (sometimes also called trofie) comes from Recco in the Liguria region, the birthplace of focaccia.

Fagiolini (or Capunti) with Semolina Dough

Capunti — a short, oval pasta resembling an open pea pod — comes from Puglia (the heel of Italy’s boot) and is historically made by hand with the highest-quality durum wheat.

Tagliatelle with Egg Dough

These long, flat, and slightly narrow noodles come from Emilia-Romagna and Marche. According to legend, tagliatelle was invented in 1487, when Giovanni II of Bentivoglio, at the time Lord of Bologna, asked his chef to prepare a banquet in honor of Lucrezia Borgia. Lucrezia was due to visit the city on her way to Ferrara to marry Duke Alfonso D’Este. Bentivoglio wanted to honor the bride-to-be. While that story might be romantic, it’s likely that tagliatelle is centuries older. One mention of a precursor to this ribbon pasta appears in a 1338 encyclopedia of foods from the Emilia-Romagna region.

In order to be called tagliatelle, these pasta ribbons have to be a particular width (6-8mm wide). Make them too narrow and they could become fettuccine, and thinner still, you may end up with bavette or tagliolini. Make them too wide and they will turn into pappardelle.

Lasagne with Egg Dough

Lasagne are probably one of the oldest forms of pasta. The ancient Romans ate a dish which is believed to have been similar to today’s lasagne al forno (baked lasagna). This was a thin sheet of dough made from wheat flour, which was baked in the oven or directly on the fire. Some food historians believe this pasta to be even older, claiming that the word originally comes from the Ancient Greek word laganon and was ‘borrowed’ by the Romans. In both cases, the original words referred to a cooking pot and eventually the dish was named after the ‘pot’ it was prepared in.

Mafaldine with Egg Dough

Mafalda of Savoy was the second daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. When Mafalda was born in 1902, some pasta makers claimed they had created a new type of pasta to mark the occasion, although it is also said that the pasta existed before as ‘manfredine’ but the name was changed in honor of the princess.

Mafaldine, also known as mafalda or reginette (meaning little queens) are long wide flat pasta ribbons, similar to pappardelle, with scalloped or ruffled edges. They are made from durum wheat semolina and water and extruded through traditional bronze dies.

Cavatelli with Semolina Dough

Cavatelli are considered to be one of the oldest pasta types. Cavatelli have an elongated shape with a hollow cavity made by pressing one’s fingers into small pieces of pasta. But, the size of this pasta varies from region to region. It’s made by pressing a finger into the center of each piece of dough. The final result is a pasta that looks like a shell or a hot dog bun. Cavatelli is especially popular in the Puglia region.

Cencioni with Semolina Dough

Translated as "little rag" this pasta is oval shaped with a slight upward curl in the form of a small boat hull. Traditionally made with a rustic and rough texture, the ribs on this pasta work well to hold a variety of hearty pasta sauces and are created buy pulling the dough with a knife. Cencioni has a chewy consistency for main dishes or salads.

Fileja with Semolina Dough

Fileja, also known as Maccarruna, Maccarruni or Filedda in the local dialect, is a typical Calabrian pasta of ancient origins, which originated in the Calabrian province of Vibo Valentia. Usually 3 to 4mm thick at most, and slightly light yellow in color, Fileja are shaped like a screw which has been elongated. Some people also refer to them as fusilli, but they are actually quite different in shape to the fusilli most of us know and eat.

Farfalle with Semolina Dough

Farfalle pasta is actually one of the oldest pasta shapes. It originated during the 16^th century in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, where it is also known as ‘strichetti’. I have read that in Emilia, strichetti (today’s farfalle) were invented by housewives wanting to use up extra pasta dough left over from making filled cappelletti pasta. Apparently, once the filling ran out, the women of the region used up the remaining dough by making farfalle.

This pasta comes in different sizes; small ones are called farfalline and larger ones farfallone. There is also a ridged version known as farfalle rigate. This shape also looks like a bow-tie and, in fact, this pasta is often called bow-tie pasta outside of Italy.

Foglie D'ulivo with Semolina Dough

This southern Italian pasta is delicately crafted in the shape of olive leaves (hence the name). It’s sometimes dyed with spinach to give it a green hue and is served with a light sauce or with diced tomatoes and, of course, olives. Foglie d’ulivo is one of the pasta types particularly traditional in the Monti Dauni area of Puglia. The Monti Dauni or Daunian Mountains are a mountain range in Southern Italy on the northern border of Puglia with Molise and Campania. Like other mountainous parts of Italy, the cuisine is based on foraged foods and peasant traditions.

These are rustic pasta shapes made by rolling flour and water pasta dough into ‘snakes’. Then, these snakes are cut into small pieces and shaped using fingers, thumb, a knife or other tools. Orecchiette and cavatelli are the most well-known types of strascinati.

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