Speaking of Oliviero’s sausages, this dish is the perfect accompaniment to our Chianti Classico and makes a wonderful weekend lunch.
CHESTNUT NOODLES WITH SAUSAGE, LEEK AND SAGE
CHESTNUT FLOUR NOODLES WITH SAUSAGE, LEEKS AND SAGE
Serves 4 people
- 160 g of chestnut flour
- 250 g “00” flour
- 70 ml of water
- 2 eggs
- 250 g Italian pork sausages
- 2 leeks
- 10 sage leaves
- 200ml dry white wine
- 1 lemon peel
- 50 g of grated parmesan cheese
- Sea salt, black pepper
- Montecalvi extra virgin olive oil
To prepare the dough for the dough, mix the flours (no need to sift them) and form a volcano on the table with a deep well in the center to accommodate the wet ingredients. Using a fork, combine the water and eggs and then, again using a fork, slowly add it to the flour well in a slow beating motion to the outside of the mountain of flour.
It may seem too dry, but have faith and resist the temptation to add more liquid. Continue scraping to make a dough and then switch to your hands to start kneading. Now you can really judge the dough: if it is too hard, lightly wet your hands instead of pouring water, this way you will have more control. Knead, rotating the dough ball 45 degrees as you go. Whole wheat dough will also become more elastic and smooth through this process. It is ready when the elasticity is right: it should regain its shape. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a slightly damp cloth or dishcloth.
We now turn to the sausages. Open them with a knife and remove the meat. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and add the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the leeks and sage and sauté for about 6-7 minutes. Pour in the wine and cover to cook over very low heat for about half an hour, until the meat is completely saggy. Grate the lemon peel.
Meanwhile, the dough has rested, so roll it out with a rolling pin or pasta machine to create long sheets. Don’t make the sheets too thin, you need to maintain a thickness of a couple of mm. Then roll and cut into 1 cm wide noodles. Then, on a floured pastry board, form nests.
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water for 5 minutes and then drain, saving a cup of the cooking water for the sauce. Stir the noodles with the cooking water, if necessary, and serve with Parmesan cheese and a good splash of Montecalvi extra virgin olive oil, and a good splash of Montecalvi Chianti Classico 2020!
