This is an old, old recipe, and also peasant food of the finest kind, made in the past during the fall and winter by those too poor to be able to afford wheat flour. Chestnut flour is of course quite tasty, and its association with poverty has by now vanished completely. In other words, a fine fall alternative to regular pasta!

See Also

Gnocchi with Chestnut Flour and Squash

Chestnut Polenta with Sausages

Chestnut Flour Migliaccio, Commonly Known as Castagnaccio

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all purpose unbleached flour
  
• 4/5 cup (100 g) chestnut flour
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and seasoned with a sprig of fresh sage
  
• Salt & pepper to taste
  
• Freshly grated Parmigiano (optional)

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings chestnut stracci

Preparation

Sift and combine the flours, form them into a mound, scoop a well in the mound, and crack the eggs into it, together with the oil and a pinch of salt. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, or until it is firm and elastic (see instructions if need be). Roll it out dime-thin, and then cut the sheet into irregular pieces using a serrated pastry wheel (the word stracci means rags).

Set pasta water to boil (use your pasta bowl as a lid to warm it), and while it is heating melt the butter with the sage, which will flavor it, and season the butter to taste with salt and pepper.

When the pasta water boils salt it and cook the stracci a minute or two (since they are fresh, they needn't cook for long). Drain them, transfer them to the warmed serving bowl, gently stir the sage-laced butter (discard the leaves) into them, and serve with grated cheese for those who want it. I probably would not, because it will affect the chestnut flavor of the pasta.