Blecs buckwheat pasta, also called biechi, is a nutritious rustic sort of maltagliati from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This straightforward to make selfmade recent pasta is most frequently served with simply butter, sage leaves and native Montasio cheese however this recipe from Italian movie star chef Alessandro Borghese pairs blecs with speck, potatoes and spinach in a dish stuffed with the flavors of the area.
The delicacies of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
The delicacies of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Northeast Italy is likely one of the nation’s most distinctive and various, reflecting its distinctive place on the crossroads of Italian, Austrian, Slavic, and Hungarian cultures. This area blends Mediterranean substances with hearty Alpine and Central European flavors, providing each rustic dishes and refined delicacies.
Actually, in contrast to the Southern areas, typical recipes from this a part of northern Italy embrace goulash, strudel, pickled greens, Slavic potato dishes and soups, in addition to pasta, mountain cheeses and cured meats! This blecs pasta recipe incorporates most of the flavors and typical substances of this area.
What does the phrase ‘blecs’ imply?
In keeping with meals historians, the phrase blec means ‘patch’ or ‘piece’ and refers to items of material that had been used to ‘patch’ tears in garments. Actually, as soon as cooked, blecs do resemble items of material.
What form is blecs buckwheat pasta?
Blecs is definitely a kind of Italian pasta generally called maltagliati. Maltagliati, which implies badly minimize, originated as a resourceful method to make use of leftover pasta dough. The leftover dough is minimize up into irregularly formed items.
You’ll find any such pasta all through Italy though it has completely different names in some locations, for instance corn and wheat flour triangular patellette from Abruzzo.
Like patellette, blecs is historically triangular in form, though some folks make pasta squares or rectangles. Additionally, like patellette, blecs is made out of a combination of flours.
What flour is used to make blecs?
These days, some Italians make blecs pasta with only a combination of buckwheat flour and mushy wheat flour. Nonetheless, from my analysis, I’ve discovered that 3 kinds of flour appear to be the commonest.
These are buckwheat flour, mushy wheat flour and corn meal flour. Each buckwheat flour and corn flour are gluten free, and I’ve seen recipes for blecs calling for simply these two flours. However I haven’t tried it myself.
Other than the kinds of flour used, blecs pasta recipes additionally fluctuate within the ratio of flours. Some name for extra mushy wheat flour than buckwheat or corn meal. Nonetheless, the recipe I adopted from chef Borghese stipulates equal quantities of every flour. So that is what I used.
Substances for blecs pasta dough.
Flours: As talked about above this recipe requires 3 kinds of flour. Comfortable wheat flour which in Italy could be ‘00’ flour however you need to use all-purpose flour as a substitute. Buckwheat flour (farina di grano Saraceno in Italian) and wonderful floor cornmeal flour (farina di mais fioretto in Italian).
Eggs: Blecs is definitely a kind of egg pasta. The ratio on this recipe is 2 eggs to 300g (10.5 oz) of flour. I like to make use of free-range bio eggs as a result of they style higher, are extra nutritious and more healthy.
Comfortable butter or extra-virgin olive oil and water: Some blecs recipes name for softened butter within the dough. Others use somewhat olive oil and water. I used butter however if you wish to hold the pasta dairy free use tepid water and somewhat olive oil that can assist you get the dough to the fitting consistency.
Substances for the condiment.
Speck: Speck is a smoked cured ham most famously from the South Tyrol but in addition from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Among the best specks from Friuli is known as speck di Sauris, the latter is a village within the Friulian Dolomites well-known for the manufacturing of cured meats. Speck is sort of a cross between cured ham and bacon. To substitute, you need to use prosciutto crudo, pancetta or bacon.
Potatoes: Potatoes are a typical ingredient in Alpine recipes. Within the recipe I adopted, chef Borghese really useful a kind of yellow potato from Lazio referred to as ‘patate dell’alto viterbese IGP’. After all, you need to use different yellow potatoes equivalent to Yukon Gold.
Cheese: Montasio is the cheese they often serve with blecs pasta in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is a mountain cheese made out of recent cow’s milk in East Veneto and Friuli. Montasio derives its title from the Montasio mountain vary of Friuli, north of Venice. It was initially produced within the thirteenth century by Benedictine monks at their monastery within the Giulia Alps.
You possibly can substitute the Montasio with Asiago, Emmental or fontina. Alternatively, use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Child spinach: You solely want a small quantity of spinach, ideally small leaf recent child spinach. However regular spinach will work too.
Butter: Italians principally use unsalted butter. In case you use salted butter, do not add further salt to the dish.
Step-by-step directions.
Make the blecs buckwheat pasta dough.
1) Mix the mushy wheat flour, corn meal flour and buckwheat flour with a pinch of salt in a big bowl.
2) Make a nicely within the centre, crack within the eggs, beat them with a fork. Add the softened butter cubes and blend every little thing along with the fork first. Then, use your fingers to knead till you’ve a dough that may be formed right into a ball.
3) Flip the dough ball out onto a flour dusted picket board and hold kneading somewhat longer till you’ve a agency however clean dough. Add somewhat water if it is too dry. Roll the dough right into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and let relaxation for at the least half-hour at room temperature.
Make the blecs triangles.
4) Use a rolling pin to roll out one third of the rested dough at a time on a floured floor to about 1–2 mm thickness. Like different buckwheat pasta dough (pizzoccheri), I discover blecs dough to be tough with a pasta machine. It is a delicate pasta dough and might break simply. Nonetheless, it holds collectively nicely when cooked.
5) Use a knife, pasta cutter or fluted pastry wheel to chop the dough sheet into tough, irregular triangles about 4cm vast on the base (this rustic minimize is what defines ‘blecs’). Place the prepared handmade blecs pasta on a flour dusted tray or work floor and repeat with the remainder of the dough.
Make the condiment.
6) Peel and parboil the potatoes after which minimize them into small cubes. Lower the speck into small cubes as nicely, and some small slices too. Wilt the spinach in a small frying pan with somewhat butter. Grate the Montasio cheese.
7) In one other bigger skillet sauté the potatoes and speck in some butter till the potatoes begin to brown.
Cook dinner the blecs pasta.
8) Convey a big pot of water to a boil. Add salt after which carry to a boil once more. Cook dinner the blecs within the boiling water for about 2–3 minutes or till they float and are al dente. Drain, reserving somewhat pasta water. Add the blecs to the potatoes and speck.
End and serve.
9) Add extra butter to the skillet together with some grated montasio and the wilted spinach. Combine every little thing collectively over a low warmth. If the dish appears dry, add somewhat pasta cooking water.
10) Serve instantly with extra grated cheese.
Other ways they serve blecs pasta in Italy.
The condiment for blecs pasta can fluctuate relying on which a part of the Friuli Venezia Giulia area you’re in. You’ll find blecs served within the traditional method I discussed above with butter, sage and a sprinkling of Montasio or a mushroom ragu.
Nonetheless, in Gorizia, they make ‘biechi’ with rooster, capon or duck, additionally simply with ricotta, or sausage and wild fennel. And within the Carso (Karst plateau), they get pleasure from their blecs with a standard sauce made with Terrano, a full-bodied crimson wine from the world.
What to do with leftovers.
Leftovers of this dish are scrumptious baked within the oven with some extra cheese grated on prime. Actually, the baked model of this dish is somewhat much like nachos with the blecs wanting and tasting like complete wheat flour tortilla chips!
Pin for later.
Let me know what you assume.
Friuli Venezia Giulia’s delicacies is deeply rooted in its panorama and historical past. It’s not flashy, however it’s complicated, comforting, typically hearty and stuffed with custom—a hidden gem within the tapestry of Italian regional meals.
Blecs pasta has a definite taste with nutty undertones and an earthy style. Along with the condiment on this recipe, it makes a hearty meal. Nonetheless, you can even simply serve it with melted butter, crispy sage leaves and a few grated Montasio.
In case you do this regional recipe for blecs buckwheat pasta, I’d like to know what you assume. Please write a remark right here on the weblog or publish a touch upon the Pasta Mission Fb web page.
Your suggestions means so much to me!
Buon Appetito!
Selfmade Blecs Buckwheat Pasta Recipe.
Blecs buckwheat pasta from Friuli Venezia Giulia is a scrumptious rustic selfmade triangular maltagliati that is straightforward to make. Right here it is paired with potatoes, speck and spinach in a recipe impressed by Italian movie star chef Alessandro Borghese.
Gear
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1 massive bowl to begin dough
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1 wooden pastry board.
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1 Rolling Pin
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1 massive pot to cook dinner pasta
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1 massive skillet to cook dinner condiment and blend with pasta
Substances
For the blecs pasta
- 3.5 ounces buckwheat flour
- 3.5 ounces Italian ’00’ mushy wheat flour or all-purpose flour.
- 3.5 ounces wonderful cornmeal flour.
- 2 eggs massive
- 1.75 ounces butter unsalted and softened
- tepid water if wanted
- 1 teaspoon further virgin olive oil. with water as a substitute of butter
- 1 pinch salt
For the condiment.
- 3 yellow potatoes medium sized peeled, par-boiled and minimize into cubes
- 3.5 ounces speck or pancetta minimize into cubes
- 1 handful child spinach leaves
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.75 ounces butter unsalted
- 2.5 ounces Montasio cheese or Asiago, fontina and so forth grated
Directions
Make the blecs pasta dough
-
Mix the mushy wheat flour, corn meal flour and buckwheat flour with a pinch of salt in a big bowl.
-
Make a nicely within the centre, crack within the eggs, beat them with a fork. Add the softened butter cubes and blend every little thing along with a fork. Use your fingers to knead till you’ve a dough that may be formed right into a ball.
-
Flip the dough ball out onto a flour dusted picket board and hold kneading somewhat longer till you’ve a agency however clean dough. Add somewhat water if it is too dry. Roll the dough right into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and let relaxation for at the least half-hour at room temperature.
Make the blecs pasta triangles
-
Use a rolling pin to roll out one third of the rested dough at a time on a floured floor to about 1–2 mm thickness (0.04-0.08″).
-
Usea knife, pasta cutter or fluted pastry wheel to chop the dough sheet into tough, irregular triangles about 4cm vast (1.5in) on the base (this rustic minimize is what defines‘blecs’). Place the prepared handmade blecs pasta on a flour dusted tray or work floor and repeat with the remainder of the dough.
Make the condiment.
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Peel and parboil the potatoes after which minimize them into small cubes. Lower the speck into small cubes too, plus a couple of small slices. Grate the Montasio cheese.
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Wilt the spinach in a small frying pan with somewhat butter. In one other bigger skillet sauté the potato and speck cubes in unsalted butter till the potatoes begin to brown.
Cook dinner the blecs pasta.
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Convey alarge pot of water to a boil. Add salt after which carry to a boil againCook the blecs within the boiling water for about 2–3 minutes or till they float and are al dente. Drain the blecs ,reserving somewhat pasta water. Add the pasta to the potatoes and speck.
End and serve.
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Add extra butter to the skillet together with some grated Montasio and the wilted spinach. Combine every little thing collectively over a low warmth. If the dish appears dry, add somewhat pasta cooking water. Serve instantly with extra grated cheese and the raw speck slices on prime.
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Notes
Leftovers of this dish are scrumptious baked within the oven with some extra cheese grated on prime. Actually, the baked model of this dish is somewhat much like nachos with the blecs wanting and tasting like complete wheat tortilla chips!
Diet
Energy: 671kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 23gFats: 30gSaturated Fats: 14gPolyunsaturated Fats: 4gMonounsaturated Fats: 11gTrans Fats: 0.4gLdl cholesterol: 137mgSodium: 587mgPotassium: 927mgFiber: 8gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1282IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 5mg
Different rustic kinds of pasta and gnocchi to strive.
- Chestnut maltagliati with mushrooms
- Selfmade chestnut pasta with pork and cabbage.
- Scarpinocc di Parre.
- Selfmade tacky gnocchi.
- Teardrop dumplings (chnèfflènè)
Extra Recipes from Friuli Venezia Giulia
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