Testaroli

Last updated

Testaroli
Testaroli-Pesto-Pontremoli-2800.jpg
A plate of testaroli with pesto, as served at a trattoria in Pontremoli, Tuscany, Italy
Type Pasta
Place of origin
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsFlour, water
Ingredients generally usedSalt
Variations Falsi testaroli al ragù
Other informationMay be served with pesto sauce, olive oil, pecorino, Parmesan or garlic

Testaroli, sometimes referred to as testarolo, [1] is a type of thin spongy pasta or bread in Italian cuisine that is prepared in circular sheets using water, flour and salt, which is then sliced into diamond or rectangular shapes. A common dish in the Lunigiana region and historical territory of Italy, it is an ancient pasta originating from the Etruscan civilization of Italy. Testaroli has been described as "the earliest recorded pasta". It is also a native dish of the southern Liguria and northern Tuscany regions of Italy.

Contents

Testaroli is prepared from a batter that is cooked on a hot flat surface, after which it may be consumed. It is traditionally cooked on a testo, a flat terracotta or cast iron cooking surface from which the food's name is derived. It is sometimes cooked further in boiling water and then served. Testaroli is sometimes referred to as a bread, and is sometimes referred to as a crêpe. It may be dressed with pesto sauce or other ingredients such as olive oil, pecorino, Parmesan, and garlic. Falsi testaroli al ragù is a similar dish, prepared using sliced pasta dough and a ragù sauce.

Etymology

Testaroli's name is based upon the testo, a terracotta or cast iron cooking device with a hot, flat surface that testaroli is traditionally cooked on. [2] [3]

History

Testaroli is an ancient pasta [4] [5] that originated from the Etruscan civilization, [6] a civilization of ancient Italy. The book Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking states that testaroli is "a direct descendant of the porridges of the Neolithic age that were poured over hot stones to cook". [2] It is a native dish of the southern Liguria and northern Tuscany regions of Italy. [4] [5] According to an article published by The Wall Street Journal, it is "the earliest recorded pasta". [1]

In the Italian province of Massa-Carrara, located within the Tuscany region, it was a peasant food consumed as a one-course meal, topped with grated cheese and olive oil. [7] In Massa and Carrara, it was sometimes accompanied with stracchino cheese or charcuterie. [7] Testaroli remains a very popular dish in Pontremoli, a small town in the province of Massa-Carrara, where it is served at virtually every restaurant in the town, during both mornings and evenings. [lower-alpha 1] Testaroli is also a common and specialty dish in the Lunigiana region and historical territory of Italy, which is located between the Liguria and Tuscany regions. [6] [9] [10]

Overview

Ingredients and preparation

Testaroli being sliced Testaroli, taglio.jpg
Testaroli being sliced

Testaroli is a type of pancake-like pasta prepared using water, wheat flour and salt that is sliced into triangular shapes. [lower-alpha 2] [6] [12] Chestnut flour is sometimes used in its preparation. [9] [13] The ingredients are mixed together and prepared as a batter, after which it is cooked, sometimes using a two-stage cooking process. [6] In the typical first stage, and sometimes only stage of cooking, the batter is poured and cooked on a hot, flat surface in the style of a pancake or crêpe. [lower-alpha 3] [4] [6] [10] [15] In this process, testaroli is traditionally cooked on a testo, [6] which may be prepared for use by being heated over hot coals. [15] A skillet is another cooking device that can be used to cook the batter. [lower-alpha 4] The pasta is then sliced into triangles, and is sometimes directly served after this cooking process. [1] [10] In the second cooking stage that is sometimes performed, the pasta may be set aside to cool, and then cooked further in boiling water. [6] [16]

Testaroli is sometimes referred to as a type of bread that is similar to focaccia, [3] and is also sometimes referred to as a crêpe. [17] The book The Italian Country Table refers to testaroli as a "near cousin to pasta", and as a "great round pancake-like bread no more than a quarter inch thick". [3] This book also states that when it is baked to a crisp texture, it can be consumed in the style of a bread, whereas when baked less, it may have a spongy and soft texture, like a pasta. [lower-alpha 5] Cooking methods vary in different areas of Italy, and some of these methods are traditional in nature. [lower-alpha 5]

Service

Testaroli is sometimes served with pesto sauce, [6] [17] which is a common addition to it in the Liguria and Tuscany regions of Italy. [10] [13] [18] Another dressing method includes the addition of olive oil, pecorino, Parmesan, garlic and basil. [10] [18] [19] Significant amounts of sauce may absorb into testaroli. [5]

Falsi testaroli al ragù

A very similar dish is falsi testaroli al ragù, which is prepared using sliced pasta dough and does not involve the use of a batter or cooking on a testo. [15] It is served with a ragù, an Italian meat-based sauce. [15]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Yet in Pontremoli there is not a single restaurant that does not offer testaroli, morning and evening, daily brought fresh from the villages surrounding the town, at midday and the evening as well." [8]
  2. ↑ "The local culinary speciality is a type of large pancake-like pasta, testaroli, available in any one of the town's ..." [11]
  3. ↑ Pesto here is served with primitive pasta called testaroli—a crêpe-like Ligurian concoction that is rolled out and pan-fried, then cut up in spongy ... [14]
  4. ↑ This centuries-old pasta dish is prepared like a pancake in a hot skillet, then ... Once testaroli are cool, cut into diamond-shaped pieces about 6 ... [1]
  5. 1 2 "When baked to soft and spongy (a state reached in several different ways, each traditional to its own area), testaroli straddle the line between bread and pasta." [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lasagna</span> Flat pasta and dishes made from it

Lasagna, also known as lasagne, is a type of pasta, possibly one of the oldest types, made in very wide, flat sheets. The same-named Italian dish is made of stacked layers of lasagna alternating with fillings such as ragù, béchamel sauce, vegetables, cheeses, and seasonings and spices. The dish may be topped with grated cheese, which becomes melted during baking. Typically cooked pasta is assembled with the other ingredients and then baked in an oven. The resulting baked pasta is cut into single-serving square or rectangular portions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pancake</span> Thin, round cake made of eggs, milk and flour

A pancake is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter, and then cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan. It is a type of batter bread. Archaeological evidence suggests that pancakes were probably eaten in prehistoric societies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pesto</span> Sauce made from basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil

Pesto or more fully pesto alla genovese is a paste made of crushed garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, grated cheese such as Parmesan or pecorino sardo, and olive oil. It originated in the Italian city of Genoa, and is used to dress pasta and sometimes soups.

<i>Farinata</i> Italian pancake

Farinata, farinata di ceci, torta di ceci, fainé, fainá, socca,cecìna or cade is a type of thin, unleavened pancake or crêpe made from chickpea flour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of the Czech Republic

Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian-American cuisine</span> Style of Italian cuisine adapted throughout the United States

Italian-American cuisine is a style of Italian cuisine adapted throughout the United States. Italian-American food has been shaped throughout history by various waves of immigrants and their descendants, called Italian Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian bread</span> Wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine

Indian breads are a wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Their variation reflects the diversity of Indian culture and food habits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uruguayan cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Uruguay

Uruguayan cuisine is a fusion of cuisines from several European countries, especially of Mediterranean foods from Spain, Italy, Portugal and France. Other influences on the cuisine resulted from immigration from countries such as Germany and Scotland. Uruguayan gastronomy is a result of immigration, rather than local Amerindian cuisine, because of late-19th and early 20th century immigration waves of, mostly, Italians. Spanish influences are abundant: desserts like churros, flan, ensaimadas yoo (Catalan sweet bread), and alfajores were all brought from Spain. There are also various kinds of stews known as guisos or estofados, arroces, and fabada. All of the guisos and traditional pucheros (stews) are also of Spanish origin. Uruguayan preparations of fish, such as dried salt cod (bacalao), calamari, and octopus, originate from the Basque and Galician regions, and also Portugal. Due to its strong Italian tradition, all of the famous Italian pasta dishes are present in Uruguay including ravioli, lasagne, tortellini, fettuccine, and the traditional gnocchi. Although the pasta can be served with many sauces, there is one special sauce that was created by Uruguayans. Caruso sauce is a pasta sauce made from double cream, meat, onions, ham and mushrooms. It is very popular with sorrentinos and agnolotti. Additionally, there is Germanic influence in Uruguayan cuisine as well, particularly in sweet dishes. The pastries known as bizcochos are Germanic in origin: croissants, known as medialunas, are the most popular of these, and can be found in two varieties: butter- and lard-based. Also German in origin are the Berlinese known as bolas de fraile, and the rolls called piononos. The facturas were re-christened with local names given the difficult German phonology, and usually Uruguayanized by the addition of a dulce de leche filling. Even dishes like chucrut (sauerkraut) have also made it into mainstream Uruguayan dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neapolitan cuisine</span> Traditional food of Naples, Italy

Neapolitan cuisine has ancient historical roots that date back to the Greco-Roman period, which was enriched over the centuries by the influence of the different cultures that controlled Naples and its kingdoms, such as that of Aragon and France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swabian cuisine</span> German regional cuisine

Swabian cuisine is native to Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany comprising great parts of Württemberg and the Bavarian part of Swabia. Swabian cuisine has a reputation for being rustic, but rich and hearty. Fresh egg pastas, soups, and sausages are among Swabia's best-known types of dishes, and Swabian cuisine tends to require broths or sauces; dishes are rarely "dry".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genovese sauce</span> Meat sauce

Genovese sauce, known in Italian as sugo alla genovese or "la Genovese", is a slow-cooked onion and meat sauce associated with Italy's Campania region, especially Naples—typically served with paccheri, ziti or candele pasta—and sprinkled with grated cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of Abruzzo</span> Culinary tradition of Abruzzo

The traditional cuisine of Abruzzo is eclectic, drawing on pastoral, mountain, and coastal cuisine. Staples of Abruzzo cuisine include bread, pasta, meat, fish, cheese, and wine. The isolation which has characterized the region for centuries has ensured the independence of its culinary tradition from those of nearby regions. Local cuisine was widely appreciated in a 2013 survey among foreign tourists.

<i>Gnocco fritto</i> Bread from Emilia-Romagna, Italy

The gnocco fritto or crescentina is an Italian bread from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, prepared using flour, water and lard as primary ingredients. Cracklings are sometimes used in its preparation as well. In Emilia-Romagna, it is typically sliced into diamond shapes and then fried, and may be accompanied with cheese and salumi. When it is fried, the bread puffs up, and it may include yeast or baking soda to leaven it. Versions prepared with milk are softer than those prepared with water. It may be served either as an appetizer or as a main dish. Despite the name by which in Italy it is often referred to as a kind of gnocchi, it is technically not.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dunn, Elizabeth Gunnison (December 13, 2013). "Historical Recipes Are the Next Big Thing". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved March 5, 2016.(subscription required)
  2. 1 2 Negrin, M. (2002). Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking. Clarkson Potter/Publishers. p. 48. ISBN   978-0-609-60944-6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Kasper, L.R. (1999). The: Italian Country Table. Scribner. p. 318. ISBN   978-0-684-81325-7.
  4. 1 2 3 Pyenson, Luke (July 30, 2013). "Genovese pesto 'pancake'? Perfetto!". The Boston Globe . Retrieved March 5, 2016.(subscription required)
  5. 1 2 3 White, A.; Varney, J. (2012). Philadelphia Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the City of Brotherly Love. Chef's Table. Lyons Press. p. 94. ISBN   978-0-7627-8944-3.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 May, T. (2005). Italian Cuisine: The New Essential Reference to the Riches of the Italian Table. St. Martin's Press. p. 152. ISBN   978-0-312-30280-1.
  7. 1 2 Viaggio in Toscana. Alla scoperta dei prodotti tipici. Ediz. inglese. Progetti educativi. Giunti Editore. 2001. p. 41. ISBN   978-88-09-02453-3.
  8. ↑ Swiss Review of World Affairs. 1986. p. 18.(subscription required)
  9. 1 2 Johns, P.S.; Wyner, A. (2011). Cucina Povera: Tuscan Peasant Cooking. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 18. ISBN   978-1-4494-0238-9.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Touring Club of Italy (2005). Authentic Tuscany. Authentic Italy Series. Touring Club of Italy. p. 122. ISBN   978-88-365-3297-1.
  11. ↑ Tuscany & Umbria: The Rough Guide. Music rough guide. Rough Guides. 2009. p. 259.(subscription required)
  12. ↑ Loaldi, P. (2011). Pasta fatta in casa. Fatti in casa (in Italian). Gribaudo. p. 118. ISBN   978-88-580-0285-8.
  13. 1 2 Fodor's Italy 2016. Full-color Travel Guide. Fodor's Travel Publications. 2015. p. pt899. ISBN   978-1-101-87899-6.
  14. ↑ Marcus, J.S. (July 29, 2014). "In Search of Perfect Pesto". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved March 5, 2016.(subscription required)
  15. 1 2 3 4 Bugialli, G.; Dominis, J. (1992). Giuliano Bugialli's Foods of Tuscany. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. pp. 120–121. ISBN   9781556702006.(subscription required)
  16. ↑ Honore, C. (2009). In Praise of Slow. Knopf Canada. pp. 78–79. ISBN   978-0-307-37351-9.
  17. 1 2 Kummer, C.; Schlosser, E.; Petrini, C. (2013). The Pleasures of Slow Food: Celebrating Authentic Traditions, Flavors, and Recipes. Chronicle Books. p. 15. ISBN   978-1-4521-3380-5.
  18. 1 2 Keahey, J. (2014). Hidden Tuscany: Discovering Art, Culture, and Memories in a Well-Known Region's Unknown Places. St. Martin's Press. p. 10. ISBN   978-1-250-02431-2.
  19. ↑ Fraioli, J.; Curti, J.O.F.L. (2009). Food Festivals of Italy: Celebrated Recipes from 50 Food Fairs. Gibbs Smith, Publisher. p. 128. ISBN   978-1-4236-0967-4.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.