Gratitude is owed to the Romans for the abundance of chestnut trees in this country. Whilst the season is relatively short - peeled, canned or vacuum packed chestnuts are available throughout the year. The rich brown, shiny, soft-shelled indulgences work equally well in both savoury and sweet dishes. The Italians are responsible for some classic chestnut dishes such as Marron Glaces, Monte Bianco, or Cappezoli di Venere. Similarly they go incredibly well with savoury dishes as they impart a truly earthy flavour into a dish. We believe the flavour of chestnuts pairs incredibly well with truffles, so we asked well known Italian Food Blogger Carmela Sereno Hayes at Carmela's Kitchen to create an Italian match for our delicious Truffle Pesto. She has created a wonderful pasta well-known in the Abruzzo region, made from chestnut flour, ‘Pasta alla Chitarra’ and combined with our very own Sacla’ Truffle Pesto.
Pasta alla Chitarra with Truffle Pesto BY Carmela Hayes
Serves: 4 as a main meal Preparation time: 1 hour (including resting the chestnut pasta dough) Cooking time: 4 minutesChestnut Flour Pasta
- 250g Chestnut flour
- 250g 00 flour
- 5 large free range eggs
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- Semolina/Polenta for dusting
Sauce
- 2 x 90g Jar Sacla` Truffle Pesto
- 70g Parmesan, grated (optional)
- 12 small basil leaves to finish
- Ladle of starchy pasta water