Dried red chilli pepper flakes are good, too, not least for the flecks of red amid the pasta squares and peas. Cheese (grated pecorino or parmesan) is essential for both seasoning and flavour, so encourage everyone to stir some in and cloud the broth. Wait a few minutes before serving, so the flavours settle, then add some chopped flat-leaf parsley. There is also the question of tomato – a couple of peeled, crushed fresh ones in summer, or a tablespoon of passata or concentrate in winter – which adds both depth of flavour and makes the broth blush. Contemporary recipes, however, tend to omit pork and suggest olive oil, so I have, too (as always, though, it is up to you). These recipes also include guanciale or pancetta. Traditional recipes, such as that of Ada Boni, start with il battuto, which comes from the word battere (to hit), which sums up the way you and your knife should approach the cured pork fat, onion, parsley and celery. Quadrucci e piselli, or squares of pasta and peas, is a dish typical of Lazio, a minestra that’s brothy enough to require a spoon (but only just) and dense enough to be filling.
Quite the opposite, in fact – maltagliati (meaning badly cut) is one of the nicest shapes of all, and then there are quadrucci, which are little squares that vary in size from postage stamps to mosaic tiles or to the size of a pencil rubber or pea. I cut sheets into 6cm squares or diamonds for basil and other types of pesto, while for minestrone and other bean soups a 3cm square or lozenge is a good shape and size for a spoon. They can also be cut into squares of any size, to wrap around a filling (if the pasta is soft enough, although it generally isn’t after days in the packet). For a long time, I only ever saw these sheets as “sheets to be layered” (their purpose was stated in their name), but even when the packet has “lasagne” printed on the front in big letters, it doesn’t mean that’s the only way to use them they are sheets of great potential, to be rolled into cannelloni or sliced into ribbons of any width.
Well, the same applies to sheets of pasta! I am thinking mostly about the sheets of fresh egg pasta that here in Italy come in stacks in cellophane-topped packets. You can simply use it as is, filling it with words or drawings, or you could roll it into a tube, shred it into ribbons of any width, rip or cut it into any number of squares, or fold it into a boat, hat or peacock.
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