“Pasta in bianco”, oil and parmesan
Dolce Stil Novo
Chef: Alfredo Russo
Country: Italia
City: 10073 Ciriè (Turín)
Address: Via San Pietro, 71
(+39) 0119211110dolcestilnovo@esanet.it
Alfredo Russo is developing an inventive cuisine that is patently modern as well as inspired in historical recipes, ingredients and flavors. This symbiosis of culture and imagination that characterizes his work is reflected in this creation, which has some genius and much perfection. Behind the title lies the surprise: a spectacular and impeccable millefeuilles assembled with a multitude of superfine, translucent pasta layers enriched with egg yolk that alternate with thin layers of cooked cheese cream; a rectangular construction that takes the form of lasagna, enveloped in an airy ivory Parmigiano-Reggiano foam imbedded with small crunchy pieces of pistachio and Parmesan. It is all perfumed and oiled with virgin olive oil. What richness of textures and consistencies! What refinement in flavors! What an original way to present the most elemental, typical pasta adornments! What a pure, academic and well-conceived lasagna! It has multiple readings and one sole truth: enthusiasm for the virtue of harmonizing the easy and the difficult.
The Recipe
Ingredients
For the fresh egg pasta:
- 300g 00 flour
- 22 egg yolks
For the Parmesan cooked cream:
- 5 dL light cream
- 150g Parmesan
- 3 eggs
- salt
For the Parmesan sabayon:
- 300g cream
- 150g whole milk
- 75g Parmesan
- salt
For the pistachio crunch:
- 150g Parmesan
- 40g pistachios
Other ingredients:
- extra virgin olive oil
Method
Emulsify all of the ingredients for the cooked cream, pour the mixture into silicone molds and steam for 20 minutes at 100ºC.
Meanwhile, spread out a thin layer of pasta like lasagna, boil in salted water and chill immediately in ice water.
Make lasagna in the classic way, alternating layers.
Heat the cream with the milk to 60ºC, add the Parmesan and the salt. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and load a siphon with two canisters of compressed air.
Prepare the pistachio crunch by mixing the cheese with the pistachios and spreading the mixture over a silicone sheet. Bake in the oven at 220ºC for a few minutes. Once cold, break up into small pieces.
Just before serving, steam the pasta to heat it and serve with the sabayon and crunch. Drizzle with olive oil.
Note: the “pasta en bianco” evokes an idea of a quick, health dish prepared at the last minute. It is not the case with this recipe, since it is more complex and requires that special attention be given to the different phases of the process.