PASTABOIS 21
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PASTABOIS 21 〰️
#21: RUVIDA
Ruvida pasta traces its roots to Southern Italy, where rustic peasant kitchens prized texture and substance over delicate shapes. The name "ruvida", meaning rough or coarse in Italian, reflects both the pasta's surface and its culinary lineage. Traditionally made by mixing durum wheat semolina with water (and sometimes a splash of olive oil), ruvida is formed by pressing or dragging the dough across a coarse surface or through bronze dies, which leaves a deliberately uneven, toothy exterior. This technique likely evolved in rural regions where bronze extrusion and coarse wooden boards were common, producing pasta that could cling to sauces and capture small morsels of ingredients. Over generations ruvida has been handed down as a practical, no fuss pasta, being sturdy, filling and perfectly suited to the rustic flavours of peasant cooking.
What makes ruvida special is its texture first philosophy. The roughened surface holds onto chunky sauces, ragùs, and oil-based dressings much better than smooth pastas, giving each bite a concentrated hit of flavour. Traditionally it’s used in hearty dishes: like slow cooked meat ragùs, braised vegetables, or robust tomato sauces with olives and capers. It’s also ideal for simple aglio e olio with chilli and parsley where the oil clings and coats every ridge.
We have gone with a buttery and cheesy zucchini and squash sauce, as the fibres of the vegetables break down with the fats, it creates a creamy and luscious pasta sauce that clings into every rivet of the ruvida. The Calabrian chilli sauce gives it a kick that just elevates the flavour, and the fragrant anise flavour from the tarragon takes the sauce to a familiar but unique place.
RUVIDA, ZUCCHINI & SQUASH
RUVIDA, ZUCCHINI & SQUASH
TIme: 2 hours
Serves: 2-3
Ruvida Pasta
170 gm worth of 3 egg yolks & 2 eggs (make up the rest of the grams with water if you need)
120gm fine semolina
180gm 00 flour
Mix together flour and semolina in a bowl before pouring onto a dry bench surface. Create a well in the middle and pour in lightly whisked egg yolks, eggs and water. Using a fork slowly draw in the flour from the sides and mix in the circular motion. Once wet consistency resembles a pancake texture, grab your bench scraper and fold in the rest of the flour, cutting in the flour over the top with your scraper. Dough should resemble shaggy pieces.
Using hands and some extra flour, kneed the dough for 2-3 minutes before placing your dough ball in cling film. Then after a 10 minute rest come back and need for another 3 minutes, until your dough smooth and rest for 20 minutes.
Once your dough has rested, cut off piece and flatten with your hand. Place your pasta sheeter on its lowest setting and pass through your dough. Laminate your dough by folding it in a book fold and roll through lowest setting again. Run the dough through four setting, and then book fold it and run it through two settings from the lowest point. Allow the pasta sheets to air dry fo 60 minutes uncovered as this will allow the rough texture to appear on the subsequent rolling.
< BEGIN ZUCCHINI & SQUASH SAUCE HERE >
Once dried, roll the sheet through the pasta machine up to the 3rd setting from the lowest, as you’ll begin to see the zebra style pattern appear giving it the rough appearance.Once your sheet is done, cut the piece in half and clean up the edges so you have straight lines. Fold sheet inwards from both sides and continues adding semolina to avoid sticking. Fold one more time and then hand cut half thumb length pieces. Toss through semolina and leave in safe place to dry out a touch.
When ready to cook, place in rolling boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes, or until al dente. Remove from water and then add to the sauce recipe below.
Zucchini & Squash Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 zucchinis, cut into rounds
4 squash, cut into wedges
100gm butter, cubed & cold
50gm grana padano
10gm tarragon, reserve flowers
1/2 lemon, juice
Calabrian chilli (thinned out with extra virgin olive oil)
Add oil to pan on medium high, bring to a high heat, then add in zucchinis and squash with salt and resist the urge to move allowing to brown deeply and get good colour.
Add in the cooked pasta, butter and grana padano, lower heat to medium and mix through until butter and cheese create a creamy sauce. Take off heat, mix through tarragon and lemon juice, salt to taste. Serve up with fresh tarragon flower and thinned out calabrian chilli oil over the top.