Photograph of the finished Pasta alla cenere

Italy · Mì tỏi tây nướng tro Cenere

Pasta alla cenere

45 min Hands-on time
MediumDifficulty
5 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Spaghetti Spaghetti 14.1 oz
  • Photograph of Leek Leek 1.1 lb
  • Photograph of Ricotta cheese Ricotta cheese 7.1 oz
  • Photograph of Pecorino cheese Pecorino cheese 2.8 oz
  • Photograph of Olive oil Olive oil ½ cup
  • Photograph of Black pepper Black pepper 0.1 oz
  • Photograph of Lime Lime 1
  • Photograph of Salt Salt 0.4 oz

Method

  1. 1 Grill whole leeks directly over a fire for 15 minutes, until the outer leaves are completely charred.
  2. 2 Remove the burnt outer layer, take the soft, sweet core inside, and blend it with olive oil and grated lemon zest.
  3. 3 The burnt, cooled crust is crumbled into a fine powder of ash, then sifted to remove the large pieces; this is the word "cenere" that gives the dish its smoky flavor.
  4. 4 Beat the ricotta with pecorino cheese and 60 ml of the pasta cooking water until creamy, then spread a layer on the bottom of the plate.
  5. 5 Mix the cooked noodles (under 1 minute) with the leek sauce, spoon it onto the cream base, then sprinkle with lye and pepper.

With an appliance

  • Oven 45 min

    Replace step 1: Place whole leeks on the rack at 250 degrees for 15 minutes and rotate the tray at minute 7. The outer layer chars evenly without having to hold the vegetables over the flame, while the core has less direct smoky flavor.

Start cooking