Spring is in the air and the sun is shining so let’s make this happy green & yellow pasta called paglia e fieno!
Paglia e Fieno is a traditional Italian dish originating from Siena. The name of the dish means straw and hay, referring to the green (spinach) pasta noodles as hay and the yellow (egg) pasta noodles as straw. The classic recipe calls for a sauce made with ham, peas, cream and Parmigiano reggiano, The result is a colorful and flavorful dish that has become a staple in Italian cuisine. In this article, we will explore the origins, preparation, and variations of straw and hay fettuccine in more detail.
Why you will love this recipe
– It is a delicate spring recipe that everyone will love.
-It is a work of art, it will require some time so make it for an important occasion. It is not an every day dish.
-If you like to learn about making colored pasta, this is a good recipe to start!
What is the difference between fettuccine vs tagliatelle vs linguine?
Fettuccine and tagliatelle are both types of pasta with similar origins, but there are a few differences between them. Fettuccine is a type of pasta that originates from central Italy, specifically from the city of Rome. It is a flat and wide pasta noodle, usually about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in width. Tagliatelle, on the other hand, is a ribbon-shaped pasta noodle from northern Italy, typically originating from the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche. It is slightly narrower than fettuccine, typically about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in width. In terms of taste and texture, both fettuccine and tagliatelle are very similar, and can be used interchangeably in most recipes. However, tagliatelle is often paired with richer sauces like Bolognese or Classic Ragu, while fettuccine is more commonly paired with lighter sauces that have small bites of meat and vegetables.
Linguine, on the other hand, is also a flat noodle but is slightly narrower than fettuccine, typically measuring about 1/8 inch in width. This difference in width affects the texture of the pasta when cooked – linguine tends to be lighter and more delicate, while fettuccine is more substantial and chewy. Linguine is also the classic pasta served with pesto sauce.
All 3 types of pasta can be made fresh, but you can also find them dry at your local grocery store.
Straw and Hay Fettuccine Ingredients
To make this pasta recipe you will need fresh and quality ingredients:
00 flour or all purpose flour: this is the finest Italian flour used to make fresh egg pasta. As usual I recommend to use a digital scale to weigh your flour as cups is not always the best way to measure flour to obtain a perfect pasta dough.
Durum wheat flour: you will need semola to sprinkle it over your work surface.
Fresh spinach: you can also use frozen spinach. If you use fresh you need to blanch them 45 seconds on hot boiling water and in both case you need to squeeze them and remove the eccess of water.
Eggs: count 1 egg for every 100 gr. I usually use 2 yolks and 2 full egg for 400 gr of flour. If you want a richer dough, add more egg yolks. Make sure you remove the eggs from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you start making the pasta dough.
Heavy cream: you will need a cup heavy cream for the sauce
Peas; you can buy fresh spring peas and remove them from the shell or alternatively you can use frozen peas. One cup frozen peas is enough for this rec ipe/
Prosciutto: chose Italian prosciutto, denominated prosciutto cotto. Be careful to not buy crudo, which will be too salty for this recipe. Mushroom are a great alternative if you are vegetarian.
Grated Parmesan: Parmesan cheese is essential to add an extra layer of flavor.
Ground black pepper: a sprinkle of of freshly ground black pepper will complete the recipe.
How to make straw and hay fettuccine: step by step guide
Gather all your ingredients. Let’s start making the straw and hay fettuccine dough.
STEP 1: HOW TO MAKE THE STRAW FETTUCCINE DOUGH
Form a wheel with half of the flour, add the salt and break the eggs into the wheel, whisking them with a fork. Incorporate the flour as you whisk. You might need to add a bit of chilled water to make the dough more loosely, but add a bit at a time, otherwise, you will have a mushy dough that will not be easy to adjust in order to maintain the ratio of flour to egg.
Knead the dough on a floured surface, until you have a final dough that is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough in a plastic wrap, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
STEP 2: HOW TO MAKE THE HAY FETTUCCINE DOUGH
The procedure is very similar. You need first to prepare the spinach. If you use fresh spinach blanch them for 45 seconds in hot boiling water and then drain them over ice. Squeeze them well, removing any excess of water. Place the spinach and the eggs in an immersion blender and blend until combined. Add the spinach-egg mixture to the middle of the second volcano., whisking them with a fork. Incorporate the flour as you whisk. Cover it in a plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: I choose to make the dough by hands as you need to feel the dough consistency into the hands while you knead it, you can use as well a food processor to make it faster. You will add the flour and then the eggs and you will pulse until everything is combined. You will need to add a few tbsp of water while the food processor is running to ease the dough to come together.
STEP 3: ROLL OUT THE DOUGH
Now, you will have to roll out the dough. For this, I usually divide the dough into 4 parts and I roll out each piece with a rolling pin. You will need to work out each one individually rotating it from the center to the outer edges.
STEP 4: HOW TO CUT FETTUCCINE
At this point I use a pasta machine and pass the dough through its rollers. I use the thickness of 0 at first, then I pass it to more times into thinner thickness. I usually proceed from 0 to 2, then 3, then 4 and then 6. By doing this, you will obtain the lasagna, which is a wide stripe of pasta. You will know it is the right thickness when you will see clearly the shadow of your hands if you will elevate your sheet against the window.
Do not cover the lasagna, so that the moist surface will dry slightly before cutting it, resulting in a neat cut. Now you can cut the fettuccine by end rolling the dough from the longest side. Then with a sharp knife you cut the fettuccine 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. Alternatively you can pass the lasagna through the cutting roll of your machine and you will obtain fettuccine.
STEP 5: LET THE FETTUCCINE DRY
Let the fettuccine rest for at least 30-45 minutes, before cooking them. Now you can leave them flat, lay them on a rack or alternatively make cute nests like I did below.
STEP 6: START MAKING THE STRAW AND HAY SAUCE
And while the pasta is drying, let’s make the sauce! Add 4 tablespoon of butter on a pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the shallots, finely chopped. Once the shallots have become translucent add all the prosciutto. Let is cook for a few minutes then add the peas. After you added the pasta to the boiling water ( next steps), add the cream to the pan, and let is cook on low, until it warms up. Make sure it is not boiling.
STEP 7: COOK THE FETTUCCINE
Cook the pasta in hot boiling salted water for around 6-8 minutes, until al dente and then add the pasta to the straw and hay sauce.
Stir gently the fettuccine into the sauce and add the Parmesan and a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Cook until the water is absorbed. Serve it in 4 individual portions.
More delicious pasta recipes
If you love making homemade fresh pasta or you are looking for a spring recipe here are some of my favorite pasta dishes:
Homemade Orecchiette with Wild Ramp Pesto
Beet Ravioli filled with Goat cheese and Ricotta
Asparagus Pasta with Ricotta Pea Pesto
How to serve straw and hay (Paglia e Fieno) fettuccine
The preparation of this pasta requires some time, so maybe you want to make it on a Sunday or a special occasion. The pasta is quite rich, even if not ultra heavy. If you are planning a lunch or a dinner, I recommend to start with a light salad or some bruschetta, for example the strawberry ricotta bruschetta is a nice and refreshing idea.
You can then serve the Straw and Hay fettuccine as a main. And for dessert I would go for a mascarpone strawberry tart, or some tiramisu.
Another great pairing, for this dish is to serve them with a Classic Veal Piccata Recipe. In this case you will just cook the straw and hay fettuccine and you will use as a sauce the Piccata sauce. I have to confess that this is not the Italian way, but that is one of my husband favorite recipe!
How can I store straw and hay fettuccine?
It is better to enjoy this pasta when is fresh. In case you will have leftover, you can refrigerate it in a container for a maximum of 2 days. I would not recommending freezing it.
WHICH WINE TO PAIR WITH STRAW AND HAY FETTUCCINE
Since it is a creamy and delicate sauce I recommend to pair it with a Sauvignon Blanc or with a Pinot Grigio from Friuli. You will need a wine that has some acidity to clean the palate after every bite so that you can savor this delicacy in its fullness.
Equipment
- Pasta Machine
- Roll-pin
Ingredients
- 400 gr flour 00 flour
- 2 unit eggs yolk
- 2 unit egg whole
- 3 tbsp water (see notes)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups fresh spinach (see notes)
- 1 cup peas
- 6 oz prosciutto
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 medium shallots
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper freshly ground
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Grated
Instructions
STEP 1: HOW TO MAKE THE STRAW FETTUCCINE DOUGH
- Form a wheel with half of the flour, add the salt and break the eggs into the wheel, whisking them with a fork. Incorporate the flour as you whisk.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface, until you have a final dough that is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough in a plastic wrap, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
STEP 2: HOW TO MAKE THE HAY FETTUCCINE DOUGH
- The procedure is very similar. You need first to prepare the spinach. If you use fresh spinach blanch them for 45 seconds in hot boiling water and then drain them over ice.
- Squeeze them well, removing any excess of water. Place the spinach and the eggs in an immersion blender and blend until combined. Add the spinach-egg mixture to the middle of the second volcano., whisking them with a fork. Incorporate the flour as you whisk.
- Cover it in a plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
STEP 3: ROLL OUT THE DOUGH
- Now, you will have to roll out the dough. For this, I usually divide the dough into 4 parts and I roll out each piece with a rolling pin. You will need to work out each one individually rotating it from the center to the outer edges.
- At this point I use a pasta machine and pass the dough through its rollers. I use the thickness of 0 at first, then I pass it to more times into thinner thickness. I usually proceed from 0 to 2, then 3, then 4 and then 6. By doing this, you will obtain the lasagna, which is a wide stripe of pasta.
- You will know it is the right thickness when you will see clearly the shadow of your hands if you will elevate your sheet against the window.
STEP 4: HOW TO CUT FETTUCCINE
- Do not cover the lasagna, so that the moist surface will dry slightly before cutting it, resulting in a neat cut. Now you can cut the fettuccine by end rolling the dough from the longest side.
- Then with a sharp knife you cut the fettuccine 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. Alternatively you can pass the lasagna through the cutting roll of your machine and you will obtain fettuccine.
STEP 5: LET THE FETTUCCINE DRY
- Let the fettuccine rest for at least 30-45 minutes, before cooking them. Now you can leave them flat, lay them on a rack or alternatively make cute nests like I did below.
STEP 6: START MAKING THE STRAW AND HAY SAUCE
- Add 4 tablespoon of butter on a pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the shallots, finely chopped. Once the shallots have become translucent add all the prosciutto. Let is cook for a few minutes then add the peas.
- After you added the pasta to the boiling water ( next steps), add the cream to the pan, and let is cook on low, until it warms up. Make sure it is not boiling.
STEP 7: COOK THE FETTUCCINE
- Cook the pasta in hot boiling salted water for around 6-8 minutes, until al dente and then add the pasta to the straw and hay sauce.
- Stir gently the fettuccine into the sauce and add the Parmesan and a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Cook until the water is absorbed. Serve it in 4 individual portions.
Nutrition
Recipe cards powered by WP Recipe Maker.
