Egg Pasta Tagliolini Cipriani
Gratinated with ham they are the first classic dish of the World famous Harry's Bar. This dish is an Italian-French co-production. Pasta, ham and cheese are Italian while French are the sauce and cooking method. The secret is obviously in the ingredients and production methods; an element common to all Cipriani pasta references.
1 kg of the best quality durum wheat semolina, 7 fresh eggs processed with precision, energy and patience. Over 80 folding steps thanks to an exclusive machine designed by Arrigo Cipriani.
After 14 hours of drying at low temperature, we obtain a thin and velvety sheet on the palate, which in a few minutes of cooking grows generous and perfectly "al dente".
The Traditional Recipes
Egg Pasta with Ham au Gratin
This dish is one of the few combinations of French and Italian cuisines on our menu.
The pasta and the ham are Italian; the sauce and the cooking method are French. It has
become a classic of Harry’s Bar because everybody likes it so much.
SERVES 6 AS A FIRST COURSE OR 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
- salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45g)
- 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) prosciutto, cut into julienne strips (60g)
- 3/4 pound dried tagliolini or tagliatelle (egg pasta) (330g)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- (65g) plus extra to pass at the table
- 1/2 cup Béchamel Sauce
- (125 ml)(page 229)
Preheat the broiler.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a tablespoon of salt. Melt 1 tablespoon (15g) of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ham and cook it for a minute or 2, stirring constantly. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 2 minutes or until al dente. Drain it well in a colander, and put it in the skillet. Toss it with the ham, add another tablespoon (15g) of the butter, sprinkle with half the Parmesan, and toss well.Spread the pasta evenly in a 2-quart (2 liter) ovenproof casserole. Spoon the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cut the remaining butter into bits and scatter over the top. Broil as close as possible to the heat source until golden and bubbly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately and pass around a small bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.
Egg Pasta with Olive Oil and Parsley
Almost any combination is suitable in this dish — it’s very good with parsley alone.
Angelo, a waiter at Harry’s Bar for many years and a special favorite with Truman Capote, had very strong opinions about food and always liked to tell the customers what they should eat. Since he was usually on a diet, he strongly recommended noodles with oil and parsley — and that’s what everyone ordered!
SERVES 6 AS A FIRST COURSE OR 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
- 1/4 cup olive oil (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 pound dried tagliolini or tagliatelle (egg pasta) (330g) or
- 1 pound spaghetti (450g)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (30g)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- (30g) plus extra to pass at the table
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoon of the parsley, and some salt and pepper and cook for a minute or so. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta — egg pasta for 2 minutes, spaghetti for about 8 minutes, or until al dente — and drain well in a colander. Add the pasta, the softened butter, and the Parmesan to the sauce in the skillet and toss well. Transfer to a heated platter and garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve immediately and pass around a small bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.