cociana
Pasta at the Counter

Three shapes, made in front of you

Pasta at the Counter

All year · €35 to €80 per guest

A chef’s table menu built entirely around pasta: dough made in front of the guests, three shapes, three sauces, and a green salad at the end to prove it was a meal.

The menu

Course by course

  1. 01

    A bite and a drink

    Something salty and crisp while the dough rests.

  2. 02

    Filled pasta

    Ravioli or tortelli in butter and sage, four pieces per guest.

  3. 03

    Long pasta

    Tagliatelle or spaghetti with a ragù or a clam sauce.

  4. 04

    Short or baked

    A small portion of something baked or with a chilli and garlic bite.

  5. 05

    Salad and cheese

    A sharp green salad, then parmesan and a glass of something red.

Preparation

What happens when

  1. The day beforeRagù cooked, fillings made, sauces reduced.
  2. The dayDough made two hours before and rested; everything else is rolled, cut and cooked while guests watch.

Service

How to serve it

Small portions, three or four of them, cooked and plated in front of the guests at the counter. Keep one large pot of salted water at a rolling boil all evening and change it once.

At home

Fresh pasta for eight, three ways

One dough, three shapes, three sauces. The dough is the only technical part and it takes ten minutes.

  1. Dough: 600 g 00 flour, 6 eggs, a pinch of salt. Knead ten minutes until smooth and elastic, wrap and rest one hour.
  2. Roll thin, then cut a third into tagliatelle, fill a third as ravioli with ricotta, lemon zest and parmesan, and keep a third as pappardelle.
  3. Sauces: butter and sage for the ravioli, a slow ragù for the pappardelle, and garlic, chilli, anchovy and breadcrumbs for the tagliatelle.
  4. Cook each shape separately in plenty of salted water and finish in the pan with a ladle of the cooking water.

Editor’s tip: Finish every pasta in the pan with its sauce and a little cooking water. Sauce poured on top of drained pasta is the single most common failure in home cooking.

Plan it

Quantities and timing

Formats

Where this menu belongs

Markets

Where it eats best