American Sfoglino

Roll one dough ball to a thickness of 9 Post-it® Notes on a lightly floured work surface (see page 50). Cure the sfoglia (see page 35). Fold the sfoglia in half, press gently along the crease, and unfold. Using a sharp knife, cut the sfoglia along the crease. Position the half-moon–shaped pieces of sfoglia with the round ends closest to you and the cut ends facing away from you. Starting at the round edge of one sfoglia crescent, fold the pasta 3 in [7.5 cm] over and continue to fold until you have a loose roll. Repeat with the remaining dough. Beginning at the end of one roll, using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 in [2.5 cm] thick strips. Cut each strip 1 in [2.5 cm] diagonally. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Using both hands, gather up the dough pieces and gently toss them to separate the pieces, setting them down on a clean work surface. The maltagliati are ready to use now, or you can dry them for future use: Set aside on a wooden surface, at room temperature, until completely dry, 2 to 3 hours. You can expedite the drying process by placing a fan near the pasta, avoiding direct air.

The dried pasta will keep, at room temperature in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 6 months.

MALTAGLIATI PILE

When bolognesi make a recipe featuring maltagliati, they use the scraps they generate from making other pasta shapes. This practice is ideal in terms of practicality and economy, ensuring none of the dough goes to waste—and you get a bonus meal out of it. So, whenever you make any type of pasta, don’t throw away the odds and ends remaining after you’ve rolled and cut the dough. Instead, set them aside on a porous surface at room temperature until completely dry, 2 to 3 hours. They will keep, at room temperature in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 6 months. Keep adding to your stash and cook the pasta when you’ve accumulated enough for your needs. Obviously here I give instructions for making maltagliati from scratch, so the shape of the pasta pieces will be uniform. The recipe calls for Sfoglia all’Uovo but you can absolutely substitute Sfoglia di Acqua e Farina (page 34).