Strichetti is Alessandra’s name for a pasta shape you probably know as farfalle (butterflies) for its distinctive winged form. This is a fairly modern pasta shape, which became popular in the 1970s and, in Bologna, you’re likely to find the dried form sold in boxes; only a handful of pasta workshops make strichetti by hand.
My approach here illuminates, perhaps better than any other shape in the book, the architectural and structural view I take of pasta. When cooked, most strichetti are crunchy in the middle and overcooked on the sides due to improper pinching at the pasta’s touch points. Due to their folds, it’s tough to cook a piece to a universally tender texture. I have re-engineered the pasta shaping itself to ensure even cooking. By pinching strichetti my way, the dough forms a canal, of sorts, that lets the water flow freely around the pasta, ensuring a universally tender piece every time.
