THE GEOMETRY OF PASTA

by Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kenedy (Boxtree, 2010)

Caz Hildebrand has been the designer and art director on my books since the very beginning, and I trust and admire her instinct and genius (and wit!) so I knew from the minute she conceived the idea for The Geometry of Pasta, the book would be worth waiting for. It is a piece of art in itself - the graphic design of the various pasta shapes providing bold, monochrome illustration - and the recipes from Bocca di Lupo's Jacob Kenedy make it a book you'll cook from constantly. I've chosen an unfamiliar, sounds-wrong, tastes-right recipe for pasta wheels with frankfurters and fontina cheese to give you a little taster!

Ruote Con Würstel e Fontina

Frankfurters and Fontina

Just as Wagon Wheels, as a confection, may be considered a little tacky, so wheel-shaped pasta must seem somewhat trailer-trash to the Italian eye. With this in mind, here is an indisputably trashy recipe. It might not do for your soirées, but the kids will love it.

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main

INGREDIENTS

• 200g ruote/rotelline
• 4 frankfurters (or 140g)
• 1 medium red onion
• 50g butter
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 100g fontina, diced about 5mm
• 60ml double cream (optional)

Also good with this sauce: fusilli, gomiti

METHOD

1. Put your pasta in the boiling water.
2. Slice your frankfurters on a bias, 5cm thick.
3. Peel, halve and slice your onion with the grain.
4. Fry it in the butter over a high heat for 3-4 minutes, until starting to brown and smell like a hot-dog stand.
5. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the frankfurters and rosemary and cook for a few minutes more.
6. Add the drained pasta to the pan with about 90ml of its cooking water. Bubble together until the pasta is nicely coated, then stir in the fontina and take the pan off the heat.
7. A little cream, added to the sauce, helps to bring it together, but isn't necessary. Leave to rest, covered, for the cheese to melt for a minute or so before serving.

Posted by Nigella on the 8th Aug 2012