As a part of our Monte’s Trattoria coverage, Chef Mosconi showed us how he makes with a one of his signature dishes Paglia e Fieno. Translated into “Straw and hay” from Italian, Paglia e Fieno is named after its yellow (egg) and green (spinach) pasta.
SERVES 4
1½ lb fresh spinach and egg taglierini (can substitute 1lb of dried spaghetti)
½ medium onion
4 slices of prosciutto, thin-cut
½ cup fresh or frozen peas (depending on season)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 dried bay leaf
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Bring 3 cups of well-salted water to a boil. If using the dried spaghetti, allow the noodles to boil for the recommended time until al dente. During that time, you can make the sauce. If using fresh pasta, do the next step first, and only boil the pasta for a few minutes before adding the peas to the pasta pot.
Dice the onion, set aside. Julianne the prosciutto, set aside.
When the pasta is just about done, add the peas and cook for one minute. Drain everything and set aside.
Place a medium skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil gets hot, add diced onions, prosciutto, butter, and bay leaf. Mix everything together. Stir occasionally for about three minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add parsley and then add cream. Let sit for two minutes.
Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Place the strained pasta and peas directly into the skillet and toss. Finish with Parmigiano-Reggiano and ground pepper to taste.
For more about Pietro Mosconi and his beloved Monte’s Trattoria, read our articles Who is Pietro Mosconi? and Discovering Old New York Italian at Greenwich Village’s Monte’s Trattoria.
