In the kitchen with Patrizia

We are finally approaching Summer: warm weather, sea, longer days and unique sunsets will start cheering up our days. But there is more. This period of the year also brings with it many flavours and fragrances to be tasted together with the perfect shape of pasta: our Antonio Amato Mezze Maniche of course!

To find the most delicious recipe linked to this shape of pasta and to this period we asked the help of our creative users. We received many answers as usual, but one among all inspired us and whetted our appetite: our fan Patrizia recipe.

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Mezze Maniche: a small short cuts of pasta with a long history

Mezze Maniche are a shape of pasta from central-northern Italy.

They are popularly known as “maniche di frate” – friar sleeves – especially in Emilia Romagna because their name is linked to the clothes worn during the warm season. Their particular shape makes them shorter than their “cousins” Rigatoni, another similar shape of pasta, but they are equally good to be cooked with several dressings, from the strong and full-bodied ones, like the Ragù sauce to the most slippery and creamier ones, as in the case of Mezze Maniche alla Norcina.

Thanks to their cylindrical structure and their grooved surface, the sauce can be tasted in all its forms in order to appreciate every single ingredient. According to some people, Mezze Maniche are the right shape of pasta to be stir fried thanks to their ruggedness. In the recipe by our friend Patrizia they are combined with a typical product of this time, such as courgette flowers and courgettes, adding the crunchiness of the toasted bread. A tasty, light and ideal recipe for those who don’t like strong sauces with meat. Are you ready to discover both ingredients and preparation?

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS

500 g Antonio Amato Mezze Maniche

2 courgettes

400 g courgette flowers

200 g toasted bread

1 onion

½ glass of white wine

Antonio Amato Extra Virgin Olive Oil EVO to taste

pepper to taste

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Finely chop the onion and fry it gently in a pan with Antonio Amato extra virgin olive oil EVO. In the meantime, put on the heat a pot with salted water, bring it to a boil and then cook your Antonio Amato Mezze Maniche.

Brown the onion, add the two courgettes previously cut into slices and cook for a few minutes. Sprinkle with white wine letting the alcohol evaporate and then season with salt.

Drain your pasta using a slotted spoon and add your Mezze Maniche to the mixture with courgettes and onion mixing all the ingredients. Season with a pinch of black pepper and add the courgette flowers roughly chopped and previously cleaned removing the pistil and the stem. To add crunchiness to the dish, add small bread cubes previously pan-fried with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkling of pepper on top and enjoy your dish!