Umbria
Rough, irregularly-cut pasta (maltagliati — 'badly cut') dressed with a vegetable and Castelluccio lentil ragù enriched with soffritto, tomato, sage and a final hit of aged Umbrian olive oil. The imperfect pasta shape is intentional — the irregular edges grip the thick lentil sauce differently across each piece, creating variety in every bite.
Earthy, herbal and gently sweet from the soffritto vegetables; the Castelluccio lentils are nutty and barely thickened; olive oil finishes everything with grass and pepper — an Umbrian peasant dish of considerable elegance
{"Maltagliati dough: eggs, flour and a splash of olive oil — slightly enriched for a tender bite","Roll to 2.5–3mm and cut with a sharp knife in irregular triangles and trapezoids — consistency of size (not shape) allows even cooking","Lenticchie di Castelluccio need no soaking — their thin skin means they cook in 20–25 minutes to a tender-but-intact result","Build the soffritto with carrot, celery, onion and sage in olive oil — cook 20 minutes until completely soft before adding lentils","Finish the pasta in the lentil sauce with pasta water — the pasta must absorb some sauce, not just be coated"}
{"A small amount of black truffle from Norcia grated over the final plate is the Umbrian winter luxury version","The leftover lentil sauce, thinned with broth, makes an extraordinary lentil soup the next day","Fresh thyme added to the soffritto alongside the sage gives an additional herbal dimension"}
{"Using large green lentils that require soaking and don't produce the same delicate texture as Castelluccio","Uniform pasta cuts that defeat the purpose of maltagliati — the irregular sizes are what give the dish its character","Insufficient soffritto cook time — the vegetable base must be completely soft before adding lentils"}
La Cucina Umbra — Tartufo, Olio e Legumi