Book of Days Tales

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, commonly simply called Michelangelo, was born on this date in 1475 in Caprese, now a commune (called Caprese Michelangelo) in Tuscany. Let me first dispense with the idea that Michelangelo was an Italian artist, as he is almost universally styled. This is a ridiculous anachronism. Italy as a nation did not exist until the 19^th century, and, therefore, “Italian” is a purely modern term embraced by revolutionaries such as Garibaldi, but absolutely not pertinent to the 15^th and 16^th centuries. At best we might call him Florentine since in Michelangelo’s time Caprese was part of Florence.

His biographer noted that Michelangelo had no interest in food, so finding a celebratory recipe is a challenge. Michelangelo was known to have appalling table manners, eating rapidly because he saw eating as time wasted away from his work. As a compromise I’ve settled on pappardelle, very broad, flat noodles originating from the region where Michelangelo was born. The name derives from the verb “pappare”– “to gobble down,” which seems massively appropriate given the way he ate. Also, pappardelle on a plate remind me of the delicate folds in the draperies of Michelangelo’s work. Fresh pappardelle, which are the best, are 2 to 3 centimeters (¾ – 1 in) wide and may have fluted edges. They can be sauced in all manner of ways. There are tons of local recipes for pappardelle in rich meat and wine sauces, but these seem inappropriate. I suggest the following:

First, make your own pasta.

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups flour
4 extra-large or 5 medium eggs

Instructions:

Mound the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour, add the eggs. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. As you incorporate the eggs, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape (do not worry if it looks messy). The dough will come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated.

Start kneading the dough with both hands, primarily using the palms of your hands. Add more flour, in ½ cup increments, if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any leftover dry bits. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board with flour when necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to your desired thickness. Once you’ve rolled the dough out flat, cut the dough into strips 1-inch wide and 12 inches long.

Second, decide on a sauce. For me the most delectable, and simple, is a butter sauce with fresh porcini. Chop the porcini coarsely and sauté them gently in ample butter over medium-low heat. Cook the papparele to al dente in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water. Drain the pasta, but reserve a little of the water. Toss the pasta in the butter and porcini mix, adding a touch of the water as needed. Serve in a deep, warmed serving dish with a garnish of finely shaved Parmesan cheese. Then gobble it down.