Here in the southern hemisphere we are finally letting go of the hot summer and approaching cooler months. Though in my part of the world it just means gone is the oppressive humidity of a tropical summer and we welcome the cool, dewy mornings of the dry season that some people call winter. And it was on one such weekend morning that the idea for this pasta began. On the bookshelf is one of my favourites The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, a wonderful collection of recipes from Emilia- Romagna, the homeland of my dear dad. It is here that I am inspired. The front cover shows a bowl of ribbed penne type pasta in a warming bowl of broth. Inside I find the recipe for garganelli.
Garganelli are traditionally made with a garganelli comb which you see here but also can be made with a clean comb and a pencil. On the morning in question I recalled seeing a ribbed gnocchi board in our local Italian deli, thinking this would serve the purpose I didn’t delay the purchase. Yep, along with a clean pencil, it worked!
The pasta recipe I used is flavoured with Parmigiano-Reggiano, nutmeg and black pepper adapted from The Splendid Table.

Garganelli
(adapted from The Splendid Table)

4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese
3 cups all purpose flour

I use a food processor to combine and knead the ingredients. Then remove the pasta dough and knead it well for a further 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
I used a pasta machine to roll the dough thinly but you could use a rolling pin to roll out portions of dough. Cut the thinly rolled pasta dough into 1 or 1 1/2 inch squares.

Place the square with the point facing you and roll to mark with a clean pencil.

Flick the point closest to you over the pencil and carefully roll the dough up…

pressing to seal at the end.

It only takes a little bit of practice to soon have a garganelli production in place.

Cook garganelli in simmering chicken broth for a brief two or three minutes or until just al dente. Serve with lashing of Parmigiano-Reggiano.