Buckwheat tagliatelle with fizzy puttanesca
Nutty, silky pasta strands and a lacto-fermented, briny tomato sauce.
If you’ve been on one of my lactic fermentation classes you might have heard me talk about one of my least favourite ferments.
One that REALLY gives me the ick. And a very unfortunate problem because, as many-a-fermenter will know, it is in the best interest of the fermentation revivalist movement to extol the virtues of fermenting everything, as often as possible, and all at once. My guilt is compounded even further by the fact that this particular ferment is actually rather common in many Eastern European cultures.
But alas, I was scarred at some point in my youth because the only memory I have of eating these bright-coloured, mushy gems are…as a mistake, after they’d been sat at the bottom of the fridge drawer well past their prime, with a bloom of mold cropping up on the underside of the now-oozing red mass. The revulsion was absolute, and I never wanted to eat a fermented tomato, ever again.
Two weeks ago, I decided that I was perhaps finally old enough to confront and lay this memory to rest. And…
OKAY! I take it all back!
Well, almost - really pungent fermented tomatoes still remind me of produce that’s gone off and whose only destination is the bin. But the young, barely-fizzy lacto-fermented tomatoes I made changed my mind. The tang of lactic acid was barely perceptible, just enough to emphasize the natural umami of the tomatoes…and the carbon dioxide left the most pleasant sensation on the tongue.
I decided that a puttanesca sauce would be a most suitable way to showcase the flavors, and buckwheat pasta a most appropriate vehicle.
Buckwheat is actually a seed and not a grain, much less a wheat. That means it lacks gluten, the protein that makes dough stick together, stretch, and hold its shape. Working with a buckwheat dough requires a more gentle approach, but it also saves you loads of time: no need to rest the dough in between working it, and it was much quicker to roll out as there was none of that bouncing back you get with a gluten-packed dough! We got somewhere in the end - and it was very tasty. I’ve omitted binders like xantham gum or psyllium husks, to keep this recipe simple and with as little processed ingredients as possible.
A few tips for working with an all-buckwheat pasta/noodle dough:
Use boiling water to help gelatinize the starch when you mix the dough, so it holds better
Roll it out slightly thicker than you would a wheat dough, so it breaks less easily
Make and cook straight away - drying it out will make the dough more brittle
Cook for just 60 secs, and on a low boil, so there’s less of a chance that the pasta breaks in the water
When it comes to mixing your cooked pasta with the sauce, a wide pan will help you gently swirl it all together - avoid tossing aggressively to keep those long strands intact!
Try these recipes out, and let me know what you think!
Lacto-fermented tomatoes
Ingredients
300g cherry tomatoes, or tomatoes of your choice
6g coarse unrefined sea salt (or a scant teaspoon)
Instructions
Wash your tomatoes and slice them in half or in small chunks.
Toss with the salt, and let sit in a bowl for a half hour - the salt will help draw the liquid out.
Pack into a 350-500g jar, making sure to let the liquid rise to the surface as you do.
Place the lid on your jar but do not seal - this is to avoid carbon dioxide pressurising in the jar and making it explode!
Place on your kitchen counter, out of the sunlight, and let ferment for 3-5 days. Check your ferment daily to ensure no mold or other funky growth is developing on the surface; push the tomato pieces under the surface of the liquid every day to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Use as is or keep in your fridge, with the lid now sealed!
Fizzy puttanesca
Ingredients
300g lacto fermented tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 tbsp capers
8 black olives, chopped
a pinch of chilli flakes
Instructions
Let your oil heat in a pan over medium heat, then add the capers and olives and fry until crispy.
Add the tomato paste and stir with a wooden spoon to caramelize it, then add the garlic and chilli and lightly cook to release the flavors.
Remove most of the liquid from the fermented tomatoes (leaving the pulp), and add to the pan to reduce.
Take off the heat, add your pasta, and gently toss - finally, add the lacto-fermented tomatoes! Keeping them away from the heat means they stay raw, preserving the yummy beneficial probiotics.
Top with parmesan or nutritional yeast, a glug of olive oil, maybe a basil leaf or two, and enjoy!
Buckwheat tagliatelle
Ingredients (for two portions)
150g buckwheat flour (I use Doves Farm Organic)
75g water
Instructions
Boil your water, add to your flour in a mixing bowl and mix with a fork, then start using your hands once the dough is cool enough to handle. You’re looking for the dough mass to come together, with neither dry nor sticky patches (a different brand of flour might require slightly more or less water, you’ll need to gauge this). Shape your dough into a lump that’s roughly square shaped.
Flour a wooden surface with a very light dusting of buckwheat flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, making sure to maintain even thickness throughout, and aiming for a rectangular shape that is longer horizontally. Regularly lift the dough off the surface to make sure it isn’t sticking; if it is, lightly dust it with buckwheat flour.
Continue to roll out until approximately 2-3mm thick. Trim the scraggly edges if you want neater strips of pasta (or don’t, if you don’t want waste!). Use a long knife to cut strips lengthwise about 6-7mm wide.
Set your pot of water to boil and liberally salt. Once it’s at a rolling boil, add your pasta and very gently stir to keep from sticking. Boil for 1 minute, then drain and rinse under cold water to get rid of the buckwheat flour scum.
Add into your wide pan which contains your sauce, and very gently wriggle the pan around over low heat to coat the pasta with the sauce.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Learn to ferment with me! Upcoming Courses:
August 14th - 1.30-4.30pm at The Mill, Walthamstow
August 18th - 11-2pm at Hornbeam Cafe, Walthamstow
August 25th - 11-2pm at Hornbeam Cafe, Walthamstow