Recipe: laghene and fasule sfritte of the village of Rivello

In the heart of Basilicata, Rivello preserves a gastronomic tradition rooted in rural culture and knowledge handed down from generation to generation. Ancient crafts and cuisine made from simple but authentic ingredients have given rise to a dish that symbolizes the village: laghene and fasule sfritte. A seemingly humble first course, prepared with handmade pasta, local beans, and the unmistakable final “sfritto” made with oil, garlic, and dried red pepper. An ancient gesture, recognizable by the sizzling sound of the oil, which tells the story of Rivello better than any words could and which every summer becomes the star of the town’s food and wine tour.

Ingredients

500 g of flour
Water q.s.
Salt to taste.
400 g of Rotale beans
2 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of dry ground red pepper

Process

We start the evening before preparation by soaking the beans. The next day let’s cook them in a pan of cold water for about an hour and a half from the beginning of boiling. Once the beans are ready, let’s put them aside, it’s time to make the pasta.
We arrange the flour on a surface and make a hole in the center. We fill the hole with warm water and a pinch of salt. We knead well, working on the wrist, for about ten minutes, until it forms a ball. Flatten it and roll it out with a rolling pin. We roll the dough around the rolling pin and pull it out. Cut the dough into wide strips and unroll them on a floured surface. The laghene are done.
At this point it is time to cook the pasta and prepare the fried. We fill a pot of water sufficiently, salt and bring to a boil and then add the laghene. Meanwhile, in a pan, brown the garlic cloves, which we have previously crushed, with plenty of oil.
When the pasta is al dente, add the beans to flavor everything, then drain most of the cooking water. Remove from the gas and add the hot oil and garlic to the pasta and beans, to which we will have added the ground pepper. You will hear the oil sizzle in contact with the remaining cooking water. This is the typical sizzling sound of the “sfritto”. Now, let’s quickly mix everything away from the gas so it doesn’t burn. Mix everything well and let it rest for a few minutes to better flavor.
If you want even more flavor, you can accompany this dish with some cruschi peppers and hot peppers.
Serve and… enjoy your meal!

Source facebook.com/rivelloltre
Photo by Rosalinda Ferrari, the dish cooked by her mother Angelina