STRUNCATURA - a PASTA WITH A HISTORY, and LEARNING THE ROPES
- whenincalabria
- Mar 17
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 25
Rich in flavour and texture, earthy and wholesome, Struncatura is a beautiful example of how dishes born out of necessity or scarcity, using simple and accessible ingredients, can evolve into traditional dishes that become part of contemporary cuisine.
La Stroncatura, or O Struncatura in local Calabrian dialect, is a traditional Calabrian first course made with its namesake pasta, Struncatura, a linguine-style pasta, but thicker and more robust. Made with a blend of whole-wheat flours, it has a dark and coarse texture, ideal for holding sauces.
Struncatura is a pasta with a history. Once a peasant dish, banned and traded underhand, it has evolved into a traditional Calabrian dish, found on most Calabrian menus and served in the finest restaurants.
The first Struncatura was produced from milling residues. Leftover bran was swept up from the floor and given to peasants, meant as feed for their livestock. The hungry peasants made pasta with it instead. Because of its unhygienic nature, the pasta was banned for human consumption, during which time it was sold underhand, almost like contraband.
Today, Struncatura, now of course complying with food standards, is produced by only a handful of mills in Calabria in the region of Reggio Calabria, and mainly around Gioia Tauro, the recognized birthplace of the pasta, where it also enjoys its greatest popularity. Nowadays, the distinct whole-wheat, dark, and coarse pasta can be found on the menus of most restaurants across Calabria.
Struncatura as a dish does not seem to follow a particular recipe. The original pasta was quite acidic and had an intense flavor, so to mask both the taste and acidity, it was paired with locally available strong-flavored ingredients, such as anchovies, sardines, chili, olives, garlic, and olive oil, as well as stale bread. The dish was finished with a sprinkle of garlic-infused breadcrumbs - the so-called poor man's parmesan.
I'm in the process of learning how to cook Calabrian dishes. Without a Calabrian Nonna to ask, I spend hours going through cookbooks and searching the internet, learning about local ingredients and traditional dishes.
My Stroncatura recipe may not be traditional, but it comes close, following the same principle of adding strong flavours: I used olive oil, garlic, anchovies, dried small chilli, green olives, and also added brined caper berries, the fruit of the caper bush. They are about the size of olives, taste similar to capers, but are milder and usually full of small pink crispy seeds, and add a lovely crunch to the pasta. For my bread crumbs, I used stale durum wheat bread.
Stroncatura is easy and fast to make, and can be prepared while the pasta cooks. It is rich in flavor and texture, earthy, and wholesome.
The anchovies add a beautiful flavor and umami taste. The pan grattato, or breadcrumbs, provide volume, bulk, and texture. Together with the pasta cooking water, they become thick and creamy. The olives add a grassy tanginess, the chili a pleasant background spice. Brined caper berries add acidity and a delightful crunch. The toasted, garlic-infused breadcrumbs, or poor man's parmesan, brings a lovely crunch with every bite. A sprinkle of chopped parsley adds color and freshness.
Sources and interesting reads:
My Calabria, by Rosetta Costantino
Calabria in Cucina - The Flavours or Calabria, by Valentina Oliveri
How to prepare:
STRUNCATURA
Rich in flavour and texture, earthy and wholesome, Struncatura is a beautiful example of how dishes born out of necessity or scarcity, using simple and accessible ingredients, can evolve into traditional dishes that become part of contemporary cuisine.
Recipe based on traditional Struncatura
INGREDIENTS:
Makes 4 Portions
500g Struncatura/Stroncatura pasta (or the roughest wholewheat linguine you can find)
8 anchovy fillets in olive oil
8 large caper berries
8 green olives
130g bread crumbs made from stale Durum Wheat Bread (or other)
2 large garlic cloves
2 small dried chilli
4-5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
chopped parsley for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Gather all the ingredients.
Prepare the ingredients: Remove 8 anchovies from the jar, leaving the oil behind. Peel and thinly slice 1 garlic clove, lightly crush the second garlic clove with the back of the knife, then cut it into quarters. Quarter the olives lengthwise, and slice the capers. Put the stale bread into a food processor and blend into fine breadcrumbs.
Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt. Drop the pasta into the water and cook according to packet instructions until al dente, in my case 12 minutes. Check the pasta a couple of minutes before the timer ends to make sure it is not overcooking.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread crumb topping (poor man's parmesan): while the pasta is boiling, heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the quartered garlic, followed by half of the bread crumbs, and toast until they become golden-brown, crunchy, and fragrant, stirring occasionally and making sure not to brown them too much. Once toasted, turn the heat to its lowest setting and keep them warm.
Prepare the sauce: While the breadcrumbs are toasting, prepare the sauce: heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 large sliced garlic, and 2 dried chilies. Sauté the garlic on medium-low heat until lightly browned (do not let the garlic turn too dark, as it will get bitter), meanwhile infusing the oil with the chilies - about 3-4 minutes. Add the anchovies and allow them to melt into the oil.
Once the anchovies are dissolved, add the olives, capers, and remaining bread crumbs and a splash of pasta cooking water. Stir until the bread crumbs melt into a thick sauce. Add more cooking water as needed to achieve a thick and creamy sauce consistency.
Drain the pasta and mix it with the sauce: Drain the pasta, reserving a small cup of the cooking water.
Add the drained pasta to the pan and mix it thoroughly with the sauce, adding more pasta cooking liquid to make a creamy sauce. Make sure to incorporate all the bread and ingredients that tend to accumulate at the bottom of the pan.
Serve: Serve the Struncatura immediately and hot in warmed bowls or pasta plates, garnished with the toasted breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. Serve the remaining bread crumbs in a bowl on the side.
TEXT-ONLY RECIPE
STRUNCATURA
Rich in flavour and texture, earthy and wholesome, Struncatura is a beautiful example of how dishes born out of necessity or scarcity, using simple and accessible ingredients, can evolve into traditional dishes that become integral to contemporary cuisine.
Recipe based on traditional Calabrian Struncatura
INGREDIENTS:
Makes 4 Portions
500g Struncatura/Stroncatura pasta (or the roughest wholewheat linguine you can find)
8 anchovy fillets in olive oil
8 large caper berries
8 green olives
130g bread crumbs made from stale Durum Wheat Bread (or other)
2 large garlic cloves
2 small dried chilli
4-5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
chopped parsley for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Gather all the ingredients.
Prepare the ingredients: Remove 8 anchovies from the jar, leaving the oil behind. Peel and thinly slice 1 garlic clove, lightly crush the second garlic clove with the back of the knife, then cut it into quarters. Quarter the olives lengthwise, and slice the capers. Put the stale bread into a food processor and blend into fine breadcrumbs.
Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt. Drop the pasta into the water and cook according to packet instructions until al dente, in my case 12 minutes. Check the pasta a couple of minutes before the timer ends to make sure it is not overcooking.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread crumb topping (poor man's parmesan): while the pasta is boiling, heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the quartered garlic, followed by half of the bread crumbs, and toast until they become golden-brown, crunchy, and fragrant, stirring occasionally and making sure not to brown them too much. Once toasted, turn the heat to its lowest setting and keep them warm.
Prepare the sauce: While the breadcrumbs are toasting, prepare the sauce: heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 large sliced garlic, and 2 dried chilies. Sauté the garlic on medium-low heat until lightly browned (do not let the garlic turn too dark, as it will get bitter), meanwhile infusing the oil with the chilies - about 3-4 minutes. Add the anchovies and allow them to melt into the oil. Once the anchovies are dissolved, add the olives, capers, and remaining bread crumbs and a splash of pasta cooking water. Stir until the bread crumbs melt into a thick sauce. Add more cooking water as needed to achieve a thick and creamy sauce consistency.
Drain the pasta and mix it with the sauce: Drain the pasta, reserving a small cup of the cooking water.
Add the drained pasta to the pan and mix it thoroughly with the sauce, adding more pasta cooking liquid to make a creamy sauce. Make sure to incorporate all the bread and ingredients that tend to accumulate at the bottom of the pan.
Serve: Serve the Struncatura immediately and hot in warmed bowls or pasta plates, garnished with the toasted breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. Serve the remaining bread crumbs on the side.
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