Maltagliati Pasta
In Italian, the word ‘maltagliati’ literally means ‘badly cut’! In fact, these squares, rhombus or irregularly shaped flat pasta pieces started life as the remains of rolled out tagliatelle pasta dough or re-kneaded ravioli cuttings.
Although once just a way for housewives to use up leftover pasta dough, nowadays, maltagliati pasta is sold by a lot of pasta companies. When buying dried maltagliati, you can find them cut into slightly different shapes; sometimes with ruffled edges and sometimes irregular depending on the pasta maker. In general, homemade versions are often quite irregular. Commercially produced maltagliati, on the other hand, are more uniform.
maltagliati pasta with chickpea sauce
Maltagliati pasta around Italy
This type of pasta is popular throughout Italy but particularly in Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia , Abruzzo and the Marche. Locally it may also have different names. For example, in the Valtellina, they make tiny maltagliati from leftover pizzoccheri dough and call it ‘pizzoccherini’. In Liguria, maltagliati is also called ‘martaliai’ and they often add cheese to the dough. In Lazio, this pasta is known as sagne ‘mpezze, in Puglia, it’s also called ‘pizzelle’ and in Abruzzo, ‘pettole’or sometimes ‘fregnacce’. Sagne pasta also from Abruzzo is a type of maltagliati.
Traditional maltagliati pasta recipes
Maltalgiati pasta is served in different ways, either in broth or with a sauce. Again recipes can vary from region to region. In Emilia-Romagna, maltagliati is considered a typical local product. This is not surprising since tagliatelle originally came from this region and they often make this pasta from leftover tagliatelle dough. The most popular way to cook these pieces of pasta is in a bean soup. Here in Veneto, they also use it in ‘pasta e fagioli’ (pasta and beans).
Maltagliati pasta with braised veal and onions
In Puglia, it is served with chickpeas. In the Marche, they eat maltagliati pasta with a duck or lamb sauce or wild asparagus.As you can imagine, you can find many versions of maltagliati pasta with various names and served in many different ways throughout Italy.
Maltagliati from Corleone
The first recipe I have posted for maltagliati comes from Sicily. It’s called maltagliati con l’aggrassatu. I decided on a Sicilian recipe because I bought the pasta in Sicily, actually in Corleone. This is a small village made famous for its mafia population! This pasta recipe is made with the sauce from a braised veal and onions. You can read more about it by clicking the above link.
I’ll be adding other maltagliati recipes soon. Do you know this pasta? Have you ever eaten it?
We’ve been making maltagliati from scratch, which is fun since you don’t have to be terribly precise while cutting. Had no idea there was a real Corleone town and that they make it! Would be wonderful to find a source here in the U.S.
Thanks for your comment Deb, I’ve actually never made any type of maltagliati myself but it’s on my to make list. Yes lots of companies sell dried versions. I’m sure if you search online you’ll find a seller. Corleone is not an interesting place to visit but they do have a mafia museum and it is/was home to a number of mafia familys!
Badly cut sounds like you’re describing my cooking skills. Hahaha! This is awesome. Thanks for sharing!
xoxo Ros