Red fusi with radicchio and pork sausage

SERVES 4

“Fusi is a shape of pasta typical of the north-east coast of the Adriatic,” says Bacchia. “Squares of egg pasta are wrapped around the handle of a wooden spoon to make an overlapping tube-like shape that looks a bit like penne. Fusi made during the traditional winter slaughter of the pig would be red, tinged with pig’s blood, to celebrate the sausages and salumi that had been prepared for the year. When I was in Trieste researching this book I ate deep-red fusi made with local refosco wine, served with a pork sausage and red radicchio sauce. Refosco is hard to find outside of the area, but merlot makes a respectable substitute.” Pictured p115.

1 small head of radicchio

400 gm pork sausages

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 large red onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline, slices cut in half 125 ml red wine, preferably refosco or merlot

Splash of vincotto or aged balsamic vinegar 100 gm (11/3 cup) parmesan, finely grated

PASTA

600 ml red wine (refosco or

merlot)

400 gm (22/3 cups) plain flour 2 egg yolks

Superfine semolina

(semola rimacinata; see note), for dusting

1 For pasta, pour wine into a saucepan over medium heat, and simmer until it reduces to 200ml (25-30 minutes). Pour reduced wine into a heatproof jug and cool (40 minutes). Place a mound of flour on your work surface and make a well in the centre. Crack eggs into the well and drizzle in wine. Start whisking eggs gently with a fork, incorporating a bit of flour at the same time, until too thick to whisk, then form into a ball of dough with your hands. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding extra flour if necessary. Cover with an upturned bowl and rest for 30 minutes.

2 Dust a work surface with semolina. Cut pasta dough in half – wrap one half in plastic wrap and roll out the other.

Feed dough through a pasta machine, starting on the widest setting and reducing settings notch by notch until 2mm thick. Cut 5-6 equal squares from the pasta and roll each square from one corner diagonally around the handle of a wooden spoon so that opposite points of the squares overlap, then seal the points with a wet finger; the pasta will look a bit like a hand-formed penne. Dust with semolina and cover with a clean tea towel while you repeat the process with remaining pasta.

3 Break leaves off radicchio, cut out the thick central white spine and shred the leaves finely. Place in a bowl of water and soak for 15 minutes to remove some of the bitterness. Drain.

4 Meanwhile, remove casing from sausages and break meat into small pieces.

5 Heat oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat, add onion and radicchio, and cook until softened (10-15 minutes). Increase heat to medium-high, add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over. Pour in wine and sauté until wine starts to evaporate, then reduce heat and cook for another 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Season to taste. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (about 1-2 minutes). Drain then add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat.

5 Serve on warm plates, topped with a dash of vincotto and a generous scattering of parmesan.

Note Superfine semolina is available from select delicatessens.