Cresc’tajat (Pasta made from Polenta)
I have found that the further you dive into traditional Italian cooking, the more you see how to this day frugal, rustic cooking techniques and ingredients are able to blend together to form delicious dishes.
This dish called Cresc’tajat (pronounced cresh-tie-et) is a perfect example of just that, it’s a dish that is featured around a very unique corn pasta that is made with an unexpected but fascinating ingredient for pasta, polenta, for a unique texture and flavor, and in the old days this dish utilized leftover polenta served with either stewed wild greens or beans, which is the direction I’ll be taking.
Join me as we make a traditional Cresc’tajat that, don’t worry, won’t be fussy or complicated whatsoever.
Cresc’tajat
Serves 6
Time: 2 hours plus overnight soaking and chilling
For the Pasta:
7 oz of instant polenta (cornmeal), see note
3 1/2 oz of 00 flour or all purpose flour
Salt
For the beans and sauce:
9 ounces of dried cranberry or pinto beans
1 carrot, broken into large chunks
1 stalk of celery, broken into large chunks
Salt
2 oz of pancetta, minced
4 tablespoons of olive oil, plus more for serving
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 thick Italian sausage, skin removed (but not discarded) and meat crumbled
7 oz of pureed tomatoes
Grated pecorino, for serving
Note: For a smooth, rollable pasta dough, you want the polenta or cornmeal to be as finely ground as possible, so If your polenta is more on the coarse side, what you can do is grind it in a coffee grinder then sift it.
Cook the polenta according to the directions on the package. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, then let it chill in the fridge overnight. (The polenta should be stiff but you should be able to cut it with a fork.) At the same time, place the beans into a bowl and fully submerge them in water, at least double the amount of beans you have. Let them soak overnight as well.
The next day, place the beans into a saucepan and cover with at least 4 inches of water. Add in the carrot and celery to infuse the beans with extra flavor, then bring the water to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the beans are tender.
Meanwhile, mash the polenta with a fork and combine with the flour to form a loose, soft dough and can’t see any more streaks of flour. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Keeping each dough piece well-floured, roll the dough into a 2-3 mm or 1/4 inch thickness. Slice the dough sheets into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide, then cut diagonally the same way to create a diamond shape. Dust each piece in flour, then set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, then add the pancetta and onion and cook for about 7 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the sausage meat, then cook for another 5 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked or mostly cooked.
Add the tomato puree, a pinch of salt, and about 1/2 cup of the broth the beans cooked in. (You can also add the sausage skin to infuse the sauce with extra flavor.) Bring that to a simmer, then let it cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened.
Cook the pasta in a pot of salted simmering water until the pasta floats to the surface of the water. Drain the beans and scoop the pasta from the water with a slotted spoon, add both to the sauce and toss to combine. Season to taste, then serve immediately, topping with grated pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil.
