Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1050416
123 carved in Italy just for Glantz. Every pastaio (Italian for "pasta maker") has their own mark. Glantz takes her commitment to preserv- ing local foodways, working with local farmers, and serving her customers very seriously. A wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano that is imper- fectly aged can keep her up at night, and she knows the story of every single product in her store, from the way barrels of anchovies are aged for the Nettuno Colutura—a rare fish con- diment that is a favorite of Andrew Zimmern of Food Network—to the fig groves that grow the fruit for her imported preserves. She knows when the new harvest of San Marzano tomatoes will turn up in cans on our shores and makes sure she clears out last year's in time. A holiday food basket from Pastaio Via Corta is guaran- teed to be filled with things you've never tried before and want to try again and again. "I'm proud of keeping traditions alive," Glantz says. "To me, what is important is teaching people what is real and what is not. I just want to give people the real thing." pastaioviacorta.com Lasagna Tips Stop into Pastaio Via Corta if you're wondering what to make for dinner any night of the week and you can leave with a simple recipe and all the ingredients for a fast, nutritious meal. But over the holidays, when some- thing fancier is on everyone's menu, owner Danielle Glantz starts taking orders for sheets of lasagna noo- dles two weeks before Christmas, and her list fills up fast. It's worth planning ahead; Glantz rolls them to the perfect thickness and cuts the noodles to the size of your nonna's favorite pan. Your ragù has never had it so good. Here's a blueprint for Glantz's favorite lasagna. Her family from Northern Italy prefers a béchamel to ricotta and mozzarella, but she has friends in Italy who use everything from hard-boiled eggs to meatballs. Fresh sheets can either be boiled for 30 seconds and then shocked in an ice bath and set to dry on a table- cloth, or they can be layered without cooking. Just use some extra sauce and bake a bit longer. Make a ragù Bolognese. Start with a sofrito (a mix of carrots, onions, and celery) cooked for about 30 min- utes over low heat, until it's almost a mash. Add diced pancetta, then ground pork or beef. Brown the meat, and then add white wine. Add toma- toes and parmesan cheese rinds, if available, and then cook for three to five hours. Don't stir too much. Make a béchamel. Cook equal parts butter and flour. It should look like wet sand. Then add milk and freshly ground nutmeg. Follow your favorite recipe, but Glantz recommends stir- ring occasionally over super-low heat for 45 minutes to ensure the flour is completely cooked. Start layering. Glantz likes six or seven layers. Put a bit of sauce on the bottom, layer in some pasta, top with some more ragù and some béchamel. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes—longer if you started with raw lasagna noodles. Glantz bakes it uncovered because she likes it crispy. Glantz works with local farms to make her organic small-batch pasta.