Dive into the authentic flavours of Italian cooking with Einkorn Caserecce, a speciality that brings together tradition and honest ingredients. This part-wholegrain pasta shape, made with precious einkorn wheat, is Italian artisan pasta at its best — perfect for anyone looking for nourishing food with a rustic, comforting taste.
Caserecce, with their distinctive rolled shape that holds a sauce beautifully, are made for simple preparations that let the raw ingredient speak. Einkorn — reckoned to be the oldest grain ever cultivated — gives the pasta notes of toasted hazelnut and a pleasantly rustic bite that wins you over on the first forkful. Read more about the history of Italian cuisine or visit the Slow Food website.
The Story of Einkorn Wheat
Einkorn, also known as "little spelt", is considered the oldest grain ever farmed, with origins going back more than 10,000 years in the Fertile Crescent. It was the staple of many ancient civilisations, from the Egyptians to the Romans, who treated it as a sacred food, used it in religious rites and traded it as currency.
In Italy, einkorn farming has been rediscovered only recently, above all in the central and northern regions where it finds its ideal habitat. Unlike common spelt, einkorn has a nutritional profile of its own: high in protein, carotenoids and minerals, and naturally low in gluten. To read more about this ancient grain, see the Wikipedia page on einkorn wheat.
Ingredients
- 320 g Part-Wholegrain Einkorn Caserecce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 fresh chilli
- 400 g datterini cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil, to taste
- Unrefined sea salt
- Grated Pecorino Romano
Method
- Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil.
- Meanwhile, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan and soften the crushed garlic cloves and the chilli, sliced into rings.
- Add the halved datterini tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Drop the einkorn caserecce into the boiling water and cook for the time given on the packet, generally 8-10 minutes.
- Drain the pasta al dente, keeping a glass of the cooking water, and transfer it to the pan with the sauce.
- Toss the pasta for a minute, adding a little cooking water if needed to bring the sauce together.
- Finish with torn fresh basil and a generous dusting of grated Pecorino Romano.
Wine and Beer Pairings
Einkorn is the oldest of the cultivated grains and it tastes like it: hazelnut, bread crust, a sweet undertone no durum wheat pasta has. Too structured a wine would bury it. What you want is something fresh and savoury, that walks alongside that grain flavour instead of arguing with it.
Recommended White Wine
Basaltino Garganega Verona IGT — Redalmo — Garganega grown on basaltic soil carries the bitter-almond note that is its signature, and that almond is a cousin of einkorn's hazelnut flavour: the two recognise each other. Underneath sits a mineral savouriness that keeps the dish alive and a measured acidity that never bullies a delicate sauce. Serve at 10-12 °C.
If the Sauce Calls for a Red
Pinot Nero Veneto I.G.T. — Italo Cescon — Dress the pasta with mushrooms, a white ragù or roasted vegetables and the dish asks for a red — but a light one. Pinot Nero has silky tannin and slender red fruit: it adds depth without leaning on the delicacy of the einkorn. Serve at 14-16 °C.
Want to know the grape better? our guide to Pinot Nero from the Veneto
Craft Beer as an Alternative
Bold Helles Beer — pale lager — A Helles is the beer of bread: pale malt, dry finish, barely four and a half per cent. On a dish built on an ancient grain it brings nothing foreign, only the bubble that cleans the palate. Serve it properly cold, 4-6 °C.
Want to know the style better? craft pale lagers
What to Serve Alongside
To round off the meal, Yeast-Free Rosemary Crackers are the natural choice. Their crunch and the scent of rosemary set up a pleasing contrast with the softness of the pasta, while the yeast-free recipe stays out of the way of einkorn's delicate flavours.
Variations and Tips
- For a creamier version, stir in two tablespoons of sheep's milk ricotta at the end of cooking — it marries perfectly with the rustic taste of the einkorn
- Try the version with rocket and almond pesto, which lifts the earthy notes of the wholegrain
- In autumn, swap the cherry tomatoes for sautéed porcini mushrooms for a deeper, more woodland flavour
- For a note of freshness, finish the dish with lemon zest grated at the last moment
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does einkorn pasta keep?
Einkorn pasta keeps in a cool, dry place until the best-before date printed on the packet. Once cooked, it will hold for 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Is einkorn suitable for coeliacs?
Einkorn naturally contains less gluten than common wheat, but it is not gluten-free. It is therefore not suitable for people with coeliac disease, although it may be better tolerated by those with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
Can I freeze cooked einkorn caserecce?
Yes, cooked caserecce can be frozen for up to a month. Drain the pasta well, toss it with a thread of oil so it doesn't stick and pack it into freezer containers. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in a pan with a little water or sauce.
