Maccheroni al Ferro

Finely slice the onion. Tear apart the escarole. Chop the celery stalk, parsley, and 1 garlic clove. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook the onions, garlic, celery, parsley, and a small, halved chili pepper (you can vary the amount of pepper to taste) for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, knead the semolina with a pinch of salt, the egg, and 3/4 cup warm water. Continue to work the dough on a floured pastry board to produce a compact ball. Cover with a bowl, and, removing a little at a time, roll out a long rope (1” diameter), then thin out by rolling between your fingers to create long, thin strands (2 1/2”) (be sure to cover the dough that you are not working with so that it does not dry out).

Place a size 8 knitting needle at a roughly 30° angle over the strands and wrap them around it to create a hollow tube. Continue this process until all the dough is used up. Note: you can make the macaroni the night before, dust in plenty of flour, and chill overnight.

Add the escarole to the pan with the onions, add a ladleful of hot water, season with salt, cover, and leave to braise for around 20 minutes. Once cooked, add a further 4 Tbsp. oil and season with additional salt to taste.

Add the pasta to plenty of boiling salted water. Cook for 5-6 minutes from when the water returns to the boil. Transfer to the pan with the endive using a slotted spoon and sauté for 2 minutes with half of the Ragusano cheese, grated into strips. Serve immediately with the remaining cheese in a separate bowl.