Garganelli pasta is a hand-rolled hollow tube-shaped pasta originally from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Each noodle features a seamless cylindrical shape – kind of like penne pasta, but cuter! And it’s one of the many handcrafted pasta varieties you can find at Chef Sarah Grueneberg’s Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio , located in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood. In fact, behind the actual bar at Monteverde is a custom built 'Pastificio' – or an actual pasta factory where chef and owner Sarah Grueneberg's talented team create fresh handmade pasta throughout the day, and where diners can see first-hand the delicate and precise craftsmanship that goes into making the beautiful varieties of artisanal pastas offered on their menu.
Chef Sarah Grueneberg grew up cooking with her grandparents on their ranch in Texas, where she discovered she was destined to work in the culinary world. And destined she certainly was. While the Executive Chef at Spiaggia, she held a Michelin Star for three years in a row. In 2017, she was named ones of the “Best Chefs in the Great Lakes” by the James Beard Foundation. She was even a finalist on Season 9 of Bravo's “Top Chef,” and she even appeared on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef Gauntlet.”
Chef Sarah Grueneberg in Monteverde Pastificio (Galdones Ph)
But what separates Monteverde from all the other highly-rated Italian restaurants on the Chicago food scene? Well, Grueneberg’s food is both soulful and surprising at once, and it’s filled with storytelling. At Monteverde, Grueneberg offers a new way to experience Italian food – blending traditions of Italian culture and influences the chef gained through her own travels around the world, along with her own family heritage. Many of her inspirations when cooking stem from the experiences and knowledge she gained from her travels throughout Italy, Europe, and Asia, where she truly connected with the people and learned to understand their culture and food. When it comes to cooking, her motto is "Follow the food," because she believes in ensuring each ingredient is raised up to the highest standard, which is why the menu at Monteverde features dishes that are deeply rooted in tradition but also offer adventurous new flavors, highlighting the use of global ingredients.
Catching up with Chef Grueneberg, she admits that she is currently in the beginning phase of working on a cookbook.....but shhhhh! It's still top secret, so stay tuned! She is also working on Monteverde's retail, with a line of fresh pasta, meal kits, sauces, specialty meats and cheeses, local farm produce, baked goods, pantry items and wine.
Grueneberg also decided to share her favorite seasonal recipe with us – a dish which highlights and celebrates a bountiful variety of different squash: her very own Homemade Garganelli Pasta with Pumpkin Seed Pesto. Chicago's long cold winters shape the ingredients and how chefs cook, so Sarah bases her dishes this time of the year on ingredients that "scream comfort” (her words). She loves making pesto because it's such a "versatile technique that allows you to be creative and experiment with a combination of vegetables, herbs, nuts, seeds and cheese."
Chef Grueneberg describes her pumpkin seed pesto as a "chock-full of crunchy pumpkin seeds, combined with creamy roasted butternut squash, Parmigiano Reggiano and a touch of balsamic vinegar." The sauce can actually be used with any variety of pasta, but it’s also just as delicious simply spread onto toasted crostini. It's a thick, fragrant and versatile sauce that you can now add to your repertoire. She serves it with brussel sprouts made with pancetta drippings deglazed with white wine, which makes for the perfect savory combination of flavors. "It's a fun and easy pasta shape to form – so once the dough is rolled into sheets and cut into squares, be sure to get the whole family involved in shaping the pasta," she suggests. All you need is a few inexpensive pasta tools, like a wooden gnocchi board or a wooden dowel. The key is to let the shaped garganelli pasta dry for about 20 minutes before cooking them. "It’s important to allow the dough to dry slightly before and after shaping, to prevent the garganelli from collapsing when shaped and cooked," she recommends. Once dried, you can store the garganelli in a large zip-lock bag and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days (or you can freeze them).
If you're going to cook like an award-winning chef, though, then you must eat like one too! Chef Grueneberg suggests adding the pesto and crispy pancetta over the top of the plated pasta, and as you eat it, gently stir in the pesto – so that with every savory bite, you’ll experience its crunchy texture and flavor! She prefers using a mortar and pestle to break down the pumpkin seeds, sage and parsley, but if you don't have either, you can always use a food processor and simply pulse the ingredients. "Be sure to drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil a little at a time and continue pulsing the mixture as you add the oil. Then fold the pesto in with the roasted butternut squash, " she added. And voilà! You're cooking and eating like a Michelin-starred, James Beard Award winning chef in your very own kitchen!
Handmade Garganelli Pasta by Chef Sarah Grueneberg
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
250 grams 00 pasta flour, plus a little extra for dusting
2 whole eggs
2-3 egg yolks
Semolina or cornmeal for dusting
Equipment needed:
Pasta machine or rolling pin
Wooden gnocchi board
¼-inch thick wooden dowel or large pencil
Method:
Form the flour into a mound; create a well in center. Add the eggs and egg yolks to the center of the well.
Using a fork, incorporate the eggs in a circular motion, pulling in small amounts of flour until the dough starts to form and the egg is incorporated.
Using your hands, knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes), adding a little flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. Then form a ball with the dough, cover it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin until thin enough to pass through the widest setting of a pasta machine. Rolling the pasta thinner each time through the machine, repeat by decreasing the setting by one notch at a time until you've reached the third-to-last setting. Feel free to cut the sheet in half or into quarters for space.
Lightly dust the work surface with semolina and place the rolled pasta sheets on top. Sprinkle the top of the pasta sheets with a light dusting of semolina. Using a knife or pizza wheel cutter, cut the sheets into 2x2" squares. Allow the dough sheets to rest and dry for 10 minutes or so.
Shaping the pasta
Place a sheet of pasta on top of the wooden gnocchi board turned towards you in a diamond shape. Place the wooden dowel at the top of the diamond shape and fold the top point onto the dowel. Roll the dowel towards the bottom of the diamond, pressing lightly as you roll. (You’ll want to imprint the ridges of the gnocchi board and seal the garganelli at the same time.) Repeat with remaining squares. Place the shaped garganelli on a towel-lined tray, and dust them with a little more semolina. Allow the shaped garganelli pasta to dry for about 20 minutes before cooking them. Once dried, you can store the garganelli in a large zip-lock bag and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days (or you can freeze them).
Pumpkin Seed Pesto by Chef Sarah Grueneberg
Ingredients:
1 cup butternut squash, cut into chunks
6 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup green pumpkin seeds, toasted
3-5 sage leaves, roughly chopped
¼ orange, zested
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil sprayed with cooking spray. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the butternut squash with 1 tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Scatter the squash onto the baking sheet in an even layer.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the squash is tender. Remove and let sit at room temperature.
Using a mortar and pestle, add the pumpkin seeds, sage, and parsley to the mortar. Then use the pestle to break down the ingredients. Add 3 tbsp. of olive oil and crush the seeds and herbs until it resembles a pesto.
Add the squash, orange zest, nutmeg and vinegar, continuing to grind down the ingredients with the pestle. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and salt. Mix to combine and set aside.
Garganelli Pasta with Brussel Sprouts, Pancetta and Pumpkin Seed Pesto by Chef Sarah Grueneberg
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Homemade garganelli pasta (feel free to substitute with dry garganelli or penne)
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. pancetta, sliced thin (or bacon)
8-10 brussels sprouts, sliced thin (set aside a few outer leaves for garnish)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
½ cup dry white wine
Kosher salt
6 sage leaves, cut in half
4 tbsp unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Pumpkin Seed Pesto (recipe above)
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
Method:
Bring a large pot (6-8 qt) of water to a boil over high heat. Season with 2 tbsp. of kosher salt.
In the meantime, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium low heat in a large saucepan. Add the pancetta, turning it occasionally for about 2-3 minutes until crispy. Once the pancetta is golden-brown and crisp, remove it from the heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and set aside.
Return the same pot (with the pancetta drippings) to medium heat. Add the garlic and lightly toast it. Then deglaze the pan with white wine. Stir and lower the heat to low.
Add the garganelli pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (about 2 minutes). Once the pasta is ready, add 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the saucepan (before draining the pasta). In a large colander, drain the pasta and transfer it immediately to the saucepan with the sauce.Stir in the pasta, add the shredded brussels sprouts and sage to combine, and let all the ingredients simmer together for a few minutes. (If the pan appears too dry, add a few tablespoons of fresh water to the pan.) Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
To serve:
Divide the pasta into bowls and top with the fresh pumpkin seed pesto. Place the crispy pancetta on top and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano. Buon appetito!