Fazzoletti

Found around north-central Italy, and often a favourite of contemporary chefs who enjoy the freeform way these fine, almost transparent squares fall on a plate, fazzoletti derive their name from handkerchiefs They are particularly popular in Liguria (where they are made from a flour and white wine dough – elsewhere egg is used), called fazzoletti di seta, or mandilli di sea in dialect, meaning ‘silk handkerchiefs’. The dough is so supple, the thickness so fine, the texture so smooth that, when well made, they do indeed seem silken. It was a conceit of Renaissance cooking to elevate pasta-making to such a high art. When working by hand, it is a rare skill to roll dough so thinly. Just like chickpea-sized tortellini, rarely made by hand today, and capelli d’angelo like long blonde hair and never made by hand in the modern world, the finest fazzoletti require levels of artistry that correspond with the Renaissance ideal of perfection.