SLICOFI A filled pasta from Friuli-Venezia Giulia which draws reference from across the border into Slovenian cuisine with their very own Idrija ravioli called žlikrofi. They are a well known dish in western Slovenia, very much a staple in Idrija and from the fact that these are born of hard labour, it suits well to a family-operated production line for the weekend. They were named Slovenia’s national dish in 2002. Slicofi from Friuli is traditionally filled with potatoes, Montasio (a cheese popular in the mountains), lard and chives. The filled pasta in your pack includes a filling of a typical ham of the region of Friuli, Prosciutto di San Daniele and also – although not traditional – Mortadella of Bologna, lending a creaminess to the filling. The condiment is usually straightforward in components and flavour (butter, sage and toasted breadcrumbs) as the filling in the pasta is what you are after. Storage: The pasta keeps chilled for up to 3 days. Do not freeze. Cooking instructions: 1. WARM a large skillet over the hob, turn off the heat and set aside. 2. Prepare small cubes of cold butter which you will use to coat the pasta after blanching. They have to be small enough to melt quickly from the residual heat of the cooked pasta. 3. Prepare a pot of water (salted - approx 3.5 Tablespoons salt to 8 Quarts water or 55g salt to 7.5L water) and bring up to a boil. Use the recommended volume of water to retain rolling boil when cold pasta is dropped. 4. Break apart any pasta that is plastered together (for even blanching) and blanch the pasta for 1.5 to 2 mins1. 1 Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried and there's not as much leeway in the cooking time. It may overcook quickly, so it is important to stand nearby and taste often until it reaches your preferred doneness – only you can determine this. 5. When the pasta reaches your desired doneness, transfer with a strainer or spider into the large WARM skillet2 together with the cold butter cubes and WITHOUT HEAT, swirl to coat3. Suspend the skillet over the blanching pot for added heat if needed. 6. Divide into WARM bowls, scatter toasted breadcrumbs/ Parmigiano Reggiano (both provided) over the dish and enjoy as soon as possible. Dust some freshly grated nutmeg if desired. General handling instructions: 1. Always use a strainer or spider in transferring pasta all at once (e.g. when transferring from blanching to saucing) as that increases your odds of even cooking. 2. Avoid the use of sharp utensils like metal tongs/ ladles to handle fresh pasta as you risk puncturing/ breaking them. In general, I recommend investing in silicon spatulas and using wooden ladles. 2 A large skillet allows more room for the contents to come together properly. 3 As you transfer the pasta to the skillet, the residual water will work with the cold butter to facilitate the even coating of the pasta. You just want a thin glossy mantle of emulsified butter and water on the pasta, nothing more. Use your judgement and add a touch more blanching water if needed. .