Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wooden board or marble surface for pasta making
• •Pasta machine or long thin rolling pin
• •Sharp knife for cutting pasta
• •Heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven
• •Large pot for boiling pasta

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pasta dough

   Pour the flour onto a clean wooden board or marble surface and form a well in the center. The walls should be high enough to contain the eggs. Crack the eggs into the well and add the salt. Using a fork, beat the eggs gently while gradually incorporating flour from the inner walls. When the mixture becomes too thick for the fork, begin working with your hands. Knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough, about 10 minutes. The dough should feel like your earlobe when pressed. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

   The traditional ratio is ten eggs per kilogram of flour. This dough is extremely rich and golden. Do not be tempted to add water. If the dough seems dry, your eggs were small. Work it longer.
2. 2

   Prepare the giblets

   Clean the giblets thoroughly. Trim any fat or connective tissue from the hearts. Remove the greenish bile sac from the livers if your butcher has not done so, and cut away any discolored portions. Split the gizzards and remove the tough inner lining. Rinse everything under cold water and pat dry. Cut all giblets into small, uniform pieces, about the size of a chickpea. The livers should be slightly larger as they will break down more during cooking.

   Ask your butcher for giblets from free-range chickens. The flavor difference is remarkable. Many butchers will save them for you if you ask in advance.
3. 3

   Build the soffritto

   In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter foam subsides. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely soft and the onion is translucent with golden edges, about 15 minutes. The soffritto is the foundation. Do not rush it.

4. 4

   Brown the giblets

   Increase heat to medium-high. Add the hearts and gizzards first, as they take longer to cook. Brown them well on all sides, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add the livers and cook 3 minutes more. The livers should be browned outside but still slightly pink within at this stage. Season with salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Deglaze and simmer

   Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine bubble until nearly evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste, coating the giblets. Add the warm broth, bay leaf, and rosemary sprig. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. The sauce should barely simmer, with only an occasional bubble breaking the surface. Cook uncovered for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The giblets should become very tender and the sauce will reduce and thicken. Add a splash of warm water if it becomes too dry. Remove bay leaf and rosemary before serving.

   The tomato here is restrained, barely a blush. This is a meat sauce, not a tomato sauce. The giblets are the point.
6. 6

   Roll the pasta impossibly thin

   Divide the rested dough into four pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered. If using a machine, roll through progressively thinner settings until you reach the thinnest. If rolling by hand, use a long thin rolling pin and roll until you can see your hand through the dough when held to the light. This is not exaggeration. The women of Campofilone say you must be able to read a love letter through the pasta. Let each sheet dry for 5 minutes on a floured cloth, until the surface is no longer tacky but still pliable.

   If your pasta is not thin enough, you have not made maccheroncini di Campofilone. You have made tagliolini. There is no shame in tagliolini, but know what you are making.
7. 7

   Cut the pasta

   Dust each sheet lightly with flour and roll it loosely from both ends toward the center, forming two scrolls that meet in the middle. Using a very sharp knife, cut crosswise into the thinnest strands you can manage, no more than 1 millimeter wide. Unroll the strands gently and toss with a little flour to prevent sticking. Spread them on a floured tray. The pasta can be cooked immediately or dried for a few hours.

8. 8

   Cook the pasta

   Bring abundant salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the maccheroncini and stir immediately to prevent clumping. Fresh pasta this thin cooks in 30 seconds to 1 minute. Taste it. The moment it is tender, drain it, reserving a cup of pasta water. Do not rinse.

   Watch the pot. Blink and you will overcook it. This pasta waits for no one.
9. 9

   Finish and serve

   Add the drained pasta directly to the ragù in the pan. Toss gently over low heat for 30 seconds, adding a splash of pasta water if needed to help the sauce coat the strands. The pasta should glisten, not swim. Divide among warm bowls and serve immediately with Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table. Once the pasta is sauced, invite your guests to put off talking and start eating. This pasta does not improve with waiting.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out a butcher who sells giblets separately. Farmers' markets often have vendors who raise their own poultry and save the offal. The quality of supermarket giblets is inconsistent at best.
• •If the idea of giblets is too foreign, this pasta is also traditional with a simple ragù of ground veal and pork. But know that you are missing the point. The giblet ragù is the soul of this dish.
• •In Campofilone, they dry the pasta in nests, called matasse. If making ahead, form small nests and let them dry completely. They will keep for several days in a paper bag.
• •The pasta machine is acceptable, but hand-rolling develops a slightly rougher texture that holds sauce better. The women of Campofilone use a mattarello, a thin rolling pin nearly a meter long. If you have one, use it.

Advance Preparation

• •The ragù can be made two days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently before serving, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened.
• •Fresh pasta can be made several hours ahead, spread on floured trays, and covered with clean towels. Do not refrigerate, which makes it gummy.
• •Dried maccheroncini keep for up to a week in a paper bag at room temperature. Cooking time increases slightly for dried pasta.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)