Strozzapreti velutata

Eastside Road, March 9—

WE FOUND THE DISH in a town just west of Mestre, which is the dull port city just west of Venice. We were staying in the dull town for a reason I won't go into. We didn't know where we'd eat dinner, but someone told us about a local pizzeria. It didn't seem promising, and the menu wasn't interesting, but the waitress told us the cook had made something off the menu, strozzapreti velutata she said, so we ordered it.


We loved it, and I've made it a few times since, at home. First I make a Bechamel sauce: melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a heavy pan, stir in the same amount of flour and a little salt, cook until it no longer tastes of flour but isn't at all browned. Add two and half cups of milk or light cream, and cook, whisking always, until thickened. Flavor with a little nutmeg and a handful of grated Parmigiano.

Cook your strozzapreti, and in the meantime wilt a good quantity of arugula leaves. Drain the cooked pasta; pour a third of the bechamel sauce on it, arrange slices of prosciutto over it, strew the arugula on top of that, and veil the whole platter with the rest of the bechamel. Don't forget to grind black pepper on top!

Green salad.

Cheap Pinot grigio