It's All About The Dough

Flour + Water + Eggs – how can something so simple be so delicious?

This week in the Fairmont Food Lab, the chefs are testing all-things-pasta. A favorite of the day was the Northern Italian (Friuli region) style Gnocchi Lunghi, a potato-based pasta, which was in final rounds of development and tasting. Going with a Lunghi preparation, which directly translates to “long,” the chefs also decided to let the flavor and texture of the noodle shine through by finishing it simply with a “cacio e pepe,” or “cheese and pepper” approach. Simple, rich, well balanced flavors. The chefs prepared batches and batches – dozens and dozens of batches – until each one of them felt the dish was complete.

Italians are known to follow very specific and concise approaches when it comes to pasta. Recipes are handed down through families, from Nonna to Nonna, generation after generation. Debates between Northern Italy incorporating egg, versus Southern Italy with just flour and water is an ongoing battle of the noodle. The Fairmont Austin culinary team wants to pay homage to all of the traditions of Italian cooking, while still staying true to Austin’s “weird” mentality and letting their own personal techniques shine through.

When Fairmont meets Italian, good things are bound to happen.