The Star – Pljukanci Pasta
Pljukanci is a traditional Istrian pasta made with just flour, salt and water. If you think the recipe is too basic, stop and hear me out.
Pljukanci pasta is gloriously chewy in the middle. But because they are made with two types of flour, they impart some of the flour to the sauce, making it heavenly creamy.
Their shape is attractive, too. Slightly chubby in the midsection and tapered at the ends, they resemble little pencils. But where does their name come from?
The word pljunuti means to spit. The Istrians say that, in the old times, pljukanci were made by spitting into your palms before rolling a piece of dough. Allegedly, this makes the process easier. Don’t worry – it’s uncommon today, but the etymology had stuck.
With pljukanci pasta, there is no machine and no shortcuts. Mixing, kneading, and shaping are all done by hand. Your only option is to make it a family affair and work in batches.
What sauce is the best match for pljukanci? Well, to get the most traditional Istrian plate, you must eat pljukanci s tartufima: pasta with truffles.
This is what we’re making today. Stick around for the recipe.
Making Pljukanci from Scratch
If you want to try the best pljukanci ever, let me tempt you to make them from scratch. The technique is not difficult; it only requires time and patience.
To achieve the ideal texture of pljukanci pasta, you must choose the right flour types. One will be superfine, such as “00” pasta flour. The other will be the coarsest: semolina.
This contrast will give pljukanci their al dente texture. But they’ll also turn soft and creamy around the edges as they cook… Perfect for catching that wonderful truffle sauce.
Aside from the flours, the kneading technique needs to be spot on. It takes about 12 minutes of continuous kneading to develop gluten strands. So, the best thing is to set a timer and knead until it goes off.
You don’t need a lot of stamina, just the proper movement. Once your dough has formed a ball, you’ll knead it and keep turning it a quarter of a circle. Press into the dough gently, careful not to break the gluten strands.
You’ll notice the dough getting softer and silkier. When the kneading is done, wrap the dough in cling film and rest it for one hour. By then, it will relax so much that it almost resembles chewing gum.
This is the right moment to shape pljukanci. This technique is as easy as pie. You don’t need much precision, so it’s ideal to include your little ones in the process.
Just pinch a small piece of dough from the ball. Roll it either between your palms or against the kitchen surface. Finally, taper the ends.
Rest the shaped pljukanci on a tray sprinkled with semolina flour. Coat them all over and let them dry for half an hour before dunking them in boiling water.
Using Store-bought Pljukanci
Sometimes, making pljukanci from scratch takes too much time. Especially if you are feeding a big group of people.
Fortunately, in Croatia, we can get store-bought pljukanci, which are surprisingly good. You’ll find them in the fridge section with other fresh pasta.
Remember, if you have any leftover pljukanci pasta, homemade or store-bought, you can freeze them for later.
Here’s a tip for those who find truffles unpalatable. Use this recipe to make pljukanci anyway. You can eat the same pasta with porcini mushrooms: pljukanci s vrganjima. Or with other vegetable or meat sauces that you’ll find in the recipe library.
For example, pair them with the tender slow-cooked beef that we call Dalmatinska Pašticada.
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The Soul of the Dish – Truffle Sauce
Truffles are underground mushrooms that come in many varieties. We most commonly recognize black and white truffles.
Both types of truffles flourish in lush Istrian forests. Those of you who are hooked on their intense earthy flavor should choose the white truffle. They are the smellier kind—in a good way.
If you’re new to truffles, start with the black ones. They are milder but still loaded with their characteristic aroma. This is something between earthy, musky, moldy, and deeply addictive.
The ancient Romans believed they were an aphrodisiac. So, if you’re not a fan, give them another try. When you finally fall for them, you’ll want them on your fish, steak, or even in your chocolate cake.
Types of Truffles
There are hundreds of different types of truffles. However, the primary division is based on their color: white and black truffles.
White truffles are among the most prized ingredients in cooking. They have the most intense aroma and are always served raw, thinly sliced, over a meal.
Black truffles are less aromatic but equally delicious. There are also summer and winter types of the black truffle. This comes in handy for planning your eating out experience. Remember that the white truffles are in season from late summer to early winter.
You can enjoy truffles even if you can’t find them fresh in your corner of the world. In fact, this pljukanci s tartufima recipe uses tartufata, which is a truffle paste.
In Croatia, you can buy various types of truffle pastes. They are made with white or black truffles and can include other fragrant mushrooms, such as porcini mushrooms. To get the taste of porcini, try this mushroom goulash featuring both the fresh and dry variety.
Ingredients Needed For The Sauce
As delectable as it is, truffle sauce takes very few ingredients. All you need is the ready-made truffle paste (tartufata), butter, and heavy cream.
If you do get your hands on fresh truffles, you can top your bowl of pljukanci with a few thin slivers. It’s all you need to create an explosion of flavors.
Creating the Creamy Sauce
The truffle sauce for pljukanci gets its creaminess from two sources. First, it’s cooked with heavy cream. But it will remain quite liquid even when it’s done.
Only when you combine it with cooked pljukanci will it reach its creamy height. This is because pljukanci pasta imparts some flour from its soft outside. When this flour combines with the liquid sauce, it thickens into a creamy heaven.
Perfect Pairings for Pljukanci s Tartufima
There is very little to add to a bowl of pljukanci s tartufima. Honestly, this dish is so simple yet perfect that you don’t want to ruin its character.
Okay, if you insist, there might be some room left for a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. You can also serve a mixed-leaf salad on the side to add fresh and crispy notes.
Finally, if you have Croatian blood, you’ll want a piece of bread on the side. You’ll save it until the end. When your plate is polished off, use this bread to mop up any remaining drops of the sauce.
Don’t be ashamed to leave your plate wiped clean. It’s taken as a compliment.
Wine pairings
Truffles have a deep and complex taste, so it’s essential to choose the type of wine that matches this. Stay away from light and fruity wines. Instead, look for full-bodied, creamy, and aged wines.
If you want to pick a wine from Istria, here is my top choice. The complex and full-bodied Malvazija from Meneghetti winery in Istria: Meneghetti White (variety Malvazija).
Believe it or not, truffles pair best with red wines. I would choose the aged Plavac Mali, such as Stagnum from Miloš winery on the Pelješac peninsula.
Step-by-step guide to preparing Pljukanci s Tartufima
Pljukanci s tartufima
Ingredients
For the pljukanci pasta
- 200 g "00" pasta flour or all-purpose flour
- 200 g semolina flour
- 210 ml boiling-hot water
- 12 g salt
For the truffle sauce
- 2 tbsp white tartufata sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 150 ml cooking/heavy cream
- 30 g slivered black truffle (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)
Instructions
To make the pljukanci pasta
- Novice pasta makers should use the kitchen scale and be precise. This method results in great pasta from the first go and allows you to quickly learn how to use a sense of touch and intuition in the future.
- Pick a wide bowl and sift the flour into it. Whisk in the salt to combine evenly.
- Make a well in the middle and pour boiling water in. Using a fork, begin swirling the water, catching small amounts of flour on the edges of the well. Rotate the bowl at the same time. Continue doing this until there is no more flour left.
- Switch to your hands and bring the dough together into a ball. Transfer to a clean (not floured) work surface.
- To develop enough gluten, the dough needs to be kneaded for a minimum of 12 minutes, so set the timer and begin. Rotate the dough 1/4 of the circle clockwise, fold the top part over itself, and then press inward gently. If you press too hard, the opposite end of the dough will break, and the gluten strands will tear. Keep your fingers stretched out, making sure you are not gripping at the dough underneath.
To shape the pljukanci pasta
- After 12 minutes, the dough will feel smoother and softer.Wrap it in cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to stand at room temperature for1 hour. You can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 48 hours and work with it later.
- Prepare a baking tray and liberally dust it with semolina flour. Begin pinching off small pieces of dough from the ball. Roll each of them between your palms or against the surface until they start resembling a small pencil, 5-6-cm- (1.5-2-in-) long, a bit thinner than your pinky finger. Taper them at the ends. Arrange the pljukanci on the tray.
- Bring water to a boil, then add salt generously (about 1 tbsp). Cook for 13-15 minutes.
To make the truffle sauce
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add cooking cream, season with salt and pepper and bring to a light simmer. Stir in the tartufata sauce and combine to get a silky-smooth texture. Remove from heat.
- Add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Dish out into separate plates. Cut wafer-thin slivers of the black truffle and arrange them on top of the pasta.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan if you wish and eat warm.
