Chestnut Flour Pasta with Sautéed Radicchio, Chicken Livers, and Grapefruit

chestnut honey, chestnut flour pasta,
parsley, radicchio

This is one of those recipes that snowballs from a basic idea until I have no choice but to give into my curiosity and try a recipe that sounds like a long shot flavor-wise. First, I wondered if chestnut honey and grapefruit juice would taste good together. They did. I wanted to carry the chestnut theme through the dish, and I had about a cup of chestnut flour in my pantry, so that got thrown in a bowl with some eggs and I turned it into pasta. Chestnut flour is a bit gritty and earthy tasting, so I needed ingredients that would not be overpowered by the chestnut flavor. Radicchio and chicken livers seemed perfect. Would it work?

It worked! It would have been more appropriate in autumn, but it tasted great! This dish is not for everyone - you have to be a true lover of intensely earthy, woodsy, bitter flavor combinations in order to appreciate this one, but if you’re anything like me and you can’t bear to not try something, take a chance on this recipe!



Chestnut Flour Pasta with Sautéed Radicchio, Chicken Livers, and Grapefruit

1 batch cooked chestnut flour pasta (recipe below)
Splash olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
12 oz. Chicken livers, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 T. chestnut honey
1/3 c. grapefruit juice
½ c. coarsely grated pecorino romano
2 heads radicchio, shredded
Salt and coarsely ground pepper
Handful coarsely chopped parsley
Pecorino romano shavings, to garnish

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and chicken livers and saute for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened and the chicken livers have browned.

Add the chestnut honey, grapefruit juice, and pecorino romano, stirring gently a few more times until the mixture is well-blended. Add the radicchio, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the radicchio is wilted.

Add the salt and parsley to the mixture, stir until blended, and spoon over the cooked chestnut flour pasta. Garnish with extra chopped parsley and shaved pecorino romano.


Chestnut Flour Pasta

¾ c. chestnut flour
¾ c. unbleached white flour
1 t. salt
1 t. olive oil
2 eggs

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and blend, using your hands. Work the ingredients together until you have a stiff dough, and knead for 6-8 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour, if not overnight.

After the dough has refrigerated, use a pasta machine to roll out the dough. Don’t use the thinnest setting; chestnut flour pasta tends to be more brittle than wheat flour pasta. I recommend the 2nd or 3rd thinnest setting. Cut the dough into 1/3” wide noodles, and let dry for at least 30 minutes.

When you are ready to cook the chestnut flour pasta, cook it in heavily salted water and stir as little as possible, as it has a tendency to break easily. Serve with the recipe above.