Something different, with a lot of the familiar in a quick weeknight dish.
I am always on the lookout for pastas that are a little different, something special to wake up those quick weeknight suppers. When it comes to dried pasta, there are hundreds from which to choose, so many delights are there to be discovered.
This is different
Recently, in the section of our local village market with the imported Italian pastas, I came across a bag of ‘Mescafrancesca’ I’d never noticed before. It was a mixture of many of the other pastas I’ve had from this company, and while I thought it looked a bit odd, all those varied shapes, I couldn’t resist. At another shop, I noticed an offering of “Ammesca Francesca,’ which was essentially the same thing. Both were imported, both bronze cut and 100% Durum Semolina, and both included a range of pasta shapes.
The leftover bits
From what I’ve been able to find out, Ammesca Francesca, or Mescafrancesca, was indeed originally the inexpensive collection of left-over bits of dried pasta from each batch at the end of the day, combined and sold cheaply to avoid waste. Although I guess one would have to be careful not to combine shapes that have a big difference in cooking times, the idea is that the resulting pasta has an interesting textural component because of those variations.
Let the local in
My hodgepodge of pasta became a weeknight supper combined with wild ramps, and sweet local leeks and mushrooms. The flavors and textures were divine together, and I would definitely buy this pasta shape(s) again.
A flexible recipe
I used some beautiful local mushrooms, a mixture of oyster and shiitake, but any favorite mushroom will be good here, even the white button mushrooms that are always easy to find. I happen to love those too. For greens, I recognize that ramps are fleeting in their season, which is at its best right now, and they are not available everywhere, so use any tender green you love. Baby spinach or kale, arugula, even broccolini would be delicious here. Toss in some hot pepper flakes if you like, or melt a bit of goat cheese for more creaminess. Of course, any sturdy pasta would be lovely, even if it is all from the same batch.
No excuse not to cook
Quick to put together, this is a dish that is done in the time it takes to boil the pasta, and it makes plenty for a crowd or tempting next-day leftovers. A full meal, or a side dish, your choice, and the anchovies are optional if you wish to make this dish vegetarian.
So take all those little mismatched pieces and invite some friends over, it doesn’t even have to be a weekend!
Ammesca Francesca with Wild Ramps and Mushrooms
- ¼ cup (2 oz., 60 ml.) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, sliced
- 3 or 4 anchovies, minced, and a bit of their oil
- 7 or 8 oz. (200 g.) mushrooms of choice, rough chop
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup (4 oz., 150 ml) dry white wine
- ½ cup (4 oz., 150 ml) veggie stock
- 8 oz. (200 g.) ramps, chopped in half
- Zest and juice of one plump lemon
- Pasta water
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil, and prep all your veggies. This will go fast.
As you drop your pasta, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Let sauté until softened, you don’t want color here. Add the anchovies, mushrooms, and the garlic, season again lightly, and continue cooking for four or five minutes. Your mushrooms should be cooked and just starting to brown on the edges. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Let simmer until the wine is reduced, then add the stock and continue simmering.
Once the pasta is about a minute from where you want it (mine took 10 minutes), add the ramps to the veggies and stir in; they cook quickly. Check seasoning.
Using a slotted spoon or spider, add the pasta to the skillet, and combine well, adding a ladle or two of pasta water to thicken and bring everything together.
Finish with the lemon zest and juice, and plate. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, and you can add cheese or vegan cheese if you like.
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This looks fun and delicious. The frugal part of me loves the idea of all the bits of leftover pasta being put to good use!
I know! What a great idea to put them all together and avoid the waste. We need to think like that more often.
I am cooking pasta tonight for dinner! I am going to incorporate some of your recipe in my dish. I have never heard of ramps, so had to google the term. I have never seen them here, so will sub in some malabar spinach.
Funny you mentioned the mix of pastas, as when the children were little I used to add in different shapes to make the dish fun for them.
Fun for adults too! Thanks always for your culinary inspiration!
Sounds like perfect substitutions Amanda!
I bet your kids loved their little surprise pasta shapes! They get so delighted with their food.
I remember overhearing my son’s surprise when another family cooked him a pasta dish for a sleepover. He must have been in upper primary. He said proudly, ‘My Mum uses 2 or 3 different pasta shapes in pasta meals.’ Not sure how the other Mum took that comment!
I love that story. I can hear the pride in his little voice, because our mums all make everything so much better!
Aw. I know… such a loving comment from a precious child.
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An interesting mix of textures and flavors.❤️❤️
Thank you! It was fun to make.
Looks great ^^;
Thank you! There’s an empty chair!
Wow that looks so delicious!
Thank you so much! It’s easy and so very tasty.
Can I please come over? I promise I’ll wash the dishes!
This looks so good. And what a fun pasta!
Happy New Week to you!
You are welcome any time Nancy, and I’ll make this for you!
Happy New Week to you too!
I, too, love the idea of combining all the bits and bobs of leftover pasta. Frugal, easy, and delicious. Who could ask for anything more?
I know Laurie! Perfect all around.
This is my favorite way to eat pasta – fresh vegetables and a little wine and lemon. I have been using up the left over bits of pasta for years and it is a bit tricky. How long did you boil the pasta?
The package said between 9 and 10 minutes, so I took it out just shy of 9 and let it finish with everything else. Nothing tasted overcooked, and the textures were indeed quite different, so it was fun to eat.
This sounds really wonderful Dorothy, I am going to look for that pasta!
Jenna
Thanks Jenna! It was really fun, I wish you happy hunter-gathering.
Waste not, want not! No leftovers in my mother’s house were ever thrown out; that is a cardinal sin in all Italian families! You are on the right track; the word “mesca” is a shortened form of “mescola” which means “mix”. “Ammesca” translates to “I mix” or “mix it up”. Makes perfect sense! Wonderful recipe; my mother would approve!
Thanks for the translation my dear N.! Since I don’t speak Italian, I had little luck searching for the meaning (in English) behind the name. Now all makes sense and is clear!
My mother didn’t always make homemade pasta … maybe every-other Sunday … so she’d keep boxed pasta on hand at all times. Sometimes she didn’t make the whole box and she’d save what she didn’t use in a Tupperware container. It didn’t matter what the shape was; as long as it was similar pasta (no spaghetti or fettuccine), it all got mixed together. Someone got smart and decided to market what Italian moms had been doing all along!
That’s a good story N.! New England mothers were just as thrifty, every little bit of everything was saved, and we could all remember these lessons.
Once in a while, my mom would mix together two similar shapes of macaroni, but usually she cooked the whole box, and we ate every bit!
Who knows why my mom didn’t always use the entire box of macaroni? Perhaps it was her idea to make “Ammesca ‘Concetta'” right from the start! It wouldn’t surprise me! 😁
Perhaps! It does have interesting textures!
Hello there, what fun! Just fyi looked it up in Italian and found out that the name has a Neapolitan origin: Term which in Neapolitan dialect indicates “a mixture of things that have nothing to do with each other” Naples. Ammesca francesca is a lively term widely used in the Neapolitan dialect to indicate “a mixture of things that have nothing to do with each other”.
Thanks Jo! I was hoping one of my Italian friends would chime in here. I could find very little on the name, and your explanation makes total sense! It is a mixture of things that have nothing to do with each other, that is until they swim in the same sauce!
I’m going to look for Ammesca Francesca or Mescafrancesca. Not long ago my husband and I were talking about what would happen if we used up the end of various shaped pasta, broke the pieces into similar sizes, then boiled it. Apparently we’d have Ammesca Francesca!
Absolutely! You don’t even need to go hunting for it!
That’s fascinating! I’ve never heard of such a pasta! Love the dish. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to cook with ramps.
I don’t remember seeing this before, but my store has been carrying a lot of different imported pastas. Funny though, the price was the same as the single varieties!
The little bits from different bags are always fun to blend.
A new term for me but not at all surprising. I often end up with a few of this shape and a few of that, so perhaps I can just make my own. Pasta is such a gift. Honestly, I could eat it every night of the week, each time in a different “dress”. Thanks for sharing!
I’m with you Angela! If I didn’t have to watch those starchy carbs, I’d eat pasta every day and never tire of it.
Wonderful recipe! I’ll be making it soon.
I think you will enjoy it! Let me know.
I’m also not familiar with ramps.
It’s a wild leek or also called wild garlic. They grow prolifically this time of year in eastern deciduous woods. Extremely flavorful, definitely garlicky. You can substitute any tender green here, just bump up the garlic.
I use-up left-over pasta “bits” all the time. Waste not, want not.
Excellent! It always seems there’s a little left in the bag, and they usually blend together well.
Oh how I miss my “bouquet of wild ramps” my son used to give me for Mother’s Day! 🍃🌿🪴
What a perfect bouquet!
Happy Mothers Day!
Thanks, Dorothy. Have a blessed day as well. 💜🍃🌸
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Yum! My kind of dish. I love all the ingredients, Dorothy. I wis we lived near each other. I’d love to cook with you.
It would be great fun Mary!
Never heard of this pasta “collection”. Fascinating.
You’ve definitely created the perfect spring dish here. 🙂
Thank you Ronit! It was a new one on me too, it’s fun, and easily reproduced at home.
I didn’t know there was a name for leftover pasta bits. When my kids were little, I would add whatever pasta I had leftover to make a quick meal.
And now you know Jan! I was surprised too, but it all makes sense.
Well Dorothy, thanks for introducing me to the world of, ‘Ammesca Francesca, or Mescafrancesca’ pasta! It covers a variety of pasta likes!
I’m always ready to try a new pasta, new shape, or new dish, doesn’t matter. It’s pasta!
I knew better than to read this post before lunchtime. Now I am famished!!! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Thanks Donna! It’s really satisfying.
I love the mixed pasta 😆 now you’ve made me hungry 😋😉
Looking at pasta will do that, right?
This pasta dish looks so tasty and I love that it’s easy to make! 🙂
Easy, quick, and delicious! Thank you!
You make some of the most amazing things with mushrooms! I’ve never seen ramps sold at the farmers’ market here but my tastebuds are telling me how wonderful this is!
Our first market opened up today, and there was ramp pesto everywhere! And tons of greens and radishes.
And bread. Lots of beautiful breads!
All about the bread! 😂
You bet!
I have never tasted wild ramps Dorothy. Do they taste similar to something else like spinach or lettuce?
They taste like a very garlicky and oniony baby spinach green, only more delicate in texture but intense in flavor. If you see them, you’ve got to try them!
I was browsing through your posts and had to stop in on this one. I love mushrooms, pasta, and garlic. This looks amazing. Hugs, C
Thank you! We really loved this one. Pasta!
Looks wonderful!
Thank you! We really enjoyed it.
wonderful!
Thank you so much! We really enjoyed this one.