For ancient cultures all over the world, the energy of the Summer Solstice was celebrated through ceremonies honoring the sun on the longest day of the year.
Some communities in Europe would gather together and feast, then light a wheel on fire and roll it down a hill to represent the waning pattern of the sun over the coming months.
And what would a celebration be without some delicious foods?
Common in many cultures are round cakes or breads with a cross cut into the top baked in honor of the sun. These “sun breads” in Nordic countries were baked with honey and were believed to bring fertility and abundance to the fields and the people.
Some old recipes even called for the addition of midsummer dew to impart magical healing powers to the bread.
So, let’s honor the sun in a similar way, pulling on another ancient culinary tradition: that of beautiful stamped pastas called “corzetti” from Italy’s northwestern region of Liguria.
These medallions are both beautiful and delicious.
The dough is flavored with white wine and sometimes perfumed with herbs, which release a beautiful fragrance as the pasta cooks.
What a perfect jumping-off point for a hearty midsummer meal!
While corzetti are usually prepared with special wooden molds designed just for making them, it’s pretty easy to create beautiful designs using tools you have around your kitchen - pastry cutters, pastry tips, chopsticks, and even dried pasta shapes used as a stamp.
This way you can make plenty of varied designs and interpretations of sun wheels, and even let younger family members design their own works of art.
Walnut Pesto:
1/3 c. raw walnuts
1 garlic clove
2 c. wild greens and herbs - basil and dandelion leaves are wonderful, as well as sage
1 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
sea salt to taste
- Toast walnuts in a hot cast iron pan until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool. (Be sure to make a few extra for plating your pasta!)
- Meanwhile, grate the garlic clove into a small dish and top with the lemon juice to sit for a couple of minutes.
- While the walnuts are cooling, add the herbs to a blender or food processor and blend until the leaves have broken up. Then, add the lemon juice and olive oil and blend until it becomes a paste.
- Add the parmesan, toasted walnuts, and sea salt to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is blended and the nuts are broken into the size of small breadcrumbs. Refrigerate pesto until ready for use.
Corzetti Pasta:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 egg yolks
1/3 c. white wine
1 Tbs. oil
1 pinch salt
1/4 c. dandelion petals
- In a high speed blender, combine the dandelion petals, white wine, and oil and blend until very smooth.
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then make a well in the center and add the rest of the ingredients. Whisk the mixture, gradually incorporating the flour into it. You should have a nice stiff dough. If the dough is crumbly, add a bit more wine to bring it together. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Using a pasta roller or a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1 mm thick.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and unroll a little at the time to keep the rest of it moist while you work. Emboss designs into it with various kitchen tools and utensils, then cut them out with a round pastry cutter. Place finished medallions on a clean kitchen towel - it’s okay if they dry out a bit while you finish the rest.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the corzetti in the boiling water until al dente (about 4 minutes.) Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil.
To serve:
1/4 c. fresh whole walnuts, toasted
1 avocado, sliced into thin slices
Pesto
Cooked corzetti, hot
fresh greens and/or dandelion petals, if desired
lemon slices
1. Place a small scoop of pesto into a shallow bowl. Top with the pasta medallions, toasted walnuts, and avocado slices. Garnish with fresh greens and dandelion petals and serve with a bit of lemon on the side.
