We North Americans love our pancakes. Light, fluffy, and resplendent with butter and maple syrup (or whatever else we love on them...) - there are few finer ways to start a day.
But the Italians have them, too, little do we know. And they use them a little differently.
A food item from the region of Lunigiana, in what is now Tuscany, right next to Liguria, Testaroli are amongst the many examples of how humble ingredients such as flour and water are transformed into food that satisfies.
And how humble this is - just two parts flour to three parts water and a pinch of salt, mixed together to form a thick batter. The secret to leavening the testaroli is to have a large, thick pan heated very, very hot. Cast iron would be pretty ideal here. The steam from the heat will be the leavening. Starting from the center of the pan, pour the batter in a spiral fashion to form a large pancake. From there, proceed with the cooking as per pancakes.
Once removed from the pan, let it rest a few minutes, then cut it into two-inch squares. Toss with a sauce, and it is done.
Per Lunigiana tradition, you can use pesto, or an asparagus cream, or simply butter and parmigiano. We use a simple lamb ragu for the sauce. And just like fine pasta, the testaroli are finished with a handful of grated parmigiano reggiano.
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