Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

Artolaganon (Fried Savoury Pasta)

Artolaganon (Fried Savoury Pasta) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe (based on a Greek original) for a pasta-like paste made from spelt flour that's fried to cook. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Fried Savoury Pasta (Artolaganon).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Serves:

2

Rating:

Tags : Vegetarian RecipesVegan RecipesAncient Roman Recipes

Original Recipe

Modern bread wheats were not available to Romans. Rather, barley and spelt Triticum vulgare were the typical grains grown. Due to its lower gluten content, barley was cooked as porridge and gruel whilst spelt was used for breads, cakes and pastas… yes, I did write pasta there. It’s a myth that pasta came to Italy from China via Marco Polo. Italians have been making pasta since before Roman times. The main type was Laganon, the precursor of modern lasagne. A classic savoury pasta was artolagana that was made with red wine and goat milk and seasoned with black pepper. The origin of this is a Greek bread, ἀρτολάγανα, a bread or cake made of meal, wine, milk, oil, lard, and pepper. Greek cooks in Rome (most cooks were Greek slaves) adapted this to make a fried pasta. Note that until the late Middle Ages all pastas were fried rather than being boiled. In effect this is a fried biscuit served as an accompaniment in place of bread.

Original recipe, Athenaeus Deipnosophists Book 3.

A description of this is found in Athenaeus’ Deipnosophists, The Partying Professors: Book 3: ὁ δὲ ΣΤΡΕΠΤΙΚΙΟΣ ἄρτος συναναλαμβάνεται γάλακτι ὀλίγῳ, καὶ προσβάλλεται πέπερι καὶ ἔλαιον ὀλίγον· εἰ δὲ μή, στέαρ. εἰς δὲ τὸ καλούμενον ΑΡΤΟΛΑΓΑΝΟΝ ἐμβάλλεται οἰνάριον ὀλίγον καὶ πέπερι γάλα τε καὶ ἔλαιον ὀλίγον ἢ στέαρ. εἰς δὲ τὰ ΚΑΠΥΡΙΑ τὰ καλούμενα τράκτα μίξεις ὥσπερ καὶ εἰς ἄρτον.

Translation

Streptikios (Twist bread) is prepared with the admixture of a little milk; there is added also a little pepper and oil or lard. But in making the so called artolaganon ('wheat-wafer'), a little weak wine, pepper, and milk are introduced, along with a small quantity of olive oil or lard. Similarly into kapyria, called by the Romans tracta, are put mixtures as into the wheat-wafer.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

150g (1/3 lb; 1 1/3 cups) spelt flour (or substitute wholemeal)
1 tbsp olive oil
60ml (1/4 cup) red wine
60ml (1/4 cup) goat’s milk
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns

Method:

The peppercorns should be crushed, not ground, so as to provide little explosions of fire when the biscuit is being eaten. A very short burst in an electric coffee-grinder will do the trick, but otherwise a pestle and mortar can be used, although I find that peppercorns have an annoying habit of flying out of the mortar during pounding.

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead until you have a smooth dough. Roll out thinly on a floured board, as with lagana. Cut into strips and fry until golden and crisp.

Serve with soup or casseroles, either in true Roman fashion as an aid to eating, or in modern style as a tasty garnish.