Henry Hsieh畢業自紐約大學，曾於美國紐約International Culinary Center及義大利帕瑪ALMA餐飲學校就讀，是米其林一星餐酒館Longtail與原木柴燒餐廳Wildwood Live Fire Cuisine的營運總監。不過他總是說「叫我Your friend at Longtail就好」，Henry熱愛美食更愛分享美食，對餐飲業有獨到的觀察，他現在要以幽默風趣與富文化視角的專欄文字來分享他對美食與餐飲的所見經歷。
約莫就在上個月，有許多人不約而同都問我同樣問題：「嘿，以你的觀點，到底怎樣才叫完美的義大利麵？」
哇，這真是個看起來簡單但又博大精深的問題，可以用簡單的一句話回答，要複雜的話也可以寫成一篇學術論文。完美的義大利麵？這真是好問題，讓我思索了一些事，我在義大利生活的往事也一併浮現在我腦海裡，想起那些個我吃過的超級好吃與不那麼動人的義大利麵。要回答這個問題有個方法，來拆解一盤義大利麵中有哪些元素，一個個來分析如何構成一盤完美的義大利麵。
Within the last month, several people have coincidentally asked me the same question: ‘What, in your opinion, is the perfect pasta?’
Wow, what a succinct yet impossibly complex question. It could be answered in a sentence, and it could be a college thesis that raises even more argument; nevertheless, a great question. Naturally, this got me thinking. Memories of living in Italy suddenly flew through my head both the super delicious as well as the not so wonderful. I suppose one way to investigate this is to break down the elements of a bowl of pasta, and then see how it comes together as a whole.
首先先從義大利麵的麵條開始。麵條是一盤義大利麵的重要基礎，而麵條的形狀是怎樣？麵條是乾燥的還是新鮮剛桿出來的？麵條是最近喧囂半邊天但卻令人倒胃的無麩質義大利麵嗎？麵條是管狀還是寬如緞帶？還是是我最抵擋不了的有內餡的義大利麵餃呢？再來，怎麼煮也是門學問，麵條是否煮到「彈牙」（al dente）？現在不論是東西方，都很流行吃義大利麵一定要「彈牙」。我一定要強調「彈牙」的麵不是生的或沒煮過的，而是要把麵煮到一定口感，吃得出麵芯，因此煮麵的時間掌控就很重要，要夠讓新鮮型的義大利麵嚼在口中有彈勁，要讓乾燥型的義大利麵每口吃起來都有微微的嚼斷感。有「彈牙」感代表麵條中的澱粉煮得剛剛好，濕度也剛剛好，如此每口咬下的麵條，我保證都會是充滿生命力，或更進一步來說充滿雄糾糾的魅力。
First, we start with the pasta, the basis of the dish, the building blocks. What is the shape- is it dried, is it fresh, is it some despicable form of gluten free pasta which seems to be all the craze these days? Is it in ribbon form, is it in tube form, or is it, and for me irresistible, stuffed form? How is it cooked? It is pretty expected these days whether you are in the East, or in the West that if you are having Italian pasta, the noodles are generally cooked al dente. Generally true, though often not. Al dente means, to the tooth, in Italian. I must stress that it does not mean raw or uncooked. To cook pasta al dente, is to cook it to the optimal texture. The right timing is required so that every bite has just a gentle bounce in fresh pasta and a light snap in dried pasta. This is the precise moment when the starch has been cooked and enough moisture has been absorbed so that the life and dare I say the virility of the noodle is unmistakable in every bite.
我個人認為沒有什麼比吃到嚼起來沒個性、滿口軟爛像是麵糊的義大利麵還糟的事。麵條講求「彈牙」不是什麼新鮮概念，但對於非義大利人來說還是得花上時間適應如此特有的義式口感。我總是強調一件事，吃東西也要入境隨俗，食物原本怎麼吃就怎麼吃。如果有人問我什麼叫入境隨俗？我總是說：「粽子吃的就是豬肉搭配糯米，沒有人會把炒飯搭搭配鳳梨去做粽子！天殺的，你可別犯這天條。」
There is simply nothing worse that biting into a glob of mushy sloppy characterless goo. Believe me this concept isn’t so new anymore, but the acceptance of this texture is something many non-Italians are still trying to appreciate. But I always say enjoy something as it is meant to be, do as the Romans do. I’ll try to tell some people, listen, if zhongzi is eaten with glutinous rice and pork, for the love of God, do not put fried rice and pineapples in the damn thing!
有些人認為麵的形狀種類與烹煮完美的義大利麵無關，甚至煮任何一種口味的義大利麵覺得用任何形狀的麵都可以。當然，我絕對同意吃這件事自己開心最重要，不過什麼口味的義大利麵該用怎樣形狀的麵來煮，是有一定規則的。一個簡單的原則是：醬汁愈濃厚，用的麵型也要愈厚；醬汁愈清淡，用的麵也就細薄。如果你想來一盤油脂豐富的托斯卡尼山豬肉醬麵的話，你用的麵條一定要是寬如緞帶的寬帶麵（Pappardelle），最好是現切的新鮮款，最好麵條還用上蛋黃，咬起來就像羽絨被般有彈性。麵就是要寬的才有辦法讓肉醬跟醬汁附著在上頭。如果我想來一盤奶油白松露麵的話，最好選用意麵（Tagliolini，皮埃蒙特當地人則稱之為Tajarin），這盤麵的主角是白松露，細的意麵不會搶走白松露香氣的戲份，可以讓我把麵條大口吸吮個過癮的同時，又能充分享受到每口麵都有給白松露香氣痛痛擊沉的快感。
Some people may think that the shape of the pasta is irrelevant and perhaps interchangeable, and while I encourage everyone to eat what makes them happy, there are some rough guidelines to the shape of pasta. Try to remember this: the thicker the sauce, the thicker the noodle, and the lighter the sauce, the lighter the noodle. If you are having an unctuous wild boar ragù from the Tuscan hills, please give me a hand cut, wide pappardelle made with extra egg yolks still bouncy like a fresh made duvet, just enough surface area for the sauce to grab on to it with bits of meat caught between each ribbon of pasta. Now, if I’m having butter with white truffles, let it be tagliolini or tajarin so I can slurp it to my hearts content while being obliterated by its perfume!
相信接下來你也猜到了，一盤義大利麵第二重要的元素就是醬汁。到底該用紅醬、白醬還是黑醬？義大利不同地區與不同的季節都會有不同的醬汁偏好，如果是在八月中旬的季節，我可能連一盤醬汁厚重的山豬肉醬麵吃都吃不完（前提還得是要在冷氣房）。如果是吃佐以南義蘇連多檸檬、馬斯卡彭起司和薄荷葉的螺旋麵（Fusilli）的話，我絕對會狠狠的給它吃上兩盤，然後再搭配清爽的Greco白葡萄酒，眺望著美麗的山城小鎮阿瑪菲（Amalfi），就會令人想要讚嘆「啊，這就是甜美人生！」這就是義大利人常說的「La Bella Vita！」一盤義大利麵是否完美，醬料絕對是要角，不管是在北義、中義還是南義都偏好自己的醬料，且隨季節不同也會有所改變。
So as you may have guessed, sauces, the second component to a bowl of pasta is highly important as well. Is it red? Is it white? Is it black? Different regions, and different seasons call for different kinds of sauces. Serve a thick ragù in the middle of August; unless I’m in an air-conditioned room, I will probably have trouble putting it down. Serve a fusilli with fresh mascarpone and Sorrentino lemons and mint leaves, I’ll gladly take two bowls, while washing it all down with a crisp Greco overlooking the Amalfi. La bella vita! Depending on where you are, what mood you are in, and what season it is, sauces contribute enormously to that perfect pasta.
義大利不同地理區域的麵型與醬汁種類可說自成一格，最主要還是與地理風土和氣候因素有關，北義與南義的麵都有自己的魔力。我的食物史教授曾告訴我一段軼事：北義人永遠覺得自己的麵比南義人的好吃，相反地，南義人也覺得自己的麵比北義人的好吃。假若兩個都來自北義人但來自不同區域，每一個都一定會說自己區域的最好吃。來自相同區域但不同城市，也都會說自家城市的最好吃。就算來自相同城市，也會爭辯說我街上的義大利麵才是最好吃。義大利正是對自己麵食文化感到驕傲的國度。
Different regions of Italy are stronger in different kinds of pasta, and sauces. Much to do with the terrain, and the climate, Northern and Southern Italy have its own magic when it comes to pasta. My professor of food history once told me an anecdote, and it went a little something like this: A Northern Italian will always say that their pasta is better than a Southerners, and vice versa. However, two Italians both from the North but from different regions will claim that their region is better than the other person’s. Two Italians from the same region but different towns will claim that the pasta from their town is better. And finally, even if they are from the same town, the pasta on this street is 100 percent better than that of the pasta from another street down the block!
我就以帶餡料的義大利餃為例子，Ravioli、Raviolone、Mezzelune、Agnlotti、Plin、Cappelletti、Tortelli、Tortellini，這些全都是義大利餃，有的是小方形，有的是半月型，有的是水餃形狀，有的是餛飩形狀，只要一點點差異就是一盤完全不一樣的義大利餃。我在義大利求學時住在艾米利亞─羅曼涅（Emiglia Romagna）地區，那裡有最好吃的Cappelletti，因此休想跟我爭辯哪裡還有比艾米利亞─羅曼涅更好吃的Cappelletti。
This is Italy, a proud country indeed. Lets take for example the stuffed pasta. There is an entire family of pasta with minute differences and thus resulting in completely different dishes. Ravioli, raviolone, mezzelune, agnlotti, plin, cappelletti, tortelli, tortellini, I mean the list goes on. They are all stuffed pasta in some form or shape. And you know what? My region where I lived in Emiglia Romagna, has the best darn little cappelletti and don’t you try to tell me otherwise!
我還記得我第一次吃以清湯做成Cappelletti湯餃是在冬天的時候，那時我還是ALMA義大利國際烹飪廚藝學院的學生，所有人都告訴我清湯Cappelletti湯餃傳統上只有在充滿節慶氣息的12月份時吃，而且一定要吃奶奶做的。Cappelletti外型就像是頂小帽子，裡頭的餡料往往會是牛絞肉或豬絞肉搭配帕瑪森起司與肉荳蔻作香料。Cappelletti餃子用慢火煮，然後再放入清湯裡。這可不是什麼隨隨便便的清湯，是用比一般雞還營養的閹雞熬成的清湯。那盤Cappelletti湯餃風味飽滿層次豐盈，光是吃一口就夠讓我這位身處異鄉的小廚子在寒冷冬日感到愛感到溫暖，很像義大利麵大神給你來個深情的擁抱。我永遠記得在帕瑪市的金雞餐廳（Gallo d’Oro，有最棒的北義艾米利亞風格料理）吃到的那頓Cappelletti湯餃，永遠無法忘懷。
I remember the first time I had the cappelletti in brodo. It was a cold winter’s day. I was still a student at ALMA, the Italian culinary school near Parma. Many people have told me the cappelletti in brodo is traditionally served during the holiday season through the bleak months of winter, and almost always homemade by nonna, or grandmother. The cappelletti is a small stuffed pasta that resemble little hats usually filled with bits of minced beef or pork, parmigiano and the lightest pinch of nutmeg which ties the whole dish together. It’s cooked ever so gently and dropped into a sea of golden broth, and not just any broth, but a broth of capon or castrated rooster, much richer than that of regular chicken. It has so much flavor and depth it only took one sip to make a young cook far away from home feel quite warm and quite loved during the cold Italian winter. It really is like receiving a giant hug from the pasta gods. I’ll always remember this dish at Gallo d’Oro, the Golden Rooster, in Parma, a bustling trattoria serving the most delicious Emilian cuisine.
最後，義大利麵怎麼擺盤也很重要。裝盛義大利麵的「盤子」既非盤也非碗，比較像是有著寬廣平面邊緣的碗，如此的半碗半盤構造是為了讓義大利麵醬汁不會像是在一般淺碟的盤子上般四溢，如碗般的深底能讓吃的人更方便使用叉子將麵與醬汁一併撈起。一切準備就緒，你會發現這有多美。而盤子傾斜時醬汁不會流得到處都是，醬汁不會流的到處都是也代表醬汁夠厚乳化得很好（至於乳化的魔力，可以留到之後再談）。記住，好的醬汁看過去是要閃閃發亮到像是在跳舞，而且要像是撫摸般每一條麵都要均勻地沾上醬汁。另外一個好的醬汁觀察指標是：要能夠黏得你湯匙背部整個都是。
Lastly, the presentation of the pasta is also of utmost importance. There’s a reason why people say, ‘a bowl’ of pasta rather than a plate of pasta. Though, it is neither a full plate, nor a full bowl. It is sort of a bowl with a flat lip. The reason for this half plate half bowl shape is so that the sauce doesn’t run as it would on a flat plate, and it has the bottom in the shape of a bowl so the fork can easily pick up the pasta with the sauce together. When done right, it really is a beautiful thing. The sauce does not run when the bowl is tilted meaning it is thick enough and that it has been nicely emulsified from the pasta water the noodles were cooked in. (We can save the emulsification miracle for another time.) Just remember the sauce should glisten gleefully with every strand of pasta just lightly lathered in its beauty. It should coat the back of your spoon.
而且在你吃完後可別閒著，你要仔細觀察盤中剩下的醬汁，看起來像一灘水？還是留下的一抹抹醬汁痕跡依舊讓你魂牽夢縈。我記得在ALMA時，我做的一盤義大利麵醬汁太稀了，我的主廚只要把盤子傾斜，醬汁就全都往一邊倒傾塌殆盡。我的主廚連吃都沒吃，直接用手一甩像是丟飛盤把那盤麵丟回給我，給打回票了，可見醬汁有多重要。
Of course, when you are done eating, be sure to take note of the leftover sauce. How does it look? Is it a puddle of water, or is it little streaks of flavor somewhere between the sacred and the sublime. A memory of mine from school was that once I had presented a sauce that was too thin, and my Chef gently tilted the plate and sauce came crashing down onto one side. With a displeased and disappointed flick of his wrist, spun the plate like a Frisbee back to me. Rejected. He never even tasted it. Woof. That is how important a sauce is.
所以到底什麼是一盤完美的義大利麵？要考慮的因素有麵本身的種類，搭配怎樣的醬汁，使用的食材的季節性，以及整體的均衡感。還有更重要的是嚐起來如何？給你的感受如何？我要說的是，任何一道菜就算烹飪技巧都對，但如果少了點熱情，少了點心在裡頭，那道料理也會喪失它的初衷本意。如果我母親用冰箱裡的剩菜做了一盤義大利小方餃，就算樣子看起來不太整齊，餡料也不太對的，我也會愛不釋手，因為這是我母親的愛，我也會說這對就是一盤完美的義大利麵。
So really, what is a perfect bowl, I guess there is a myriad of things to take into consideration: the kind of pasta, the sauce in which it is cooked in, the seasonality of the ingredients, and of course the balance of the whole dish. More importantly though, how does it taste, and how does it make you feel? Any dish that is so technically sound but without a little passion or flair could lose all the intention it had. I could be served uneven ravioli with completely irrelevant ingredients, but if it was done with love by my mother who happens to use whatever we have left in our refrigerator, well guess what, it’s perfect for me!
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