Rachel Roddy's Recipe for Fettuccine with Chicken Liver and Mushroom Stew | A kitchen in Rome

Sometimes on a Saturday morning we go to Gatti & Antonelli. It's one of the many pasta all'uovo (fresh egg pasta) shops in Rome, and it's definitely one of the best. It's a lovely space, with a long marble counter, a window to the back room, bright yellow signs with hours and prices, and two shelves that display eggs and a large collection of little chickens. ornament. When my son was little, it was one of the rare occasions when his cries did not bother me, because he expressed what I felt: “Chickens! Look at the chickens! Can I hold one? This scene reminded me of scenes from my own childhood: looking at the rows of ornaments in my grandmother's house and thinking they were treasures, then being allowed to hold a little elephant, which I squeezed for good luck.

< p class="dcr-18sg7f2">Decades beyond my pressure and years after my son's cries, we now choose the chicken we will hold - the one with the golden neck or the white that looks like an egg? – while we wait in line. Behind the cheese-veined marble counter, two women in white coats and blue hairnets serve with efficiency, lifting long and short pastas from shallow boxes into stiff paper trays - tortellini, agnolotti, ravioli, fettuccine, tonnarelli , pappardelle. Gatti's smell is full of hope and sap, like fresh sawdust and a clean baby. Many came for the agnolotti ripieni di carne (agnolotti stuffed with meat) – the house specialty. However, I came for the fettuccine.

At first glance, the long, thin fettuccine looks identical to tagliatelle. Take a closer look, however, and you'll see they're less demanding than their northern cousin's 8mm: either thicker or thinner, and not rolled as thinly, so with more substance - much like a Roman. Fettuccine means "little ribbons", and they are the direct ancestors of capelli d'angelo. In the hands of strong-armed home cooks, the wicks became ribbons, hand-rolled and served on Sundays, often with meat stew and often with rigaglie.

In Rome, rigaglie is the generic term for chicken offal. Traditionally, fettuccine con le rigaglie was an economical dish that used this good but cheaper part of the chicken (with just a bit of ground beef and pancetta). This version uses just the livers (although you can use offal) and includes marsala and mushrooms, which provide deep flavor; also sage for musty contrast and butter for flavor and shine. Fresh fettuccine or tagliatelle are ideal here, as they are dried.

Fettuccine with chicken liver and mushroom ragout

Preparation 20 minCooking 20 minFor 4 people

250g chicken livers 40g butter2 tbsp olive oil2 shallots, peeled and finely diced1 garlic clove, peeled and diced50g pancetta, diced100g beef chopped30g porcini mushrooms, soaked in 150ml lukewarm water3 whole sage leavesSalt and black pepper1 heaped tsp tomato paste dissolved in 150ml marsala, vermouth or the water used to soak the porcini mushrooms500g fresh or dried fettuccine, tagliatelle or pappardelleParmesan cheese or pecorino cheese, grated

Boil a pot of water for the pasta. Clean the livers of any sinew or discoloration, then wash and pat dry. Cut each liver into six.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat, heat the butter and olive oil, then sauté the shallots until tender. until they are soft and translucent. Add the garlic, pancetta, ground beef, drained and chopped porcini mushrooms (reserve the soaking liqueur if you prefer to use it in place of marsala or vermouth later) and sage, and cook, stirring , for a few minutes.

Increase the heat, add the livers and fry, stirring, until...