MALTAGLIATI means ‘badly-cut’, is a type of fresh pasta made from the trimmings of egg pasta lasagna sheets or other homemade egg pasta that has been rolled out into a sheet. These left over off-cuts are often irregular in shape and thickness, hence the name ‘maltagliati’.
It originated in Emilia-Romagna where it is cut into diamond shapes. In the Lombardy region, the sheet of pasta is often cut into long narrow triangles.
STRACCI, meaning ‘rags’, is a typical pasta from Piedmont and Liguria and is a very close cousin to maltagliate. The only difference is that the dough is softer, being made with flour, oil and milk.
Maltagliate is commonly served in broth or a bean soup. It goes perfectly with vegetable sauces.