36. Lane of San Cesareo

Lane is a fresh pasta that is the traditional dish of San Cesareo, a beautiful town located on the slopes of the Alban Hills, along the route of the Via Casilina. It is probable that the name Lane derives from a linguistic corruption of the Latin word laganum, used by the poet Horace (but later also by Apicius in De Re Coquinaria) who in his sixth Satire describes his meal of 'leeks et ciceris laganique', i.e. leeks, chickpeas and lagani, which some scholars believe to be a fritter or an oven-baked pasta similar to modern lagane. What is certain is that, according to tradition, the preparation of this kind of maltagliati should date back to the early 19th century when the lands of San Cesareo were the property of the great noble families such as the Rospigliosi Pallavicini, in whose service numerous families of peasants worked. The women of these farm labourers, who had to live on the Marcelli hill, in semi-seasonal accommodation (like huts made of wood and straw), were responsible for the preparation of this simple pasta to be eaten during frugal family dinners. Since then, the recipe handed down from generation to generation has been prepared with the same simple ingredients: whole wheat flour, eggs, salt and water. Kneaded by hand, the pastry is rolled out on a pastry board, then placed on suspended wooden sticks to dry. The now-dried dough is folded in on itself, then cut by hand, giving it a triangular shape. Lane are traditionally eaten with a tasty cod sauce.