Frijenno Magnanno - E maccarune d’o gravunare
“Gaeta olive [gah-AY-tah]- Small, blackish Italian olive that’s either dry-cured, which produces dry, wrinkled, slightly brownish fruit, or cured in brine, which results in plumper fruit with a purplish cast. They are meaty and slightly tart to salty in flavor with hints of nuts.†This definition, found in my copy of the Food Lover’s Companion, is helpful. “Cured black olives.†This description, found at the olive bar at the Wegman’s in Ithaca? Not so much. Based on pictures and some luck, I chose what I believe to be the same variety of olive that is called for in this week’s Frijenno Magnanno recipe. E maccarune d’o gravunare, translated roughly to “coal miner’s pasta,†is not for the faint of heart. This is a gritty, salty, fishy meal, albeit delicious, and is best consumed after a day’s hard work with a ravenous appetite. The Gaeta olive is named for the city found in the Lazio region of Italy and is famous for producing this small black fruit. The slight bitterness works well in this dish to balance out the salty, tangy flavors of the capers and anchovies.
Bucatini is the preferred pasta for this recipe, and a quick sauté of the remaining ingredients is all that is required for this simple dish. Mince garlic, anchovy filets, capers, Gaeta olives and peperoncino. Cook over low heat in olive oil and toss with the pasta when finished. I chose to leave my sauce on the chunky side for more texture, but it is traditionally ground to a smooth, thick paste. Serve with a crusty piece of Italian bread.
Soucres: Herbst, Sharon Tyler. The Deluxe Food Lover’s Companion. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 
2010. Viviani, Raffaele, Poesie. 2010. p. 373 http://www.triedtastedserved.com/olives/gaeta.php