Pici

Pici Handmade Tuscan pasta, with a rustic, firm texture, to be seasoned with tomato, crumbled sauce, or garlic sauce.

4 servings

Easy

Tuscany

FacileToscana

THE pici They are a long and rustic fresh pasta, suitable for a first course A hearty dish where the texture of the pasta plays a key role. The dough, thicker than that of industrially produced long pasta, is transformed into irregular yet smooth strands, slightly fuller than spaghetti: a structure capable of holding both simple and intense sauces. They can be served with tomato sauce or traditional sauces such as briciolata and aglione, which enhance the texture and chewiness. The recipe is a Tuscan tradition. The technique requires above all a compact dough, uniform rolling, and gentle manual work, necessary to stretch the pasta without breaking it. The result is a genuine, consistent, and versatile pasta, designed to be served piping hot and generously seasoned.

Instructions

Voice reading

7 steps · natural Italian voice

Prepare the dough

Mix the flour with water until you obtain a smooth, shiny, and compact dough. Knead the dough vigorously until the surface is uniform and there are no dry or uneven areas. There are no specific amounts of water; add it gradually, stopping when the dough reaches a firm but workable consistency.

Let it rest

20 min

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for about 20 minutes. This interval makes the dough more pliable and easier to roll out; when finished, the surface should still appear compact, without crusts or dryness.

Roll out the pasta sheet

Roll out the dough until it's about 5 millimeters thick. Keep the thickness as even as possible, so that the pasta cooks evenly. pici It will be uniform. The pastry should be smooth, compact, and firm enough to be cut without tearing.

Cut the strips

Cut the pastry into strips approximately 1 centimeter (0.39 in) wide. Make regular portions, because a uniform width makes it easier to thin out the dough later and allows you to obtain pici of similar dimensions. Arrange the strips without overlapping them, to prevent them from sticking together.

Form i pici

Roll and stretch each strip, applying pressure with the palm of your hand. Continue with regular movements until you obtain long, smooth strands slightly thicker than spaghetti. Work gently but continuously: the picio is ready when it holds its shape and shows no breakage or excessive thinning.

Cover the pasta

Cover them one by one pici already trained with a clean kitchen towelProtect them from the air while you finish working them, so the surface doesn't dry out too much. Keep them separated enough to prevent them from sticking together; they should remain pliable and smooth until ready to bake.

Cook and season

Bring to a boil plenty of salted water and cook the pici Cook until tender. Drain them once cooked, keeping them piping hot, then season them with tomato sauce, crumble sauce, or garlic sauce. Stir thoroughly to coat the pasta evenly.

Chef's Tips

Roll out the pasta sheet to 5mm and thin each strip with regular palm pressure, keeping the pici smooth, uniform and slightly thicker than spaghetti without breaking them.

Ingredients

Ingredients for 4 people
(14.11 oz) 400 g flour
salt
Knead the flour with water to obtain a smooth, compact dough, then leave it covered for about twenty minutes. Roll out the dough until it's five millimeters thick, then cut it into one-centimeter-wide strips. Then thin out the strips of dough by rolling them and stretching them, applying pressure with the palm of your hand (the trick is not to break the dough). pici which must become long, smooth and a little thicker than spaghetti). Cover with a clean kitchen towel the pici as they prepare.
Cook them in boiling salted water, drain them and season them with tomato sauce or with typical condiments such as "salsa briciolata" or "all'aglione".