Italian Pici Pasta
Here is a recipe I learned while taking a cooking class at a Michelin Star restaurant in Tuscany!
For the Pasta:
2/3 C. Water
2 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour 00
Pinch of Salt
For the Sauce:
8 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Fresh Aromatic Herbs (Basil, Thyme & Marjoram)
2 C. Cherry Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves
Red Hot Chili Pepper
Salt, Pepper
Form the dough into a ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, roll until about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut into thin strips. Roll each piece into a snake about 1/2 cm in diameter and 30/60 cm long. Continue until all of the dough has been cut and rolled.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a saucepan with chili pepper, thyme and chopped garlic until it is soft but not brown. Add cherry tomatoes chopped into fourths and salt and pepper. Cook rapidly, stirring occasionally. Add remaining aromatic herbs.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and drop in the pici pasta. Boil until they rise to the top and then remove with a slotted spoon, adding them to the pan with the sauce.
Top with aged pecorino cheese and herbs and serve immediately.
Optional: Add pesto into the sauce before tossing the pasta in for extra flavor.
Serve with Chianti wine.
For the Pasta:
2/3 C. Water
2 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour 00
Pinch of Salt
For the Sauce:
8 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Fresh Aromatic Herbs (Basil, Thyme & Marjoram)
2 C. Cherry Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves
Red Hot Chili Pepper
Salt, Pepper
Directions:
Mound the flour on a board and make a well in the center. Add a pinch of salt. In the well, add the water and slowly mix the flour, adding water from time to time as the dough comes together. You are aiming for a soft but not sticky mix.
Mound the flour on a board and make a well in the center. Add a pinch of salt. In the well, add the water and slowly mix the flour, adding water from time to time as the dough comes together. You are aiming for a soft but not sticky mix.
Form the dough into a ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, roll until about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut into thin strips. Roll each piece into a snake about 1/2 cm in diameter and 30/60 cm long. Continue until all of the dough has been cut and rolled.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a saucepan with chili pepper, thyme and chopped garlic until it is soft but not brown. Add cherry tomatoes chopped into fourths and salt and pepper. Cook rapidly, stirring occasionally. Add remaining aromatic herbs.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and drop in the pici pasta. Boil until they rise to the top and then remove with a slotted spoon, adding them to the pan with the sauce.
Top with aged pecorino cheese and herbs and serve immediately.
Optional: Add pesto into the sauce before tossing the pasta in for extra flavor.
Serve with Chianti wine.
