A Tuscan specialty, this pasta dish pairs a tomato and garlic base with a thick, satisfying fresh pasta called "pici."
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Serves two.
For this recipe, you will need:
- 2 1/2 cup (400g) semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3/4 cup (180ml) water
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup (120ml) white wine
- 1 1/2 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with a fork
- Fresh black pepper
- Salt
To make the pasta:
Pour the flour into a pile on a large work surface and make a depression in the middle to form a volcano shape. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and half of the water into the center. Use a fork to begin whisking the water while gradually incorporating the flour into the mixture. As it thickens, add the rest of the water.
When all of the water has been added, use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour and knead all together. The dough should be very firm and tough, not too soft and moist. Dust with extra flour if it is sticky.
Continue to fold and knead the dough until it is very smooth and even. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
After resting, roll the dough out until it is about 1/4-inch thick. It should be significantly thicker than traditional fresh pasta, such as tagliatelle. Slice the sheet into 1/2-inch ribbons.
Take each strand of pasta and roll it with your hands until it resembles a very thick piece of spaghetti. Cover the finished pasta with a dish towel while you prep the sauce.
To make the sauce:
Begin by prepping the garlic. Slice each clove in half, directly through the middle. Inside you will find a slightly discolored "core." Pry these out of each half with the tip of a paring knife and discard. Thinly slice the garlic.
Add 3 tbsp olive oil, the wine and the garlic into a skillet and bring up to medium heat on the stove top. Simmer, covered, until the garlic has softened enough that it can be mashed with a fork.
Add the tomatoes and salt/pepper to taste. Allow the sauce to simmer gently while you cook the pasta.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and season it generously with about two handfuls of salt. Add the pasta and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and add the cooked pasta into the sauce.
Stir all together over high heat until the sauce evenly coats the pasta. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
Excellent Recipe! Made this with your spicy beans and tomato contorno, but garlic scapes are in season, and we added them with the beans. It was a big hit-- garlic scapes are amazing, if you are lucky enough to find them TRY THEM. Did anyone else get confused by the quantity of olive oil in the recipe? We saw 4 tbsps, and ended up adding all of that to the pasta! It came out *ok* (kinda dough-y). Maybe if the recipe stated specifically that 1 tbsp was for the pasta and the other 3 tbsp was for the sauce, it would be more clear for dummies like me. We're going to try it again sometime, with the pasta portions correct... Than…
Another wonderful recipe. Thanks so much!
Great texture to the pasta and a wonderful garlic flavour!
Can you make a video on how to use various Italian products that are available in the US? Such as Mutti
Regarding the "core"; I believe that Eva was right the first time when she said GERM as in germinate or sprout. The folks over at Serious Eats have a very informative article on when and when not to remove the germ. See https://www.seriouseats.com/2018/08/what-is-a-garlic-germ-and-should-you-remove-it.html
Eva, the sauce was brilliant, thank you. I had an utter fail on making the pasta and keen to try again. Is there more you can offer on how long to work the dough before resting?