Pici, a truly Tuscan recipe
A plate of spaghetti brings together young and old, resolves any indecision on the family menu and is always a good choice at the restaurant!
What if we told you that there is a purely Tuscan type of pasta that is even better? Pici!
Pici are not common spaghetti
Pici are fresh pasta, made simply with flour, water and salt.
Unlike fresh egg pasta, pici do not need them so they are lighter.
Pici have the shape and length of spaghetti but are much larger and always have a circular shape.
Pici: tradition and origin
Pici are a very ancient Tuscan pasta. The origins are still debated but probably of Etruscan origin, they were invented between Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria.
In fact, these regions still have the same fresh pasta but with different names: torcolacci, filarelli, lombrichelli Viterbersi, stringoli, stringozzi …
The shape remains the same but the toppings and names change.
How to dress Tuscan pici
The oldest condiment for Tuscan pici is the simplest one where extra virgin olive oil is obviously the prince.
In Tuscany the condiments that are most frequently found are:
- With garlic
- Cheese and pepper
- Crumbs
- With meat sauce
How to prepare Tuscan pici at home
The preparation of Tuscan pici is really easy and affordable for everyone, the ingredients are very easy to find and the preparation is fun. You do not need pasta machines or special tools but only a bowl and a pastry board.
Ingredients for 4 people:
– flour 0, 400 grams
– water at room temperature
– salt, one outlet
– a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1) Put the flour in the bowl and slowly add the water at room temperature, the extra virgin olive oil and the pinch of salt. You have to absorb the liquids and get a ball of dough. You can continue to work the ball of dough even on the floured pastry board and if you have time and want to simplify the second step, we advise you to wrap the ball of dough in cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, in this way the dough becomes more stable.
2) Remove the pasta from the fridge and divide into 4 smaller balls. With just the use of your hand, take a little dough and thin it to reach the shape of a warm shape. Once the length of a spaghetti, cut and put to rest on a surface covered with a cloth. Be careful not to overlap or stick them, for convenience sprinkle the top with flour or semolina so you will be safer.
The pici are now ready to be immersed in boiling salted water for a few minutes and dressed!
The perfect sauce for pici
Each city where you go dressing you find! In some cities there are also more elaborate and richer recipes, for example with duck sauce!
The condiment that we recommend is the typical Tuscan one and very poor in crumbs, originally from Montepulciano.
While the water is boiling, put as much garlic as you like, extra virgin olive oil, crumbled dry bread (crumbs) and chilli pepper if you like it in a pan.
Add this hot sauce to the drained pici and enjoy the flavor of an ancient Tuscan recipe.
The pici at Villa Campestri
As in any simple Tuscan recipe, the main ingredient is Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and we at Villa Campestri, the first resort oil in the world, are waiting for you to taste all our dishes with our delicious new oil! We are waiting for you!
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