Country you go, fresh pasta you find. And in Puglia, in particular in the Foggia area, i Troccoli they are the traditional fresh pasta format that is seasoned with meat sauces with a strong flavor or with fish sauces. Prepared with durum wheat semolina, eggs and water, Troccoli have a shape similar to spaghetti, but are thicker and wider. Not to be confused with spaghetti alla chitarra, the Apulian Troccoli are a perfect alternative to Noodles or ai Pici (the typical pasta shape of the Tuscany region). Here is the recipe to prepare them at home: it is easy and does not require special cooking skills.

Preparazzjoni

1

On a wooden pastry board pour the flour and form a fountain with a bowl in the center. Add the salt on the edges and break the eggs in the center of the fountain.

2

with the help of a fork, beat the eggs in the center of the flour fountain.

3

Begin to pour, a little at a time, the lukewarm water in the center of the fountain along with the beaten eggs.

4

stir continuously with a fork slowly bringing the flour towards the center of the dough.

5

Continue to knead until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.

6

Once the dough is dry, knead with your hands for about 10 minutes and until it forms a homogeneous and compact dough.

7

form a loaf and let it rest for 10 minutes. After the resting time, take a piece of dough from the dough and flatten it first with your hands.

8

Then roll out the dough with a rolling pin, until it reaches a thickness of 4 mm.

9

Then pass the sheet of pasta into the dough sheeter machine set for cutting spaghetti alla chitarra, or (if you have it) use the special ‘troccolaturo’ tool.

10

Arrange the pasta on a well floured pastry board until ready to cook.

aċċessorji

• Bord tal-għaġina
• Fork
• rolling pin
• Pasta machine (sheeter) or ‘troccolaturo’

Għajnuniet u tricks

• The traditional tool used to make the Troccoli is the ‘troccolaturo‘: a rolling pin equipped with numerous grooves that cut the sheet of dough once it is laid out on the work surface. Being an instrument not commonly present in all Italian kitchens, it is possible to replicate the Apulian Troccoli even with the dough sheeter machine for pasta, as we did in this recipe.
• How to season the Apulian Troccoli? Traditionally it is a type of pasta that is accompanied with savory sauces such as meat sauce (beef, pork and lamb), sauces with mushrooms (typical Calcarelli of the area), legumes and vegetables, or with condiments with seafood.

ħażna

We recommend consuming homemade Troccoli within the day in which they are prepared (even better within 3/4 hours), otherwise the pasta will tend to dry out too much.

Alternatively, if you want to prepare them in advance, it is possible friżahom. Here’s how: arrange small nests of pasta on a tray, spaced apart, and place them in the freezer for about 2 hours to harden; once the fresh pasta nests are stiff, place them in one or more airtight bags to store in the freezer, to always have your Troccoli available when needed. To consume them, just boil them directly frozen in boiling water.