Pici are long, hand-rolled strands from the Montalcino area of Tuscany, not far from my house. Also called umbrichella, this pasta is the most typical shape in my region, so naturally I wanted to serve it at Mozza. Although it is not a regular item on the menu, we often use pici in place of the gnocchi in the Gnocchi with Duck Ragù (page 187).
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Roll the dough out to the third thickest setting on the pasta sheeter (number 3 using a KitchenAid attachment) according to the directions given in “Matt’s Scuola di Pasta” (page 158). Dust a baking sheet lightly with semolina and dust a work surface with flour. Lay one pasta sheet on the flour-dusted surface and cut it into 5-inch squares. Stack the squares of dough and use a long knife to cut the dough into 1/8-inch-thick strips. Roll one strip on the countertop with your fingertips to create a strand about 10 inches long. Lay the strand on the semolina-dusted baking sheet and repeat, rolling the remaining strips in the same way and dusting the strands with semolina to prevent them from sticking together. Use the pici or cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pasta up to one day. To freeze, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the pasta is firm to the touch. Transfer the pasta to sealable plastic bags, or an airtight container, dusting off the excess semolina, and freeze for up to two weeks (any longer and the pasta will dry out and crack).
