Imagine this series of hours as vividly as you can. You wake up at the break of dawn, you hop on your bicycle, as the fog and mist roll over the rolling hills and distant vineyards, you see it all. There it is… Tuscany, in all its glory. Montepulciano, Val d’Orcia, Cortona, Montalcino… you choose a village to explore, a vineyard to taste from and a plate of pasta to settle yourself in for the night as the sun sets over the west.

We’ve all had our own version of this daydream “under the Tuscan sun.” Can you imagine it becoming real? Even if you don’t have your round trip tickets booked (yet!) there is one meal that is guaranteed to transport you to your own Tuscan dream. And that’s hand rolled pici.

This handmade chewy pasta from Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia are long, adorably wonky, and made from only flour and water. It’s the ultimate comfort food… and boy, does this recipe make me feel oh so cozy inside.

True Tuscany

Tuscany has a cuisine as diverse and as its landscape. From its world-renown wines to its rich and hearty legumes, diversity of vegetables and drool-inducing cheeses, Tuscany’s got it all. From its outstanding food festivals, award-winning restaurants and local farm villas that focus on local wines and regional specialities, Tuscany is undoubtedly a foodie’s ultimate destination.

If you should be planning your dream getaway to try Tuscany’s finest feasts and food culture, it’s important to connect with locals and local businesses that know the region inside and out. Together In Tuscany & Umbria is my biggest recommendation I would send to anyone seeking a real, meaningful experience to learn about Tuscan culture and, of course, its food! Their one-of-a-kind villa rentals are located in some of the most beautiful Tuscan towns and countryside of the region. Their culture and food experiences focus on tried and true Tuscan meals, farming, vineyards and more… every aspect of their travel arrangements stay true to real Tuscan comfort.

I mean it when I say that travel becomes a real experience when we connect with locals to learn! Tourism transforms into travel when we are able to invest in experience that deepen our knowledge and appreciation for wherever we roam. I’m grateful for businesses like Together In Tuscany for organizing and providing us those types of experiences in Tuscany. And I’m also extremely grateful for their guidance on this pici recipe that I’m obsessed with! Let’s get to the pasta, shall we?

A Peek At Pici’s History

There’s a very popular myth that says that Marco Polo returned from China and introduced pasta to Italy once and for all. The actual truth is that the Etruscans were eating spelt noodles almost 1,000 years before Marco even set out to explore the world! This has been proven by ancient Etruscan art found in the tomb of the Leopards depicting banquet scenes where servants are carrying bowls of long, irregularly shaped noodles! This tomb dates back to the 5th century B.C!

So yes, pasta has Etruscan roots dating thousands of years ago. Pici itself was created in Siena, right in the heart of Tuscany… and is often called “pici Senesi,” which translates to Pici Siena. The name pici comes from the term “appiciare”, which explains the technique to form long, thick, wonky noodles about 1/4 inch thick.

P.S. if you should find yourself exploring Tuscany, you will certainly see pici on the local restaurants menu… but you also might see its name change from province to province. You can find pici’s close variations called: pinci, pisciarelli, torcolacci, ceriole, stringoli, raguzzi, filarelli and more!

Aglione

I could write a love letter to pici on its own… but add a dash of this aglione sauce, and I’m in heaven! Aglione gets its name from a rare varietal of garlic that are grown throughout Tuscany. They’re larger than your average garlic bulb, but oh so sweet and intense in its own way. This tomato sauce literally translates to “big garlic”… and let me tell you, it’s the main star of the sauce. But trust me on this, regular garlic will do for this recipe! It’s oh so YUM.

OTHER PICI SAUCE OPTIONS

• Cacio E Pepe sauce

• Butter and sage

• Pomodoro

• Con le Brioche (with breadcrumbs)

• Ragu with wild boar

Hand Rolled Pici All'Aglione

REGION: TUSCANY

1. Pour your flour into a large bowl and make a volcano crater in the center with your fist. Add the salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

2. Add your water little by little, stirring with a fork until a dough is formed.

3. When the dough is too tough to be mixed with a fork, move the dough onto a wooden board and knead by hand to incorporate all the flour… about 10 minutes. You might need more flour if too sticky or more water if you are not able to collect all the flour.

4. Cover your dough and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

5. Time to make your aglione sauce! Pour your olive oil in a thick bottomed pan and add your minced garlic cloves, tomato pulp, chopped peppers and salt. Cook on low heat.

6. Roll out the dough on a wooden board with a rolling pin to a thickness of thin crust pizza pie.

7. Cut the dough into small, thin strips. Roll the pici as if they were thin playdoh worms.

8. Dip your pici noodles in a bowl of semolina flour as you go. Then wrap the noodles around your hand and let rest on a tray.

9. Cook the pici in salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain them when they’re al dente and pour them into the pan with the sauce.

10. Toss and serve immediately, sprinkling some cheese on top, if you’d like!

This post was sponsored by Together In Tuscany & Umbria. Their incredible services provide one-of-a-kind, localized, authentic experiences in the Tuscany region. I thank them for their incredible help and recipes for this post. I couldn’t be more proud and happy to support them and their business!