Recipes and Photo

Mix the flour and salt  onto a pastry board or other work surface. Make a well with your fingers in the centre. Crack the egg into this well. Gradually mix the flour and egg, adding the extra virgin olive oil and the water a little at a time until the dough is firm but flexible. You may not need to use all of the water.

Knead the dough but do not knead too much because you will work on it while you make the pici.

Cover the dough with a bowl and start to make pici but remember from now on use only polenta flour to dray your pici when they will be in the right size not before:

1. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour, and roll out the dough until it is about ½-1cm/¼-½in thick. 

2. Cut the dough into 1cm/½in wide strips with a sharp knife. Hand-roll the strips into thick, spaghetti-like strands. These should be about 3mm/eighth inch wide. Use the polenta flour to separate the long pici you have made.

3. To cook the pici, bring a large saucepan of salted water with a bit of extra virgin olive oil (it'll help to stay the pici separted) to the boil. Add the pici and cook for about 10-12 minutes. The exact cooking time will depend on the width of the strands.

4. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and allow it to flavour the oil. Add the breadcrumbs and the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté for 2-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown

5. Drain the pici and add to the breadcrumb mixture.

6. Divide the mixture between individual pasta bowls. If you like, add grated parmesan to serve.
   
   Buon Appetito.