Pici are a Tuscan fresh pasta shaped like thick, irregular spaghetti, 3-4 millimetres in diameter, made by hand from flour, water, salt and a drizzle of oil. The dough contains no eggs and needs neither a rolling pin nor a machine: each pico is stretched by rolling it with the palms on the work surface. The result is a hearty, rough pasta that holds sauces well.
In this article you’ll find the recipe for homemade pici for 4 people, with the dough quantities, a step-by-step shaping technique, cooking times and the aglione sauce, the dressing most closely tied to tradition.
Recipe card
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 50 minutes |
| Cooking time | 40 minutes (sauce 30 minutes, pici 6-7 minutes) |
| Resting time | 30 minutes (dough) |
| Total time | 2 hours |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Servings | 4 people |
| Course | First course, fresh pasta |
| Cuisine | Tuscan |
| Cooking method | Boiling (pasta), in a pan (sauce) |
Ingredients for 4 people
For the pici
- 400 g type 0 soft wheat flour (or 00 flour)
- 200 ml water at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (10 ml), plus a little for brushing
- 5 g fine salt
- 100 g semolina (durum wheat, finely reground), for the work surface
For the aglione sauce
- 4 cloves of Valdichiana aglione garlic (about 40 g)
- 700 g tomato passata or canned peeled tomatoes
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 dried chilli, optional
- Fine salt, to taste
The flour. A type 0 flour with a good protein content gives an elastic dough that stretches without breaking. 00 flour works too, but the dough is more delicate.
Aglione. It is a large-bulbed variety of garlic grown in the Valdichiana area, with a sweeter, milder flavour than common garlic. If you can’t find it, use 2 cloves of ordinary garlic with the green germ removed.
How to make homemade pici
- Make the dough. Pile the flour into a well and add the salt, oil and half the water to the centre. Start mixing with a fork, then add the rest of the water a little at a time. Knead by hand for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, firm and elastic. If it is too dry, wet your hands; if it is sticky, add a tablespoon of flour.
- Let it rest. Wrap the dough in cling film or cover it with an upturned bowl and leave it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Resting relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to stretch.
- Make the sauce in the meantime. Slice the aglione thinly and soften it in a pan with the oil over very low heat for 8-10 minutes, without letting it colour; add a tablespoon of water if needed. Add the tomato, the chilli and a pinch of salt and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick.
- Flatten and cut. Press the dough with your hands or a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1 cm. Brush it with a thin layer of oil, which stops the surface from drying out, and cut it into strips 1 cm wide.
- Shape the pici. Take one strip at a time and roll it on an unfloured work surface with your palms, starting from the centre and moving your hands outwards. Stretch each pico to 25-30 cm long and 3-4 mm thick. The surface must not be floured: a little friction is needed for the pasta to stretch.
- Let them dry. As you shape them, lay the pici on a tray dusted with semolina, well apart so they don’t stick together.
- Cook the pici. Boil them in plenty of salted water for 6-7 minutes, tasting to check: they should stay firm to the bite. Drain them, keeping a ladle of the cooking water, and toss them in the sauce for 1 minute, adding a little water if needed.
History and tradition of pici
Pici originate from the province of Siena and are especially common in the Val d’Orcia, the Valdichiana and the area around Montalcino, where they are also called pinci. They are made across a wide area of southern Tuscany, as far as the provinces of Arezzo and Grosseto.
They are a humble pasta, born in the countryside where eggs were set aside for sale or for special occasions: the traditional dough is made only of flour and water, although some families add an egg.
The classic sauces are simple: aglione, tomato, cacio e pepe, and “briciole”, breadcrumbs fried in oil with garlic, the most frugal version. They are also commonly served with game sauces, such as hare or wild boar, and with mushrooms.
Valdichiana aglione, used for the most typical sauce, is recognised as a traditional Tuscan agri-food product.
Practical tips
- Adjust the water to the flour. Every flour absorbs differently: hold back the last 20 ml of water and add it only if the dough stays crumbly.
- Keep the dough covered while you work. Take one portion at a time and keep the rest covered: dough exposed to the air forms a dry skin that cracks when rolled.
- Don’t aim for perfection. Hand-rolled pici vary slightly in thickness: that’s normal and part of their character. What matters most is that they are all between 3 and 4 mm, so they cook evenly.
- Use plenty of water for cooking. At least 4 litres for 4 servings: pici release starch and become sticky in too little water.
- Don’t let the aglione brown. It should soften slowly and become tender: if it takes on colour, it loses its sweetness.
Variations and storage
Variations of the dough and sauce
Some families add one egg per 400 g of flour to the dough, reducing the water by about 50 ml: the pici come out yellower and slightly more tender. Others use part durum wheat semolina for a rougher pasta.
Among the sauces, the most common alternatives to aglione are briciole (breadcrumbs fried in oil with garlic), cacio e pepe with Tuscan pecorino, meat or wild boar ragù, and porcini mushrooms.
Storage
Uncooked pici can be kept in the fridge for one day, well spaced on a tray dusted with semolina and covered with a tea towel. For longer storage it’s best to freeze them: lay them apart on a tray, put them in the freezer for an hour, then transfer them to a bag. They keep for about a month and are cooked straight from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
Frequently asked questions about pici
Do pici contain egg?
Not in the traditional recipe: the dough is made of flour, water, salt and a drizzle of oil. Egg appears in some family recipes and makes the pasta more tender and coloured, but it isn’t necessary. The typical firm, hearty texture of pici comes precisely from the plain flour-and-water dough.
Why do my pici break while I’m rolling them?
Usually the dough is too dry or hasn’t rested long enough. It can also happen if the surface has dried out. Try letting the dough rest for another 15 minutes, well covered, and work on an unfloured surface with slightly damp hands. If the dough stays crumbly, add a little water and knead again.
How long should fresh pici cook?
At 3-4 mm thick they usually need 6-7 minutes in boiling salted water. If you’ve let them dry for a few hours, they may need 1-2 minutes more. Always taste before draining: the centre should be cooked but still firm.
Can I use ordinary garlic instead of aglione?
Yes, but use less: 2 cloves of ordinary garlic, germ removed, replace 4 cloves of aglione. Soften it over very low heat so it doesn’t turn bitter. The flavour will be sharper, but the sauce will still be good.
Learning to make pici
Pici are best learned with your hands in the dough rather than by reading: the pressure of the palms and the right consistency of the dough become clear after the first few attempts. In the cooking classes at Orto San Frediano in Florence you make pici and other traditional Tuscan fresh pastas. If you enjoy handmade dishes, try ricotta and spinach gnudi too.
