Spizzulus is such a fun pasta to say AND eat! Made from a semolina flour and water dough these cute little shapes are simple to prepare and don't require a pasta machine. Hand rolled pasta shapes are such a fun activity and really easy to achieve at home. For these all you need is a gnocchi board and a knife or bench scraper. Invite some friends over and give it a go!
Hi! I love making spizzulus pasta, it's such a fun little shape to make and really easy, I promise! If you have made my hand rolled gnocchi sardi, you'll find this really simple. It's made from exactly the same semolina pasta dough.
If you know me at all you know that hand rolled shapes are my favorite. Hand rolled shapes are usually just made from flour and water and rolled by hand rather than a pasta machine. They generally have a chewy texture, which I personally love.
If I had to pick my favorite hand rolled shape it would be my homemade orecchiette but my pici pasta would be a close second!
What you'll need
Ingredients
- Semolina - You need a really finely milled version called semola rimacinata. It is different than a regular coarse semolina flour. Look for something really fine.
- Water - I like to use luke warm water.
Equipment
- Gnocchi board - You can find really inexpensive boards now and you can use it to make other pasta shapes too. A great tool to have.
- Bench scraper - You can use a knife but the long flat edge of a bench scraper is much easier. Plastic or metal will work.
- Wooden cutting board - rolling out the strands of dough is easiest on a wooden surface.
- Baking sheet - I always put the finished shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with semolina.
How to shape spizzulus
You need to make my semolina pasta dough first and there is also a short tutorial video in the recipe card below.
- Slice off a piece of dough and roll it out into a long strand with both hands flat on the board. Start in middle and work your way out.
2. Cut it in half when it gets too long for your board and keep rolling out.
3. Keep rolling, it doesn't have to be perfectly even. You want it to end up thinner than a pencil.
4. Use your gnocchi board as a guide and cut into pieces a bit narrower than the width of the board.
5. Place a piece at the top of your board.
6. Press your bench scraper down and in one motion drag it back along the board.
7. Use a nice firm and even pressure. Watch the video in the recipe card.
8. Take each end and curl around to join and press together.
Cook the spizzulus in a large pot of water for 2 - 3 minutes. It will always have a chewy bite to it. You can also freeze open on a tray for 20 minutes then transfer to an airtight container or bag to cook from frozen.
What is semolina?
Simple! It is a flour milled from a kind of wheat called durum wheat. It is just a different type of wheat and is often classed as a 'hard wheat'. The '00' flours or even plain flour is more of a 'soft wheat'.
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Basically what that means is that shapes made out of a semolina pasta dough will have more of a bite, they often have, in my opinion, a really addictive and delicious chewy factor. When you add semolina into an egg pasta dough it helps to add structure and an al dente bite. That is why I often mix it into '00' flour when making my easy homemade pasta dough.
What sauces go with spizzulus?
Anything!! I don't like rules, use whatever sauce you feel like, it's a really sturdy chewy shape so hold up really well when cooked. Some suggestions? For something delicious and creamy try my creamy roast garlic and lemon pasta sauce. If you feel like something easy then check out my handy guide to the best butter sauce for pasta. It would be perfect for my creamy mushroom pasta with olives.
Lemon Pasta
Some other hand rolled pasta shapes to try
The easiest pasta shape is hands down my hand rolled gnocchi sardi. It's the same dough as this one and is a little less fiddly to make. It's a quick shape to make once you get the hang of it.
Gnocchi Sardi (also known as Malloreddus)
Orecchiette
I don't like picking favorites but orecchiette really is mine! The shape meaning 'little ears' are just the perfect bowls to hold delicious sauce. This shape uses slightly less water in the dough and it does take some practice.
Pici Pasta
Pici is a rustic hand rolled spaghetti shape from Tuscany. Instead of semolina it is made from all purpose flour (or '00' flour) and water. It is seriously divine to eat and extremely simple to make.
Made this pasta shape and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave me a review down below and let me know what you thought! I love to hear any changes or adaptions you have made too. Also if you put a photo on instagram, please tag me so I can see, it makes my day!
Recipe
Homemade Spizzulus Pasta
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Ingredients
- 1 x batch semolina pasta dough
Instructions
- Look at the shaping photos above and video down below to help!
- Make the pasta dough on a clean work surface, large mixing bowl or in a food processor. Let it rest for 30 minutes or up to an hour.
- Slice a piece off the dough ball and keep the rest tightly wrapped.
- Squeeze the piece into a sausage shape then on a wooden cutting board, roll it out with your hands flat against the board.
- Roll the strand out with your hands starting in the middle and working your way out. Cut it in half when it gets two long for your board.
- Roll it out until it is just thinner than a pencil.
- Using the end of your gnocchi board as a guide, cut into pieces just narrower than the board.
- Place a piece at the end of the board and using a bench scraper drag it down with firm even pressure until it curls over.
- Take the two ends and curl around to meet then pinch in place.
- Place the finished shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with semolina.
- Cook the finished spizzulus in a pot of well salted water for 2 - 3 minutes. It will always retain a real chew so don't cook for longer than that.
- Transfer into your sauce of choice and let it bubble away gently for a min or two to take on some flavour.
Video
Notes
- Storing - the pasta can sit out on your bench on a tray with plastic wrap loosely covering for up to an hour. If needing to store longer then freeze, it's always my preferred method. Freeze open on a tray for 20 minutes or until hard then transfer to an airtight container. Cook from frozen.
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