Homemade pici pasta is one of my absolute favorite pasta shapes to make and eat. This rustic Tuscan pasta has an irresistibly chewy texture that is unlike any other. Traditionally made with just flour, water and olive oil, pici is a hand-rolled pasta that looks like thick spaghetti and is most famously served with cacio e pepe. Rolling each strand by hand takes a little time, but the process is incredibly satisfying and every bite is worth the effort.
Hi! This is a really easy guide to making homemade pici pasta. You don't need a pasta machine or any special equipment, making it one of the best fresh pasta shapes for beginners. Hand-rolled pasta shapes are some of my absolute favorites. I find the process really relaxing, and it's a fun recipe to make with family and friends.
This is an eggless pasta dough, making it perfect if you're vegan or avoiding eggs. If you'd prefer to make a traditional egg pasta dough, be sure to check out my Homemade Pasta Dough guide instead. Once you've mastered that, you can make shapes like pappardelle, fettuccine, or even filled pasta.
Ingredients
Flour - Use either 00 flour or all purpose flour. I generally use 00 flour, but all purpose works beautifully too
Water - Room temperature or slightly warm water helps the dough come together more easily.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Any good quality olive oil you have at home will work.
Semolina - Use coarse semolina (not semolina flour) to dust the finished pici so the strands don't stick together while you work.
Equipment
Kitchen scales - I always recommend weighing your ingredients when making pasta. The ratio of flour to water is key to achieving the perfect dough.
Rolling pin - Although the strands are rolled by hand, you'll first need to roll the dough into a thin sheet.
Wooden cutting board - A wooden surface provides the grip needed to roll long, even strands by hand.
Baking tray or sheet pan - Line it with parchment paper and generously dust with coarse semolina to prevent the finished pici from sticking together.
How to make pici dough
Ingredient measurements and a short tutorial video are in the recipe card below. If you want a quicker and cleaner way to bring the dough together use a food processor! Just place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it forms an even breadcrumb like mixture. Take the blade out then squeeze it all together with your hand and bring out onto a clean work surface to knead.
1. Weigh your flour in a large mixing bowl then tip it out onto your bench.
2. Make a well in the middle then pour in the warm water.
3. Add the olive oil.
4. Whisk the water with a fork, slowly and carefully incorporating the flour from the outside into the middle.
5. Continue mixing until you have a thick paste in the center.
6. Use a bench scraper, a knife or fork to start really mixing the ingredients together fully.
7. You want to get an even shaggy mixture using an up and down cutting motion to break up the chunks.
8. Squeeze the mixture in your hands, bringing it into a ball. It will come together I promise!
9. Knead the ball for 4 - 5 minutes.
10. After 4 - 5 minutes it should look dimpled like this. Wrap up tightly in plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes.
11. After 10 minutes knead for another 2 - 3 minutes.
12. You should end up with a lovely smooth dough like this. Wrap up again tightly and rest for 30 mins - 1 hour.
Rolling out the pici
1. Use a quarter of the dough at a time, keeping the rest tightly wrapped.
2. Roll the piece out until about 3mm thick. The shape really doesn't matter so don't stress about that.
3. Cut into 1.5cm wide strips with a sharp knife, they will be all different lengths which is fine!
4. Pinch the strip of dough together then with the palms of your hands flat on the board, roll it out from middle to edges.
5. Keep rolling, pulling slightly as you roll from middle to edges.
6. You should end up with a long thin strand. Cut them in half if they get too long when rolling. Repeat with remaining dough.
The key is to dust the long strips with A LOT of coarse semolina to stop them sticking. You can curl them up into nests or store them flat on a tray lined with parchment paper (if you are worried about them sticking).
Storing pici
If cooking straight away
If you plan to cook your pici pretty soon after making them then store them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The strands should be well coated with semolina to stop them sticking (the more the better, it comes off when cooked). You can wrap them in little nests or store them flat in a single layer.
If not cooking straight away
The freezer is always my preferred method for storing pasta! Pici cooks from frozen perfectly and you'd never be able to tell! It's easiest to store pici in the freezer in little nests. Wrap the strands around your hand and dust really well with semolina. You'll have four nests or so from one batch of dough.
Place the nests in the freezer uncovered on a sheet tray and freeze for 30 minutes until completely hard. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and then cook from frozen whenever you fancy. The nests come apart in the boiling water.
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Pici FAQs
Yes! I often make it ahead and freeze. When making the nests, sprinkle with lots of coarse semolina and freeze uncovered on a tray straight away. Don't let them get a chance to stick. Once frozen carefully transfer to a container or bag to be cooked from frozen.
Yep! That is part of it's charm. It's a traditional Tuscan pasta, known for it's unique texture. No matter how long you cook it for, pici will have a really chewy bite.
It really is up to you! Remember it will puff up in the water so go slightly thinner than you think for that reason. Use my photos as a guide. You can make them into lots of shorter pieces too, they don't have to be really long strands.
Cook pici in a large pot of salted water for 2 - 3 minutes.
Some other pasta shapes to try
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Recipe
Hand Rolled Pici Pasta (great beginner shape!)
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Ingredients
- 400 grams ’00’ flour (plain flour is fine)
- 185 ml warm water
- 15 ml olive oil (a standard tablespoon)
- Coarse semolina to dust the pici
Instructions
- Please look at the step-by-step photos above! Feel free to bring the dough together in a food processor.
- Weigh your flour then tip it out onto your bench. Make a well in the middle, I use the bottom of a bowl to do this.
- Pour in the warm water and olive oil. Whisk the water with a fork, slowly and carefully incorporating the flour from the outside into the middle until it forms a thick paste.
- When the middle mixture becomes too thick to whisk I like to use a bench scraper to cut the remaining flour into the liquid, you can do this with your hands too. You basically want to end up with a very evenly incorporated shaggy mixture.
- Bring it together into a ball and knead vigorously for 4 - 5 minutes until you get a dimpled ball of dough.
- Wrap tightly and rest for 10 mins. Continue kneading for a few minutes, you should end up with a very smooth ball of dough.
- Wrap again and rest for an hour or up to three at room temp.
- Using a quarter of the dough at a time, roll out with a rolling pin until 3mm thick.
- Cut into 1.5cm strips.
- On a wooden board roll the strips out into long strands, starting in the middle and working your way out.
- Place the finished strands onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and liberally dusted with coarse semolina to stop them sticking.
Video
Notes
- Once you have dusted the strands you can wrap them up in nests and then cover the tray with some clingfilm or a tea towel.
- They are best cooked within an hour but you can freeze them in nests, uncovered on a tray. Once frozen transfer to a snaplock bag or container and cook from frozen.
Hi, I'm Emilie
I've spent years testing pasta doughs, sauces, and weeknight favorites so you don't have to. Everything on The Burnt Butter Table is designed to be simple, comforting, and unbelievably delicious.
Max says
Great recipe! So fun and easy to make, and such an easy way to impress your guests
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much Max!! So happy you enjoyed making it, one of my all time fave shapes 🙂