Pici

For the Piciformes suborder, see Pici (taxon).
Pici

Pici made with egg white
Alternative names Pinci
Type Pasta
Place of origin Italy
Region or state Province of Siena
Main ingredients Flour, water
Cookbook:Pici  Pici

Pici is a thick, hand-rolled pasta, like a fat spaghetti.[1] It originates in the province of Siena in Tuscany; in the Montalcino area it is also referred to as pinci.

The dough is typically made from flour and water only. The addition of egg is optional, being determined by family traditions.

The dough is rolled out in a thick flat sheet, then cut into strips. In some families, the strip of dough is rolled between one palm and the table, while the other hand is wrapped with the rest of the strip. It can also be formed by rolling the strip between the palms. Either method forms a thick pasta, slightly thinner than a common pencil. Unlike spaghetti or macaroni, this pasta is not uniform in size and has variations of thickness along its length.

It is eaten with a variety of foods, particularly:

Food category Italian English
sauces briciole breadcrumbs
aglione spicy garlic tomato sauce
boscaiola porcini mushrooms
ragù a meat based sauce
game meat cinghiale wild boar
lepre hare
anatra duck

References

  1. Il Devoto-Oli. Vocabolario della lingua Italiana, edited by Luca Serianni and Maurizio Trifone, Le Monnier.

See also