Hand-Rolled Pasta with Garlic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 400 g All-purpose flour
• 200 ml Water
• 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 800 g Tomatoes
• 1 piece Chili pepper
• 6 leaves Basil

Steps

1. Make the pasta: mound the flour into a well on the work surface, pour the lukewarm water, a tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt into the center, then knead at length until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough.
2. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a sheet about half a centimeter thick.
4. Cut it into strips a finger wide.
5. Take each strip and roll it on the work surface with the palms of your hands, from the center outward, until you form a long, irregular thick spaghetti: these are the pici.
6. As you go, flour them lightly and lay them on a tray.
7. Prepare the aglione: peel the aglione (or garlic) cloves, removing the inner germ, and slice them thinly.
8. In a wide pan heat the extra-virgin olive oil over low heat, add the garlic and a chili pepper, and let it soften very gently without coloring, until it becomes a soft cream.
9. Deglaze with a ladle of hot water or wine, let it evaporate.
10. Add the peeled tomatoes crushed by hand and a pinch of salt.
11. Cook the sauce over low heat for about 30 minutes, until it thickens and the aglione has almost melted away.
12. Adjust the salt.
13. Meanwhile boil the pici in plenty of salted water for 4-5 minutes, until they rise to the surface and are al dente.
14. Drain the pici, reserving a little cooking water, tip them into the pan with the sauce and toss over high heat for a minute, adding a splash of cooking water to bind.
15. Serve the pici piping hot right away, finishing with a drizzle of raw oil and a few leaves of fresh basil.

Tips

• Valdichiana aglione is a giant, mild variety: if you can't find it, use common garlic but in a reduced amount, because it is much more pungent.
• The secret is to never let the garlic color: it must melt gently, otherwise the sauce turns bitter.
• The pici keep very well floured and left to dry for an hour before cooking; no egg is needed in the dough, only water and flour.