How to make trofie: hand-rolled eggless pasta twists from Liguria
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Trofie (fresh eggless pasta twists)
Trofie are short, twisted pasta from Liguria, made with just flour and water and traditionally served with pesto. Ligurian grandmothers twist them with a flick of the palm; this method uses a wooden skewer, which makes it (relatively) foolproof.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Drying: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 400 g (3 cups) flour, that is 100 g (¾ cup) per person. Durum wheat flour is best, but all-purpose flour works too.
- 160–200 ml (⅔–¾ cup) water, that is 40–50 ml per 100 g of flour
- Salt, for the cooking water
Instructions
- Pile the flour on a work surface and make a large well in the center, big enough for all the water. Pour in the minimum amount of water (40 ml per 100 g of flour); you can add more later.
- With a fork, gradually work the flour from the inside of the well into the water until you have a smooth dough. As soon as it is no longer sticky, continue with your hands.
- Knead for 10–15 minutes, until the dough is smooth, firm and elastic. Don’t skimp on the kneading or the dough will tear later. If it feels dry, wet your hands with the remaining water as you knead.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 15–30 minutes so it doesn’t dry out.
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces.
- Roll one piece on a board, pressing gently with your fingertips (not your palms), into a rope as thick as a finger.
- Cut the rope into 5 mm (¼ in) pieces. Cut only about 10 at a time so they don’t dry out.
- Roll each piece with your fingertips into a thin strand about 5 cm (2 in) long.
- Dust the board and the strand with a little flour so it doesn’t stick.
- Wrap the strand around a wooden skewer in a wide spiral.
- Roll the skewer very gently on the board, without pressing too hard, until the pasta flattens slightly.
- Gently slide the trofie off the skewer onto a cloth. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Let the trofie dry for about 1 hour.
- Bring plenty of water to a boil, add salt and cook the trofie for 6–10 minutes, until al dente. Don’t stir them too much for the first 2 minutes, or they will break.
