Pici Sienesi 

Never as in the case of Tuscan cuisine, to dominate the table are still today the dishes of the so-called poor cuisine, or that gastronomy that over the centuries has developed starting from the few ingredients available, a symbol of boundless misery but also of the ability of the inhabitants to know how to transform simple products into tasty dishes. Fundamental throughout Central Italy but deeply linked to Tuscany is in fact that line of recipes created to reuse old and now dry bread, a sacred and precious element to be preserved with care. 

An essential element of the regional table, fresh pasta: stuffed, long, egg or with chestnut flour, many typical shapes declined in different ways depending on the area. The best known are undoubtedly the pici, handmade large spaghettoni perfect to accommodate even the most robust sauces, among the symbols of the gastronomy of the territory.

Tuscany is undoubtedly one of the Italian regions that presents an excellent variety of culinary specialties, such as the Sienese pici. The origin of this type of pasta is very ancient and dates back to the Etruscan age when they were prepared for the first time in a border area between Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio. 

Ingredients

1 Kg of flour 

1/2 liter of water

1 pinch of sea salt

Preparation

To prepare the Sienese pici, you have to place the flour in a large bowl and add the warm water and salt and knead vigorously for about 10 minutes. When the dough is compact and homogeneous, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. After this period, we arrange the dough on a work surface and with the help of a rolling pin roll it out so as to make a sheet of about 1 cm thick. At this point we begin to cut strips of dough that we will then work further with our hands, until we get the typical size of pici. These must then be placed on the work surface that must be previously dusted with flour or possibly semolina to prevent the pici from sticking to each other.

At this point the pici are ready to be cooked in salted water. The seasoning will depend mainly on your personal tastes even if the advice I give is to combine them with the traditional dressing based on cheese or pepper or with an excellent duck sauce.

Sienese pici with ancient ragù

Ingredients for 4 people:

450 g pici

150 g livers

150 g minced veal

150 g minced pork

450 ml tomato puree

1 onion

1 carrot

3 sticks of celery

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Red wine to taste

Vegetable broth to taste

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

4 or 5 fresh basil leaves

Tuscan Pecorino cheese to taste

Preparation

Clean and chop the livers well (have them cleaned by the butcher if you prefer). Prepare a chopped meal with onion, celery and carrot. Sauté it in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a pot. Add the livers and the two minced meats. With the help of a whisk, chop the meat well and brown it well over high heat. Deglaze with red wine and once evaporated add vegetable broth. Season with pepper and tomato paste. Now, you can add the tomato puree and lower the heat.

Add the basil and cook for about an hour and a half or two, combining, if necessary, a little broth. Adjust salt during cooking, but also taste at the end of cooking. The sauce must be well restricted, cook the pici and season. Finish the dish with a nice grated Tuscan pecorino cheese...

... "Appetizing"!