Pici alle Briciole

Name: Pici alle Briciole
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Toscana
Ingredients: 400 g type 00 flour; 100 g fine semolina; 250 ml tepid water; 160 g stale pane toscano; 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp peperoncino; 10 g Fine sea salt

Thick hand-rolled Tuscan pasta tossed in garlic and chilli-infused olive oil, finished with crunchy fried stale breadcrumbs.

🇮🇹Italy· Tuscany

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

400 g type 00 flour — or strong white bread flour
100 g fine semolina — for dusting and dough texture
250 ml tepid water — plus extra if needed
160 g stale pane toscano — crusty unsalted Tuscan bread, crumbed coarsely
80 ml Extra virgin olive oil — good quality Tuscan oil
3 cloves Garlic — peeled and lightly crushed
1 tsp peperoncino — dried red chilli flakes
10 g Fine sea salt — for pasta cooking water and seasoning

Equipment

•Large pasta pot
•Wide frying pan
•Rolling pin
•Food processor or grater
•Slotted spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 86 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 14 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Tip the flour onto a board, make a well, and add the water with a drizzle of oil.
2
Knead the mixture firmly for ten minutes until smooth, pliable, and non-sticky.
3
Cover the dough with an upturned bowl and rest for thirty minutes at room temperature.
4
Roll the dough flat to one centimetre thickness and slice into narrow strips.
5
Roll each strip under your palms on the un-floured board to shape thick, uneven strings.
6
Dust the shaped pici with semolina so they do not stick together while resting.
7
Pulse the stale bread in a food processor into coarse, gravel-like crumbs.
8
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat.
9
Fry the breadcrumbs until deeply golden and crisp, then tip them into a bowl.
10
Boil the pici in salted water for three to four minutes until tender with a bite.
11
Warm the remaining olive oil, garlic, and chilli in the pan until fragrant.
12
Toss the drained pici in the garlic oil with half the crumbs, then scatter the rest over top.

Chef's tips

Do not roll pici on a heavily floured surface; the friction of bare wood makes rolling much easier. Keep the breadcrumbs coarse rather than fine powder to ensure a distinct crunchy bite against the chewy pasta. Use Tuscan unsalted bread if possible to keep the authentic texture and flavour balance.

Ingredient substitutions

pane toscano → any rustic, crusty sourdough or country white loaf
type 00 flour → standard plain all-purpose flour

Storage

Cooked pici should be eaten fresh immediately, but uncooked dough strands can be dusted with semolina and chilled for up to one day.

Reheating

Reheat leftover dressed pasta in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat with a fresh splash of olive oil to crisp the noodles.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Grinding the bread into fine dust, which becomes soggy rather than crisp.
•Overcooking the garlic until brown and bitter in the oil.
•Tossing all the breadcrumbs into the wet pan too early, ruining their crunch.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately in warm shallow ceramic bowls.Accompany with a glass of Chianti Colli Senesi or Rosso di Montalcino.Pair with a simple green salad dressed with red wine vinegar.