Sagne a Pezze con Ricotta

Name: Sagne a Pezze con Ricotta
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Abruzzese
Ingredients: 300 g fine semola rimacinata di grano duro; 150 ml warm water; 5 g Fine sea salt; 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 2 cloves Garlic; 500 g passata di pomodoro; 6 leaves fresh basil leaves; 250 g fresh sheep's milk ricotta; 40 g aged pecorino abruzzese

Sagne a pezze con ricotta is an Abruzzese mountain dish of hand-cut pasta squares coated in rich tomato sauce and fresh sheep's milk ricotta. Also called sagne a tacconelle.

🇮🇹Italy· Abruzzo

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 490 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

300 g fine semola rimacinata di grano duro — re-milled durum wheat semolina flour
150 ml warm water — as needed to form a pliable dough
5 g Fine sea salt — for dough and seasoning sauce
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil — preferably Abruzzese
2 cloves Garlic — peeled and lightly crushed
500 g passata di pomodoro — smooth sieved tomato puree
6 leaves fresh basil leaves — torn
250 g fresh sheep's milk ricotta — ricotta di pecora, well drained
40 g aged pecorino abruzzese — finely grated

Equipment

•Wooden rolling pin
•Large pasta pot
•Wide skillet
•Slotted spoon or colander

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 490 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 19 g
calories: 490 kcal

Instructions

1
Tip the semola onto a board, make a well, and slowly pour in the warm water and a pinch of salt.
2
Knead firmly for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and dense.
3
Cover the dough with a clean damp cloth and rest it for 20 minutes at room temperature.
4
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat with the crushed garlic cloves.
5
Pour in the passata once garlic turns pale gold, season with salt, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
6
Roll out the rested dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of roughly 2 mm.
7
Cut the dough sheet into rough squares or diamonds measuring about 2 to 3 cm across.
8
Stir half the fresh sheep's ricotta directly into the simmering tomato sauce until creamy, then discard the garlic.
9
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil and drop in the pasta squares.
10
Cook the pasta for 3 to 4 minutes until all the pieces float to the top and feel tender.
11
Transfer the pasta directly into the sauce using a slotted spoon and toss over low heat for 1 minute.
12
Serve immediately in warm bowls, topping each portion with dollops of remaining ricotta and grated pecorino.

Chef's tips

Sheep's milk ricotta provides the authentic sweet-savoury creaminess characteristic of inland Abruzzo, so avoid cow's ricotta if possible. Keep the pasta squares dusted lightly with semola to prevent them sticking together before boiling. Do not over-reduce the tomato sauce before adding the ricotta so the pasta stays moist.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh sheep's milk ricotta → whole cow's milk ricotta mixed with a spoonful of heavy cream for richness
aged Pecorino Abruzzese → Pecorino Romano or Pecorino Sardo

Storage

Store leftover dressed pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the creamy sauce.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Rolling the pasta sheet too thin like egg pasta, losing the firm, chewy texture.
•Boiling the sauce violently after mixing in the ricotta, which can cause the dairy to curdle.