Sagne 'Ncannulate

Name: Sagne 'Ncannulate
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Pugliese
Ingredients: 400 g rimacinata durum wheat semolina; 200 ml warm water; 5 g Fine sea salt; 45 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 1 small white onion; 800 g canned whole peeled tomatoes; 6 leaves fresh basil leaves; 60 g cacioricotta

Long, twisted semolina pasta ribbons from Salento, served in a rich tomato sauce with grated cacioricotta or pungent ricotta forte.

🇮🇹Italy· Apulia

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 80 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 490 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

400 g rimacinata durum wheat semolina — finely ground
200 ml warm water — approximate, as needed
5 g Fine sea salt — plus extra for pasta water
45 ml Extra virgin olive oil — 3 tbsp
1 small white onion — finely chopped
800 g canned whole peeled tomatoes — crushed by hand
6 leaves fresh basil leaves — torn
60 g cacioricotta — grated, or 2 tsp ricotta forte (fermented ricotta)

Equipment

•Large wooden board
•Rolling pin
•Large saucepan
•Large pot
•Slotted spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 490 kcal
fat: 11 g
carbs: 82 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 16 g
calories: 490 kcal

Instructions

1
Tip the semolina onto a wooden board and mix in five grams of fine sea salt.
2
Form a wide well in the centre and pour in half of the warm water.
3
Gradually draw the semolina into the water with your fingers, adding the remaining water until a firm dough forms.
4
Knead the dough vigorously for ten minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and pliable.
5
Cover the dough with an upturned bowl and let it rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
6
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion, and fry until soft and sweet.
7
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt, and simmer gently for twenty-five minutes until thickened.
8
Roll the rested dough into a thin sheet about two millimetres thick on a lightly floured surface.
9
Cut the sheet into strips roughly two centimetres wide and thirty centimetres long.
10
Twist each strip around your finger into a long corkscrew spiral and set aside on a floured tea towel.
11
Cook the twisted pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for four to five minutes until al dente.
12
Drain the pasta, toss through the hot tomato sauce and basil, and serve immediately with grated cacioricotta on top.

Chef's tips

Do not roll the dough too thick, as the twisted layers will take too long to cook evenly. If using pungent ricotta forte instead of cacioricotta, stir a single teaspoon into the warm tomato sauce before serving, as its flavour is very intense.

Ingredient substitutions

cacioricotta → aged salted ricotta or young pecorino
ricotta forte → mature pecorino pugliese grated finely

Storage

Cooked pasta is best eaten immediately, but leftovers can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a frying pan over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the tomato sauce.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Twisting the pasta ribbons too tightly, which creates uncooked centres.
•Rolling the dough too thickly before cutting into strips.
•Over-seasoning the tomato sauce when using salty cacioricotta or pungent ricotta forte.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately in warm wide pasta bowls to keep the sauce glossy.Offer extra freshly grated cacioricotta at the table.Accompany with a glass of dry Salice Salentino red wine.