A couple of my friends are traveling through Italy and tormenting me
daily with text messages about food, wine, sights, etc.

The most recent one mentions a type of pasta called "pici." I've done
a web search but haven't gotten a good impression of what they are
like, or how they differ from other pasta.

Does anyone have a definitive answer? Grazie.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue wrote:
> A couple of my friends are traveling through Italy and tormenting me
> daily with text messages about food, wine, sights, etc.
>
> The most recent one mentions a type of pasta called "pici." I've done
> a web search but haven't gotten a good impression of what they are
> like, or how they differ from other pasta.
>
> Does anyone have a definitive answer? Grazie.
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

http://www.amazon.com/Pici-Pasta-500.../dp/B0000D9N5N

--
Steve
http://adirondackoutdoors.forumcircle.com

On Sun, 20 May 2007 12:26:40 -0400, Steve Calvin
> wrote:

>Curly Sue wrote:
>> A couple of my friends are traveling through Italy and tormenting me
>> daily with text messages about food, wine, sights, etc.
>>
>> The most recent one mentions a type of pasta called "pici." I've done
>> a web search but haven't gotten a good impression of what they are
>> like, or how they differ from other pasta.
>>
>> Does anyone have a definitive answer? Grazie.
>>
>> Sue(tm)
>> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
>
>http://www.amazon.com/Pici-Pasta-500.../dp/B0000D9N5N

Thanks. That's the best photo I've seen. It seems that pici is just
extra long spaghetti.

>--
>Steve
>http://adirondackoutdoors.forumcircle.com

That makes me jealous too!

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue > wrote:

> The most recent one mentions a type of pasta called "pici." I've done
> a web search but haven't gotten a good impression of what they are
> like, or how they differ from other pasta.
>
> Does anyone have a definitive answer? Grazie.

Pici are a specialty of Siena and its region, made with no eggs, just
with semolina flour and water. They are traditionally made by hand, but
there are now commercial versions. When made by hand, it is something
that you would get if you attempted to make spaghetti by hand, with just
a rolling pin, that is, very thick, vaguely spaghetti-like, rather
irregular in shape pasta strands. A person truly skilled in making pici
would make just something a bit thinner and better looking. Here is a
pictorial recipe, which however uses an egg:
<http://www.massamarittima.info/ricette/pici_briciole.htm>.
Commercial, machine-made pici are very much like spaghetti, just thicker
and sometimes hollow. On the last Sunday in May (next Sunday), the
traditional Sagra dei Pici takes place. Sagra is a traditional festival
featuring some foodstuff.

Victor

On Sun, 20 May 2007 20:14:51 +0200, (Victor Sack)
wrote:

>Curly Sue > wrote:
>
>> The most recent one mentions a type of pasta called "pici." I've done
>> a web search but haven't gotten a good impression of what they are
>> like, or how they differ from other pasta.
>>
>> Does anyone have a definitive answer? Grazie.
>
>Pici are a specialty of Siena and its region, made with no eggs, just
>with semolina flour and water. They are traditionally made by hand, but
>there are now commercial versions. When made by hand, it is something
>that you would get if you attempted to make spaghetti by hand, with just
>a rolling pin, that is, very thick, vaguely spaghetti-like, rather
>irregular in shape pasta strands. A person truly skilled in making pici
>would make just something a bit thinner and better looking. Here is a
>pictorial recipe, which however uses an egg:
><http://www.massamarittima.info/ricette/pici_briciole.htm>.

Thank you! I've had bigoli in Venice. Pici looks as though they
might be similar, thick and soft.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue > wrote:

> Thank you! I've had bigoli in Venice. Pici looks as though they
> might be similar, thick and soft.

Traditional Venetian bigoli are made with buckwheat and are a different
thing. If they are made with wholewheat flour, as commercial versions
tend to be, they are called "false bigoli". Also, pici are just rolled
by hand; bigoli are forced through a rudimentary extruding press called
"bigolaro". See <http://www.freshpastamachines.co.uk/history.html>.

Victor