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1
Combine the flour, olive oil, white wine, and Sambuca (if using) in a bowl. Work the mixture until a smooth, cohesive dough forms. Wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it yields easily under a finger without springing back.
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2
Roll the dough in successive passes through a pasta machine or with a rolling pin until it reaches 1–2 mm maximum. Hold the sheet to the light: this is where the dish lives or dies — the sheet must be translucent. Any opacity means the dough is too thick and the spirals will be doughy at their centres after frying.
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3
Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut the sheet into strips approximately 3 cm wide. The serrated edges increase the surface area that will later hold the vincotto.
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4
Beginning at one end of each strip, pinch the dough at regular intervals — every 3–4 cm — drawing each pinched point toward the centre to form a ruched channel. Roll the strip from one end, tightening slightly as you go, to produce a compact rosette. Set the formed carteddate on a lightly floured tray. The finished rosette should be firm enough to hold its shape when lifted but not so tightly wound that the centre layers are sealed shut.
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5
Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep vessel to 170–175°C. Fry the carteddate in small batches — no more than four or five at a time — to maintain temperature. Fry, turning once, until the spirals are an even deep gold. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and drain on a rack. They are done when the colour is uniform and the surface has stiffened audibly when tapped.
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6
Warm the vincotto in a small saucepan to 50–60°C — it should be fluid and fragrant but not boiling. While the carteddate are still warm, drizzle the vincotto generously over them. Cold pastry will not absorb the syrup; the tartness of the vincotto should be perceptible against the oil richness of the dough. Dust with icing sugar if desired.