Maccheroni al Ferretto con 'Nduja e Provolone

Weigh the semola into a mound on the bench, add 200 ml of the water gradually, and work the mass with the heel of the hand until no dry flour remains — adding the water slowly gives you control over a dough that can turn wet and slack in seconds with semola this fine. Knead firmly for 8–10 minutes until the dough holds its shape cleanly, resists a thumb pressed into its surface, and shows no stickiness. If it cracks at the edges when folded, add the remaining water in drops, then wrap and rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

Soak the ferretto in cold water for 10 minutes so the rod stays cool and the dough releases from it cleanly rather than gripping the metal. Pinch off a piece of dough approximately 15 g, roll it by hand into a short log slightly longer than the ferretto, then lay the rod across the log and, with both palms flat, apply downward pressure moving outward from the centre — the dough must thin and lengthen around the rod, not be compressed. This is where the dish lives or dies: uneven pressure produces thick and thin walls that cook at different rates, and the hollow collapses if the dough is too wet; extract with a smooth outward pull while rotating the rod, because a jerk tears the wall, and the finished maccherone should be hollow, roughly surfaced, and consistent in wall thickness along its full length.

Arrange the formed maccheroni on a semola-dusted tray in a single layer so the rough surfaces do not bond to one another as the dough dries. Proceed immediately to cooking, or freeze on the tray before bagging.

Place the olive oil and 'nduja together in a cold wide pan and set over medium heat, starting them cold so the fat renders out of the 'nduja gently and the two fats have time to merge into a single, vivid orange-red emulsion rather than the 'nduja seizing and scorching. Stir periodically for approximately 5 minutes until the mixture is homogeneous and creamy, then add the crushed tomato and simmer gently, stirring, until the sauce tightens and the oil no longer pools on the surface. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon in a glossy, uniform layer.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a full rolling boil and add the maccheroni. Cook until nearly tender but still with clear resistance at the centre, removing from the water 1 minute before full doneness so the pasta can finish in the sauce without losing the bite that the rough walls are made to hold. Reserve 1 tbsp of the cooking water before draining.

Add the reserved cooking water to the sauce before the pasta goes in, because the starchy liquid loosens the sauce just enough for it to move freely around each tube and then cling to the rough surface as it tightens again over the heat. Transfer the drained maccheroni directly into the pan and toss over medium heat for 1 minute until the sauce clings to each tube and pools slightly where the hollow opens at the ends. Plate immediately and finish with shaved Provolone del Monaco.