Puglia
Hand-rolled egg-free pasta ribbons twisted into long, loose spirals — a Salento specialty — dressed with a quick summer tomato sauce made from San Marzano or Fiaschetto di Torre Guaceto tomatoes, garlic, basil and the best olive oil available. The 'ncannulate (meaning 'on the spool') shape is achieved by twisting two wide pasta ribbons around a thin stick. The sauce is deliberately light to let the handmade pasta be the protagonist.
Fresh, tomato-bright, olive-oil-rich; the pasta's chew is the star; basil adds fragrance; the freshness of the tomato cuts through the semolina's nuttiness — summer on a plate
{"Dough: durum semolina, water and a pinch of salt only — no egg; the gluten of the semolina creates the springy, elastic quality","Roll very thin (2mm) and cut into wide ribbons before twisting — the twist must be tight enough to hold but loose enough to uncoil when dressed with sauce","The tomato sauce is cooked in 10 minutes maximum — long-cooked sauce overpowers the delicate pasta","Dress immediately from the pot — sagne 'ncannulate begin to dry and stick together within seconds","Use abundant sauce — the spiral shape holds a lot of sauce inside the twist; be generous"}
{"The Fiaschetto di Torre Guaceto tomato (a local Pugliese variety with high sweetness) makes this dish extraordinary when in season","Pass the sauce through a mouli to remove skin and seeds — the result is smoother and more elegant","Finish with a handful of fresh ricotta fresca crumbled on top — the traditional Salentino garnish"}
{"Too-thin pasta that disintegrates when twisted — semolina pasta must be rolled to at least 2mm","Long-cooked tomato sauce — fresh tomato's brightness is the entire point; 10 minutes maximum","Delaying dressing — the pasta sticks and clumps almost immediately after draining"}
La Cucina del Salento — Pasta, Olio e Mare