Pasqualina’s Ciufoli with Tomato Sauce
This recipe was recorded in Riccia, in Molise. It was the first time in Molise for the Pasta Grannies team; we were blown away by the hospitality of this region. Everyone we met was lovely, starting with 97-year-old Pasqualina— known to everyone lovingly as Lina. She makes Ciufoli, a traditional pasta from the region which is a smaller variation of cavatelli – it’s the first time we’ve come across it.
- Easy
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 400 g durum wheat flour
- ~200 ml warm water
- A pinch of salt
For the sauce:
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (≈ 150 g)
- 300 g pork ribs, cut into pieces
- 200 g fresh pork sausages
- 500 ml tomato passata
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
For the pasta:
- On a work surface, heap the flour and make a well in the centre.
- Add the salt. Slowly pour in about ¾ of the water and begin mixing, incorporating from the edges of the well. Add the remaining water as needed until you have a firm but pliable dough.Knead for ~10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest ~30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out to a thickness that is thin but still has some body (not paper-thin).
- Cut into strips (e.g., ~1 cm wide), then cut each strip into short match-stick sized pieces (approx. 1–1.5 cm long).
- Dust lightly with flour and set aside until ready to cook.
For the sauce:
- In a heavy pot (earthenware if you have, as you described), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent (~5 minutes).
- Add the pork ribs and the sausage. Brown them well on all sides (~10 minutes).
- Add the tomato passata. Season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for at least 1 hour (longer if possible) until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick.
- When using, just before serving, remove the meat pieces (since Pasqualina uses only the sauce to dress the pasta) or leave them in and simply ladle only the sauce portion over the pasta.
To finish and serve:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the cut “ciufoli” pasta and cook for about 3–5 minutes (fresh pasta cooks quickly) until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and immediately toss with generous amounts of the tomato sauce (without the meat pieces, if removed).
- Serve each portion with a sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese on top.
