Bigoli

Bigoli (Italian: [ˈbiːɡoli]; Venetian: bìgołi) is an extruded pasta in the form of a long and thick strand. Initially bigoli were made with buckwheat flour, but are now more commonly made with whole-wheat flour, and sometimes include duck eggs. The preparation is then extruded through a bigolaro, from which the pasta gets its name. Bigoli is a term used in Veneto; a similar type of pasta called pici is produced in Tuscany. Tuscan "pici" are similar in their elongated shape, but the preparation process is different. No press is used, instead, they are made by hand, one by one, by rolling a thin strip of dough on a cutting board or between two palms. Eggs are not used in this Tuscan recipe. The contemporary recipe of Venetian “bigoli" involves semolina flour, whole wheat flour, and, optionally, eggs. This results in a dish that contains gluten. The use of whole wheat flour gives “bigoli" their distinctive dark color, setting them apart from typical Italian pasta made exclusively with semolina. “Bigoli” are cooked in boiling salted water for a few minutes and are then served with sauces, which can be meat-based or fish-based (typically salted sardines).