Semolina (Durum Wheat) Pasta Dough
Gnochetti sardi made from semolina dough
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With just two ingredients, semolina pasta dough is easy to make, knead, and shape. This recipe makes a beautiful pasta that has a robust taste, toothy texture, and cooks in only 2-3 minutes in salted boiling water. The ratio of ingredients is 2:1, so you can easily scale the ingredients up or down depending on how many people you need to feed.
This is a traditional pasta from southern Italy, especially in Calabria, Puglia, and Sicily. Common shapes made with this style of dough include: gnocchi/gnochetti, cavatelli, lorighittas, cencioni, and orecchiette.
Ingredients: (Yield: ~4 servings)
400g semolina flour (durum wheat flour)
200g water
Method:
On a large, clean work surface add the semolina flour to form a mound. In the middle of the mound, use your fingertips or the bottom side of a bowl to carve out a well, leaving just a little bit of flour on the bottom, so it looks like a crater. Add the water to the center of the well. Using a fork or your hand, begin gently mixing from the center, slowly incorporating small amounts of flour from the sides of the well, making sure to not break the outer walls! Once the water and flour have mostly incorporated into a paste, continue working in all the flour until it becomes a shaggy ball.
This is where the hard work begins! Put on some of your favorite music and begin kneading. If any bits of dough break off, knead them back into the dough ball with your hands. Do not panic if the dough feels dry at first. With continued kneading, the water spreads throughout, which will hydrate your dough. You will notice how the texture changes with continued work. This is the point where an optional stand mixer with a dough hook can be utilized - let run on a low setting for about 10 minutes.
If you’re working by hand, keep going! Knead vigorously for around 10 minutes until the dough is completely smooth and homogenous. As you are working, if the dough feels dry, add a couple drops of water. As you are working, if the dough feels wet, add a slight sprinkle of semolina. You cannot over-knead the dough, so don’t be afraid to keep working. You can, however, under-knead it, which will affect the overall quality and texture of your pasta.
After about 10 minutes, once the dough is silky smooth, if you press your fingertip into the dough, the fingerprint should quickly rise back up. At this point, wrap in plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes. After the rest time, your dough will be ready to roll out and mold into the desired shape.
To cook: Generously salt a pot of boiling water. Add the pasta and let boil for 2-3 minutes. Buon appetito