Pici all’Aglione
Pici all’aglione is a traditional Tuscan first course, especially typical of the Val di Chiana. This area is home to one of the products recognized by the Slow Food Presidium: Aglione della Chiana. It is a recently rediscovered variety of garlic, notable for its large size and its milder, more delicate flavor compared to common garlic.
The pasta, pici, is made from a simple dough of flour and water, a type widely found throughout central Italy. Besides aglione sauce, they are also commonly paired with ragù.
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the pici:
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500 g all-purpose (type “0”) wheat flour
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250 g water
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Extra virgin olive oil
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Salt
For the sauce:
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500 g fresh tomatoes
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6–8 cloves of garlic
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Chili pepper
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Extra virgin olive oil
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Salt
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Pepper
Preparing the pici
On a pastry board, form a well with the flour, add salt, and gradually pour in warm water.
Knead thoroughly, then add a teaspoon of olive oil and continue working the dough by hand until smooth, elastic, and firm, adding a little more water or flour if necessary.
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1 cm, brush with oil, and cut into strips as wide as they are long.
Dust the board with flour. With the palm of your right hand, roll each strip while gently stretching it with the fingers of your left hand until you obtain long, thin, evenly sized spaghetti. Sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking.
Cook for about 6 minutes in plenty of boiling salted water.
Preparing the sauce
Peel the garlic cloves, remove the inner sprout, and gently sauté them in plenty of olive oil over very low heat for 8–10 minutes, turning them to prevent browning.
Once softened, mash the garlic with a fork, then add the chopped tomatoes and chili pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and seasoning with salt and pepper.
When the pici are perfectly cooked, toss them in the sauce and serve with grated aged Pecorino from Pratomagno, if desired.
DAMARE ROSATO
A pure and light interpretation of our Sangiovese, this rosé is delicate yet marked by bold and intense aromas, the offspring of Tuscany’s noble winemaking tradition.
TASTING NOTES
A Provençal-style pale pink, reminiscent of a Tuscan sunset, introduces a refined and enticing wine. The nose is bright with pomegranate, rose, lavender, red currant, and ginger, unfolding a chalky nuance and fruity notes of wild strawberry, further enhanced by hints of lavender and sweet tobacco.
On the palate, it reveals a savory edge, developing with freshness and lightness, lifted by a subtle menthol touch, before closing on late mandarin, pink grapefruit, and violets, with echoes of aromatic herbs.