Buckwheat Pici with Fail-Safe Tomato and Pea Sauce
By OcadoLife
Published on 20 February 2022
For a truly family-friendly dish, rustle up Buckwheat Pici with Fail-Safe Tomato and Pea Sauce with the help of the kids. Created by chef, food writer and dad of one Ed Smith, it features a wiggly worm-shaped pasta that’s a little fatter than spaghetti, making it a great choice for little hands to roll out and shape – it’s like the best kind of messy play. The pasta is served in a simple tomato sauce that can be made in advance, as can the pasta dough.Time and servings
1 hrTotal time
6Servings
40 minsPrep time
20 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 150 g of pasta flour, plus extra for dusting
- 200 g of buckwheat flour
- 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 30 g of unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, peeled but not chopped
- 1 tbsp of dried oregano
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp of caster sugar
- 1 tsp of flakey sea salt
- 200 g of frozen peas
- 30 g of finely grated parmesan (or vegetarian italian hard cheese if required)
Method
Step 1
Combine the pasta and buckwheat flours in a bowl; tip onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. Pour 150ml warm water into the well and add the olive oil. Use a fork to bring the flour into the water, swirling the liquid in a spiral motion. Once the dough has come together, knead for 5-10 mins, until smooth and slightly elastic. Rest at room temperature beneath an upturned bowl for 30 mins. (If making the dough ahead of time, keep in the fridge tightly wrapped or in a sealed container for up to 2 days; remove 1 hr before the next stage.)Step 2
Depending on how you’re sharing out the tasks, either make the sauce now, while the dough rests (reheating it just before serving), or while rolling out the pasta. To make the sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients except the peas in a pan. Fill 1 of the empty tins of chopped tomatoes with water and stir in. Bring to a simmer then bubble for 15-20 mins. Remove and discard the onion, add the peas and cook for a further 2-3 mins; set aside until you’re ready to serve.Step 3
When the dough’s rested, line a couple of roasting tins or other flat-bottomed containers with baking paper; dust with pasta flour. Dust the work surface with flour; divide the dough into 4. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a rough circle about ½cm thick. Cut into 1cm-wide strips, then use a palm to roll each into a wiggly worm – long or short, it doesn’t matter. Lay them on the baking paper.Step 4
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, drop in the pasta and cook for 2-3 mins. (Cook in batches if needed, using a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pasta to a mixing bowl – add a splash of olive oil to the pasta in the bowl to stop it from sticking together while you cook more batches.) Drain the cooked pasta, stir in half the sauce, then serve, adding more sauce to the top of each portion and finishing with a grating of parmesan.