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Garganelli is the perfect shape of pasta for your spring table: elegant, delicious and incredibly tasty thanks to their ridges that retain your sauce of choice.
If you have read my blog for a while, you know that I love making homemade pasta! So this weekend I made homemade garganelli pasta. I have to confess that it was my first time ever making this fun shape and while my hands and arms where all covered by flour, I truly had a lot of fun. I am sharing with you my detailed step by step guide about this delicious pasta shape and I hope you will make it soon this season.
Get some eggs, flour and spinach and invite over some friends for a fun day of pasta making with a palatable reward at the end!
What is Garganelli?
Fresh Garganelli are a type of egg-based pasta from Emilia-Romagna region. They are a type of short fresh tubular pasta that present vertical ridges on the surface. They get their name from the dialect word garganel meaning “chicken gullet,” thanks to their tubular shape and ridges which resemble an esophagus.
Garganelli first appeared in 1725 in the house of Cardinal Cornelio Bentivoglio d”Aragona, a representative of the Pope. His cook was busily preparing Cappelletti, similar toTortellini pasta shape. It seems that the version of the story are 2: either she was taken by surprise when a large number of extra guests arrived unexpectedly, or the kitchen cat got at the tasty meat filling when she was not looking! Either way she had dozens of little squares of pasta all cut up and a-waiting their stuffing and not quite enough filling to go round. So she decided to make little maccheroni-like rolls instead, with the aid of the pencil-sized wooden twigs used to light the kitchen fire and a tool borrowed from the weaving room. This how Garganelli was born and this is also why the tradition tool to make garganelli – called pasta comb– resemble those of a weaving room.
Garganelli are formed by rolling a flat-square noodle into a cylindrical shape over a ridged wooden board, resulting in a ribbed, quill-like appearance. The ridges on the garganelli help sauces cling to the pasta, making it perfect for hearty sauces.
While Garganelli might resemble penne Rigate Pasta, they are in reality very different. Penne pasta is most often extruded in a factory and sold as dry pasta. On the other hand, garganelli are typically prepared by hand using fresh egg pasta dough. And unlike penne, which are seamless tubes, garganelli tubes are formed by wrapping a square of dough diagonally around a rod, resulting in their signature flap at the seam. In addition penne ridges are horizontal, whiel garganelli one are vertical.
Why you will love this recipe?
-A green dough pasta recipe that screams spring is very easy to make and add thee vitamins of the green to the dough, on top of a bright color.
-It is a lot of work, but the bonus is that you can make a batch and freeze it.
-It is a shape that pairs with many sauce from vegetarian, to meet to fish.
Ingredients to make Garganelli
00 Italian flour: this is the finest Italian flour used to make fresh egg pasta. As usual I recommend to use a digital scale to weigh your flour as cups is not always the best way to measure flour to obtain a perfect pasta dough.
Durum wheat flour: you will need semola to add to the dough. Semola will aid the garganelli to retain their shape. In addition you can also sprinkle it over your work surface.
Fresh spinach: you can also use frozen spinach. If you use fresh you need to blanch them 45 seconds in hot boiling water and in both case you need to squeeze them and remove the eccess of water.
Eggs: count 1 egg for every 100 gr. For this recipe I used 4 whole eggs. If you want a richer dough, add more egg yolks. If you want a more hydrated dough use the egg whites of one more egg. Make sure you remove the eggs from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you start making the pasta dough.The eggs at room temperature disperd better into thee flour.
Equipment you will need to make Garganelli
Pasta machine – I use a marcato Atlas pasta machine. You can also find a more affordable model here. I recommed though marcato as with the time you can buy different attachments to vary your pasta shaping.
Gnocchi or garganelli board – You also need a wooden stick or dowel to go with it. I recommend to use this one, it will come handy to shape not only garganelli, but also gnocchi and cavatelli.
Wooden board – Key for any pasta making, you can use your own wooden board as a good start. If you fall in love with pasta making I recommend to upgrade to a bigger one, like this. A wooden board will precent your counter top to get ruined by cutting the dough and then the flattened noodle, and it will also be easier to clean up.
A pasta wheel cutter or pasta bike will aloow you to work faster. A knife or pizza wheel will also do the trick. To make garganelli make sure you buy a smooth pasta wheel cutter, not a festoneed one.
Baking tray – Line a tray with parchment paper and dusted with semolina for the finished shapes to sit on.
How to make Garganelli
To make garganelli pasta there are the main steps:
1- Making the fresh green pasta dough.
2- Rolling out the dough
3-Shape the garganelli pasta
1. How to make the fresh green pasta dough
STEP 1: Prepare the Spinach. If you use fresh spinach blanch them for 45 seconds in hot boiling water and then drain them over ice. Squeeze them well, removing any excess of water.
STEP 2: Blend the Spinach with with the eggs.Place the spinach and the eggs in an immersion blender and blend until combined. Makee a wheel with the flour 00 and semola, that you previously mixed.
STEP 3: Make the pasta wheel. Sift together 350 gr of 00 Italian flaour with 50 gr of durum wheat semola. Place the mixed flour on the counter and make a wheel in the middle.
STEP 4: Make the dough. Add the egg mixture to the middle of the pasta wheel, whisking with a fork. Incorporate the flour as you whisk. Knead it for 10 minute with back and forth movements, until the dough is uniform and elastic. If you made an impression with our finger, the dough should spring back.Cover it in a plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. How to roll out the fresh pasta dough
STEP 1: Divide the dough into 4 parts and I roll out each piece with a rolling pin. You will need to work out each one individually rotating it from the center to the outer edges.
STEP 2: Use a pasta machine and pass the dough through its rollers. Start at 0, and pass the dough through a couple of time. Then pass the dough through the rolling pin set at 1, then 2, then 3 and theen 4. In order to make garganelli you need to stop at 5 as you do not want the dough to be too thin. It will become thinner once you roll it into its shape.
STEP 3: cut the pasta noodle you roll. Using a pasta cutter , or pasta wheel cut the pasta sheet into 2-2.5 inch squares. Let the pasta squares dry out a few minutes, before hsaping.
3. How to shape the garganelli pasta.
STEP 1: Place now a square on your gnocchi board so that it looks like a diamond in front of you.
STEP 2: Place the wooden stick at the bottom and curl the corner up over it. You will roll the stick away from you to form a tube, pressing gently down so the top corner sticks. You can roll back and forth a couple of time to think the dough.
STEP 3: Gently remove the garganelli from the wooden stick and place finished shapes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and dusted with semolina.
STEP 4: Leave them out to dry for at least an 1 hour and up to 3, it helps to set the shape.
More tips on shaping Garganelli
One of difficulty of making this pasta shape is the tubes flattening and losing their shape. This usually occurs as the dough of fresh egg pasta is more hydrated than the one made with durum wheat semola only (think about trofie, orecchiette or cavatelli). One of difficulty of making this pasta shape is the tubes flattening and losing their shape. This usually occurs as the dough of fresh egg pasta is more hydrated than the one made with durum wheat semola only (think about trofie, orecchiette or cavatelli). In any case, remember that homemade pasta isn’t supposed to be perfect, if it flattens a bit it will still be delicious and shows all the love you put into!
Here a few tips:
Only roll ¼ of dough at the time, letting the remaining wrapped or covered with a tea towel.
Roll the pasta thickeer, I stop at the setting 5 of my marcato machine, in fact it will flatten more on the gnocchi board.
As suggested, add some semola rimacinata (very fine durum-wheat flour) into the dough. It helps to give the shape some structure and strength.
Let the squares dry out ever so slightly before rolling them. This helps them keep their shape.
Dry your garganelli for an hour before cooking them.
If they start to flatten then give them a gentle squeeze back into a round tube.
How to cook Garganelli
Cook in boiling water for 2 – 3 minutes or freeze to cook from frozen at a later date.
Fresh pasta cooks so quick. Once the wateer has reacheed roaring boil, add the salt. Once the water boil again, add the gargelli. They are ready after 2-3 minutes. I recommedn to do a taste test afteer 2 minutes. Have your water boiling while making your sauce and when it’s almost ready drop the garganelli into the water. Transfer the pasta straight into the sauce, with a spider strainer. It will also bring some pasta cooking wateer into thee sauce, which is great to make a great sauce.
FAQ about homemade Garganelli
Can I use a food processor to make the green egg pasta dough?
While pasta purist might be horrified, I can share that you can totally make the pasta dough in a food processor. It will be faster and it will be so easy to clean up!
Just place the flour, the egg and the squeezed spinach in the cup or bowl of the food processor and knead it until combined.
Can I skip the spinach part and make just normal golden pasta dough?
Yes, you can totally make your garganelli in the classic golden pasta color. Follow the same measurement for the ingredients, just skip the spinach.
How to serve Garganelli
This garganelli recipe serves 4 people as a main meal. If you plan it to have it as side, serves 6 people instead.
This green garganelli pasta goes well with the classic brown butter sage sauce, the same I use for my gnocchi recipe. Another great sauce ideal in the spring time is wild ramp pesto or ricotta, asparagus and pea sauce.
If you make your garganelli without the spinach I recommend also a Classic Italian tomato sauce, it will be easy to make and you will taste more the classic flavor of Italy in a more elevated version.
Amatriciana sauce , its bites of bacon give a tastier flavor to the dish. In the colder months you can chose a classic ragu, the combination will give you a richer and mouthwatering dish.
If you will love a totally spring dish check this recipe made with Peas and Scallion Cream Sauce.
How to store garganelli
In terms of storing, I suggest you first to let your garganelli dry out for at least a couple of hours as it will help preserving their shape.
You can keep your pasta garganelli in an airtight container for 2-3 days. A better option is to freeze your gargannelli as they last up t0 3 months.
To freeze, place the dried pasta in the freezer open on a tray for 20 minutes until it hardens, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag to cook from frozen. They will live happily in the freezer for up to three months.
MORE PASTA SHAPES TO TRY
If you like fresh egg pasta, here some recipes for you to try
Pesto lasagna roll ups: this is easy to make as after you roll the dough, you need just to cut some lasagna noodle. It is great if you are a beginner and it is a recipe that works well in spring and summer. It is also great to freeze!
Pappardelle: this is quite easy as well. You will use a knife to cut your pappardelle and you can dress it up with many sauces.
Straw and Hay Fettuccine (Paglia e Fieno): a bit more complicated as you will need to make a classic fresh egg dough and a spinach dough.
If instead you prefer to shape your own pasta by hand and skip the rolling process, chose among the following shapes. They require a dough made only with durum-wheat semola and water.
I hope you liked the guide on How to make homemade garganelli ! If you try this recipe and you liked it, please leave a star review below! I would be very appreciative of your comments! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @Italian_kitchen_confessions I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Equipment
- 1 Pasta Machine Marcato
- 1 wooden board
- 2 baking trays
Ingredients
- 350 gr flour 00 Italian flour
- 50 gr durum wheat flour semola
- 4 whole eggs
- 1 bunch spinach fresh
Instructions
1. How to make the fresh green pasta dough
- STEP 1: Prepare the Spinach. If you use fresh spinach blanch them for 45 seconds in hot boiling water and then drain them over ice. Squeeze them well, removing any excess of water.
- STEP 2: Blend the Spinach with the eggs.Place the spinach and the eggs in an immersion blender and blend until combined.
- STEP 3: Make the pasta wheel. Sift together 350 gr of 00 Italian flaour with 50 gr of durum wheat semola. Place the mixed flour on the counter and make a wheel in the middle.
- STEP 4: Make the dough. Add the egg mixture to the middle of the pasta wheel, whisking with a fork. Incorporate the flour as you whisk. Knead it for 10 minute with back and forth movements, until the dough is uniform and elastic. If you made an impression with our finger, the dough should spring back.Cover it in a plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. How to roll fresh pasta dough
- STEP 1: Divide the dough into 4 parts and I roll out each piece with a rolling pin. You will need to work out each one individually rotating it from the center to the outer edges.
- STEP 2: Use a pasta machine and pass the dough through its rollers. Start at 0, and pass the dough through a couple of time. Then pass the dough through the rolling pin set at 1, then 2, then 3 and theen 4. In order to make garganelli you need to stop at 5 as you do not want the dough to be too thin. It will become thinner once you roll it into its shape.
- STEP 3: cut the pasta noodle you roll. Using a pasta cutter , or pasta wheel cut the pasta sheet into 2-2.5 inch squares. Let the pasta squares dry out a few minutes, before hsaping.
3. How to Shape Garganelli
- STEP 1: Place now a square on your gnocchi board so that it looks like a diamond in front of you.
- STEP 2: Place the wooden stick at the bottom and curl the corner up over it. You will roll the stick away from you to form a tube, pressing gently down so the top corner sticks. You can roll back and forth a couple of time to think the dough.
- STEP 3: Place finished shapes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and dusted with semolina.
- STEP 4: Leave them out to dry for at least an 1 hour, it helps to set the shape.
4. How to Cook Garganelli
- STEP 1. Cook in boiling salted water for 2 – 3 minutes.
- STEP 2. Add them to the pan where you have made your favorite sauce
Notes
- Only roll ¼ of dough at the time, letting the remaining wrapped or covered with a tea towel.
- Roll the pasta thicker, I stop at the setting 5 of my Marcato machine, in fact it will flatten more on the gnocchi board.
- As suggested, add some semola rimacinata (very fine semolina into the dough. It helps to give the shape some structure and strength.
- Let the squares dry out ever so slightly before rolling them. This helps them keep their shape.
- Dry your garganelli for an hour before cooking them.
- If they start to flatten then give them a gentle squeeze back into a round tube.
Nutrition
