Ditalini Rigati Made from Whole Wheat Flour

Preface:

1. Ditalini Rigati are small, short tube noodles also called thimble noodles. You can make them from wholegrain or durum wheat semolina flour …… but of course you can also buy them … ;-))). But since we all have a little more time now, and the whole family may have to be kept busy at times (including kiddis), it may be a meaningful and entertaining activity. In this sense, have fun tinkering …. ;-)))
2. Regarding the tool, it should be said that ideally you should have a small grooved board with the corresponding wooden stick. If this is not the case, however, you can roll the pasta over the not too thick handle (approx. 5 – 6 mm) of a wooden trowel. The grooved noodles (supposedly) absorb sauce better. But the taste is the same for both styles ….. after all, they would be homemade …… A pasta machine is not necessary, as you can easily roll out the dough with a rolling pin.

Dough:

1. Mix the flour with the salt, place on the work surface and make a well in the middle. Pour in the vinegar and oil, stir it with a little flour from the edge, then add the water in small amounts and gradually mix it with the flour. Since it may not be necessary to use all of the water, so juggle with it and when a crumbly mass has formed, start kneading first. If the dough is still very “dusty” and dry, knead in a little spoonful of water again and again. This until the dough is smooth, not too soft and easy to shape. Then wrap it in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Production:

1. Divide the dough into 3 portions and wrap the ones you don’t need again. Now roll out the portion on a work surface dusted with durum wheat semolina or wholemeal flour, as rectangular as possible, 2 mm thick. Then cut it lengthways into 2 cm wide strips and cut them into 3.5 – 4 cm long pieces. Here it is advisable to put the wooden stick to be used once and to wrap the strip of dough around it so that it is enough for 1 x around it plus 5 mm for the seam. Then you cut through the strip there, unroll the wound piece again and take it as a measure for all others.
2. Now prepare a small bowl with water and dab each small part on one narrow side with water before winding it up. If it is now possible to work with a grooved board, then you first place the particle vertically with the unwetted side on the smooth work surface in front of you, place the small roll-up stick on it and roll the small strip from bottom to top without any pressure. Only then do you place the stick with the dough on the grooved board (grooves must run horizontally) so that you start on the lower long side and roll it up with gentle pressure. When you have reached the seam, the pressure has to be increased slightly so that the seam is pressed together and the pasta does not rise there afterwards. So process the remaining dough portions one after the other and don’t despair, the first ones always look a bit funny. It is therefore important not to roll out the dough thinner than 2 mm. So the noodles have the necessary level. But practice makes perfect ………. If there is no grooved board at hand, then roll it up on the work surface with light pressure and on the seam with a little more pressure happen. However, so that the handle of a trowel can be turned and not slowed down by the upper trowel, this must be done on the edge of the table, in such a way that the trowel does not touch the table.
3. The finished pasta must then be stored on a surface sprinkled with durum wheat semolina or wholemeal flour. You can cook them right away, but you can also let them dry, that is, prepare them in good time and simply leave them open until you are ready to use them. The cooking time of fresh pasta in plenty of well-salted water is around 2 minutes. For dried pasta, it can be 2 – 3 minutes longer. But it also depends on which flour you use. It is best to try a pasta while it is cooking. You should still have a slight bite.
4. After boiling the pasta – depending on how it will be used further – just lift the pasta out of the water with a sieve, drain over the pot and immediately pour into a sauce or hot olive oil with sage or a ragù and toss in it.
5. For a 4-person household, please adjust the amount of ingredients. Without ragù, i.e. only with a sauce or tossed in oil, you would have to take the amount (I think) times 3 for a main meal and this would also increase the preparation time given below. But only if you have to “twirl it” alone. If many hands help, it goes faster of course …. ;-))) So, and now I wish you a lot of fun and good luck ….