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homemade casarecce 2 ways
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5 from 15 votes

Homemade casarecce (2 ways) + 6 sauce recipes

Casarecce is a traditional flour and water pasta from Sicily. It's easy to make at home and delicious with many Mediterranean pasta sauces such as different pesto, caponata, peperonata or just homemade tomato sauce. Make it by hand or using a pasta dough press (torchio)
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time12 minutes
Course: Homemade Pasta, Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Sicilian, Southern Italian
Keyword: authentic Italian pasta recipe, casarecce, flour and water pasta, homemade pasta, Sicilian pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 319kcal
Author: Jacqui

Equipment

  • Hand operated dough press or thin metal rod (ferro)

Ingredients

  • 250 g Durum wheat semolina flour (9oz)
  • 100 g Soft wheat flour (3.5oz) I used Italian '0' flour you can use '00' or even all-purpose flour
  • 200 ml warm water (7floz)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For dough press casarecce

  • Add the salt to the warm water. Sift the 2 types of flour together into a bowl. Add the salted water a little at a time to the flour. Mix it in with a fork or using your hands. Once the water has been added continue to mix the flour and water together until you have small pieces or granules.
  • Fill the top funnel of the pasta press with these pieces of dough and manually operate the press. As the casarecce is pushed out of the brass die, allow it to reach the length you want and then cut off using a very sharp knife.
  • Place the ready casarecce on a floured tea towel or wooden board. Continue until you have used all the dough. You may need to sprinkle a little semolina flour into the pasta press to prevent the dough from sticking.

To make casarecce by hand.

  • As above, add the salt to the warm water. Sift the 2 types of flour together into a bowl. Add the salted water a little at a time to the flour. Mix it in with a fork or using your hands.
  • Once the water has been added continue to mix and work the flour and water together until you have a ‘dough ball’. Turn the dough out onto a dusted wooden or pastry board. Start kneading quite vigorously using the palms of your hands to push the dough out. Then fold it back into a ball and push out again.
  • Once your dough is soft and pliable. Roll it into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
  • Cut off ¼of the pasta dough. Keep the rest covered so it doesn’t dry out. Roll the dough out to a sheet of medium thickness. Not as fine as for tagliatelle or lasagna. Cut the sheet into strips about 1.5cm (0.6in) wide. Then cut the strips into 6cm rectangles (bit less than 2.5in). You can also roll the pasta into thin ropes instead and cut into 6 cm pieces.
  • Place your ‘ferro’ (you can use a thin knitting needle or dowel or a skewer) in the centre of the pasta strip. Roll it using both hands until the pasta is almost wrapped around the rod. Remove by sliding the pasta off the rod. Then, place it on the board with the smooth side up.
  • Press the ‘ferro’ gently into the pasta to form the traditional scroll (s) shape. Some people make casarecce without this second use of the ferro. You may need to dust occasionally with semolina flour to prevent the pasta sticking to the rod.
  • Place your ready homemade casarecce on a floured tea towel or wooden board while you repeat the steps with the rest of the dough. You can leave your casarecce to dry overnight in a cool dry place or use immediately.

Notes

Homemade casarecce takes about 12-15 minutes to cook in boiling salted water. Cooking time depends on the size of the pasta and the consistency of the dough. Taste test after 10 minutes.
This pasta is very easy to dry. You can make it a couple of days in advance and just store in a cool dry place on a floured surface. Turn the pasta occasionally. Don't keep it in the fridge uncooked. The humidity will make it soft and sticky!

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 4mg