Video: How to Make Pici

Inspired by conversations on the Food52 Hotline, we're sharing tips and tricks that make navigating all of our kitchens easier and more fun.

Today: We're learning how to shape fresh pasta on Mario Batali's How To Tuesdays series -- it's as easy as pici. 

 

There are few culinary acts more satisfying than slurping up perfectly al dente noodles. Whether dressed modestly in oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, or drowned in Marcella sauce, a pile of fresh pasta simply can't be beat.

Did we lose you at fresh? Despite all appearances, fresh pasta isn't out of reach at home. Sure, it takes practice, and your first batch may be ever so slightly less elegant in appearance than a chef's, but nobody ever complains that a pasta looks a little funny when it tastes that good. 

Start with Pici -- one of the easiest, quickest, and most forgiving pasta shapes there is. Chef Cruz Goler from Lupa Osteria Romana will show you how, step-by-step. Soon, you'll be rolling them out like an old Italian grandmother in a hot kitchen. Buon appetito, tutti. 

Anything you want to learn from the Batali chefs? Let us know in the comments!

This video was made in collaboration with Mario Batali.