Welcome to my kitchen, today I will prepare eggless maltagliati; a type of traditional Italian pasta, characterized by its irregular and rustic shape. The name “maltagliati” literally means “badly cut”, referring to their irregular appearance, which makes them perfect for hearty and flavorful dishes to dress as you prefer. I generally use them with legumes, especially chickpeas. By the way, I will soon write an easy and very tasty recipe on how to make leganelle with chickpeas. Originally, maltagliati were created to avoid wasting leftover pasta, but today they are much appreciated for their rusticity and versatility. Here is my light version, perfect for those following a vegan diet or those allergic or intolerant to eggs, or who want a more digestible pasta: homemade eggless maltagliati rolled by hand with the traditional method. The addition of olive oil and dry white wine ensures a unique and refined flavor. So, without further ado, let’s prepare the maltagliati.
If you like making pasta at home, you can also see:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Here is what you need to prepare the maltagliati
- 10.5 oz semolina flour
- 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 3.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 0.4 cup dry white wine
- 0.4 cup water (warm)
Procedure
To prepare homemade maltagliati, you can choose to use a stand mixer or knead by hand in a bowl or by making the traditional fountain on the work surface. I preferred to knead by hand inside a bowl and then continue on the work surface. I also rolled out the dough by hand without using a pasta machine. It certainly took a bit more time, but the result is unparalleled: a rough pasta that absorbs the sauce wonderfully.
To prepare homemade maltagliati without a stand mixer, sift the flour into a large bowl (1), then pour in the extra virgin olive oil (2), the dry white wine (3), and start mixing with a whisk or fork (4).
Continue to knead with your hands, gradually incorporating the flour from the edges (5).
Add the warm water little by little, continuing to mix until the flour forms a compact and easily workable dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead vigorously with the base of your hand for about 10 minutes, until you achieve a smooth and elastic consistency (6). Form a ball with the dough (7) and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap; then, let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, which will make the dough more elastic and easier to work with (meaning it won’t shrink when you roll it out with a rolling pin), let’s focus on rolling and cutting the pasta.
Transfer the dough to the work surface on which you have sprinkled semolina flour (8), then divide the dough into smaller portions (this operation will make rolling easier). Take one at a time and with the help of a rolling pin, roll it out until you get a thin sheet about 1/8 inch thick (9). Roll the sheet on itself (10), and with the help of a dough scraper, a pasta wheel, or a knife, make diagonal cuts to obtain triangles (11).
Unroll them (12) and then if you want, separate the various diamonds with your hands. Your homemade eggless maltagliati are now ready.
Storage
Maltagliati can be prepared in advance and frozen. After preparing them, arrange them on a floured tray in a single layer and freeze them. Once frozen, transfer them to a food bag. You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
For a milder flavor, you can reduce the amount of white wine and replace it with water.
