How to Make Homemade Garganelli
If you are new to making your own pasta, this amatriciana with garganelli is the perfect place to start. The delicately ridged tubes are super easy to make and are utterly delicious in the rich tomato and crispy guanciale amatriciana sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the amatriciana sauce:
- 130 g guanciale or pancetta diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 x 400 g tin good quality plum tomatoes
- 80 g Parmesan finely grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the garganelli pasta:
- Semolina flour for dusting
- 1 x fresh pasta dough
- 00 flour for dusting
To serve:
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the gargenelli:
- Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper and dust with semolina. Set aside.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll out your pasta into four equal-sized long sheets. Cut into 4cm squares and place onto the semolina-dusted tray. Cover with a clean tea towel.
- Working with one square at a time, place onto a ridged wooden board (like one you would use to make gnocchi) so that it forms a diamond shape in front of you.
- Place the end of a wooden spoon, chopstick or clean pencil horizontally above the bottom corner. Lift the corner over, then roll your chosen tool away from you until the pasta sheet is wrapped completely around it and indented with the lines from the board. Press down so the top corner seals. Gently push it off the tool and onto the lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining pasta squares.
- Cover the tray loosely with cling film and leave the finished garganelli to sit out for about 30 minutes - 1 hour. This allows them to dry out slightly and helps them retain their shape. If they start to flatten, gently squeeze the middle to get them back into a tube shape. If you are short of time, you can skip this step and cook straight away.
To make the amatriciana sauce (I like to do this whilst the pasta dough rests):
- Add the diced guanciale to a large non-stick frying pan and set over a medium heat. Dry fry for 4-5 minutes, agitating the pan every now and then, until the fat has rendered out and it is crispy all over. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon (leaving the fat behind) and place into a bowl. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil to the pan with the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over a low heat for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not coloured. Add the chilli flakes and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour in the tin of plum tomatoes (with their juices) then fill the can halfway with water (about 200ml), swirl gently to get as much of the tomato juices as possible, and add to the pan. Tip the crispy pancetta back into the pan, stir gently and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes - or until thickened and reduced. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To make the amatriciana with garganelli:
- When ready to cook the garganelli, bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, place the amatriciana sauce over a low-medium heat to warm through if you have made ahead.
- Once the water is rapidly boiling, add the garganelli pasta. Cook for 2-3 minutes - or until al dente.
- Remove the cooked garganelli pasta from the pan using a spider or slotted spoon and add directly to the sauce. Toss to coat in the sauce, adding a splash of water, if needed, to make it smooth and silky. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
- Spoon into bowls and serve straight away with extra freshly grated Parmesan and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to form garganelli.
To store: you can make the amatriciana sauce in advance. Pour into a bowl or tupperware, leave to cool completely, then cover and chill for up to 3 days. The shaped garganelli is best cooked on the same day (cover and chill if making more than 1 hour ahead and cook within 24 hours) or frozen. The finished dish is best served straight away - if you do have leftovers, you can leave them to cool completely and cover and chill for up to 3 days (just bear in mind that the pasta may go a little mushy on reheating since it is homemade).
To reheat: pour the made-ahead sauce into a large saucepan or deep-sided frying pan and gently heat through over a low-medium heat until piping hot. Add a splash of water to loosen, if needed. You can also reheat the finished pasta dish this way too.
To freeze: the amatriciana sauce can be made ahead, poured into a bowl or tupperware, left to cool completely, then covered and frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating. To freeze the garganelli, open freeze on a tray for 20 minutes, then transfer to a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Cook straight from frozen.
Make Ahead: There is no getting away from the fact that fresh pasta doesn’t last anywhere near as long as dried. Once shaped, it is best cooked within 24 hours (keep in a sealed container in the fridge if shaping more than 1 hour before cooking). However, it freezes really well for up to 3 months (see above). Plus, you can add straight to boiling water - no need to defrost.
Make it vegetarian: you can easily make this vegetarian by skipping out the guanciale and using a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan-style hard cheese.
Drying out: although it helps to give the garganelli a bit of time to dry out, if you are in a rush you can skip that stage and cook straight away. It will still be delicious.
Tomatoes: you want to use the best quality tinned tomatoes you can find. I really rate mutti.
Pasta water: get into the habit of saving the pasta water when you drain your pasta. A few splashes will transform your sauces and take your pasta dishes to the next level.