Artisan Crioli: Traditional Hand-Cut Molise Pasta

On a large wooden board, mound your flour and make a well in the center. Crack in the eggs and sprinkle with a teaspoon of fine salt.

Use your hands to combine the ingredients, kneading vigorously for at least 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, supple, and elastic. The kneading process is key to developing the gluten structure, giving your pasta its perfect bite.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with a clean cloth, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. This step is essential to relax the gluten and make the dough easier to roll out.

Lightly dust your work surface with semola flour. Divide the dough and shape each piece into rectangles, sized to fit your pasta machine.

Begin rolling the dough through the machine, starting with the widest setting. After each pass, lightly dust the dough and machine with semola to prevent sticking. Gradually adjust the thickness settings to achieve a thin, even sheet.

Once your dough reaches the ideal thinness, gently roll it up and slice it with a sharp knife into fine ribbons—thinner than traditional tagliatelle. This hand-cut method gives crioli their characteristic rustic look.

Twist the freshly cut crioli into loose nests and place them on a wooden board generously dusted with semola flour. Keep the nests separate to prevent them from sticking together.

Allow your crioli nests to air dry for at least one hour. This helps them maintain their shape and texture during cooking.

When ready, cook the crioli in a large pot of vigorously boiling salted water for approximately 4 minutes, or until they reach your desired al dente texture. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so be attentive!