Umbricelli with simple tomato sauce

Bad blogging week this week, but I’m blaming life. It has this annoying tendency of getting in the way of things. Anyhow, to compensate, the recipe I have for you is a real treat! Umbricelli with simple tomato sauce! Not bad, huh? You might be asking yourself what umbricelli is, so let me tell you. It is the easiest way to make homemade pasta that I’ve ever tried! It’s so easy I even had time to make it on a work night, after getting home late. The reason it’s so simple is both because the dough is so easy to make and only has to rest for ten minutes but also because you don’t have to roll it into thin sheets. You simply take a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it into a thick spaghetti shape. Easy!

I learned how to make this revolutionary pasta both from the food show “I’ll have what Phil’s having”, which is kind of silly, but also from the most wonderful website I’ve found! Pastagrannies.com! Isn’t it great? They have videos of Italian grandmamas making all kinds of pasta. To good to be true!

Enough for two lucky souls

The pasta dough

70 g whole-wheat flour

80 g all-purpose flour

80 g water

½ tsp. salt

The simple tomato sauce

½ onion

1 clove of garlic

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

1 spring of rosemary

400 g whole canned tomatoes

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. fresh parsley

Black pepper

Start by making the dough for the umbricelli. Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then roll up your sleeves and knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth. This is a bit of work, but it’s worth it. Once the dough is nice and smooth, leave it to rest for 10 minutes, covered.

Meanwhile, start the tomato sauce. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat a pan to medium heat and add a lug of olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and the leaves from the rosemary. Sauté until soft, for about 5 minutes, and then add the remaining ingredients. Cover with a lid and let simmer until the pasta is done.

The pasta dough should be done resting by now. Start heating a big pot of salted water on the stove. Pinch of a walnut-sized piece of dough, keeping the rest covered. Roll it out to a thick spaghetti-like noodle, moving your hands from the middle of the strand and out when rolling. Make the surface you’re rolling on is free from flour to get the necessary friction. Repeat until you’ve used all the dough.

Cook the noodles in the water for about 2-3 minutes. You want them tender but not soggy when they’re done.

Serve either mixed with the sauce or with the sauce on top. Enjoy!