maccaronara

Maccaronara is a thick fresh strand from the hills of Irpinia. The cook rolls a semolina and water dough into a sheet. A grooved rolling pin, also called a maccaronara, presses the sheet into strands. The cook then pulls the strands apart by hand. Each strand has a square or triangular cross section and measures about half a centimetre across. The pasta needs about ten minutes in boiling water because it is so thick.

The shape belongs to the triangle of Castelfranci, Montemarano and Castelvetere sul Calore in the province of Avellino. Cooks in the Vulture area of Basilicata make a close relative called maccuarnàr. The classic dressing is a simple fresh tomato sauce. A long-cooked pork ragù with grated aged ricotta is common at festivals. Other local sauces use beans, mushrooms, truffle, or toasted breadcrumbs with garlic and herbs.