Pici pasta with aglione sauce

08/20/2025

Pici with Aglione is a traditional first course typical of Tuscany, especially from the Val di Chiana area. Some dishes tell the story of a region better than any travel guide, and this is certainly one of them.
For this reason, today our Cesarina Barbara from Montepulciano teaches us how to prepare this rustic recipe, which surprises with its perfect balance and bold character.

The undisputed star, as the name suggests, is the Valdichiana Aglione: a giant garlic with a distinctive aroma but much milder than common garlic, thanks to the absence of alliin and its derivatives. Ivory-white in color and almost spherical but slightly flattened, it can weigh up to 800 grams. Its sweet taste and high digestibility win over even those who usually avoid garlic.

Pici are a type of fresh pasta typical of the Tuscan peasant tradition, similar to handmade spaghetti but thicker, rustic, and irregular. Their strength lies precisely in their simplicity—they are made with just flour, water, and a pinch of salt, without eggs, following the ancient custom of humble cooking. Extremely versatile, pici pair well with many sauces: from ragù to breadcrumbs, from cacio e pepe to vegetable-based sauces, but it is with aglione that they truly express their character.

In this recipe, the rustic pasta perfectly matches the sauce, creating a fragrant, digestible, and surprisingly elegant dish that celebrates Tuscany in its most authentic form.

Pici pasta with aglione sauce

A simple and genuine classic from Valdichiana, where pici and aglione tell the story and flavors of their land

DifficultyMedium

Preparation time2h

Cooking time7m

€

CostMedium

Ingredients

For the pici:
600 g soft wheat flour (type 0)
300 ml lukewarm water
4 pinches of salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the aglione sauce:
5 cloves of aglione (giant garlic)
1.4 kg ripe tomatoes or peeled tomatoes
70 g extra virgin olive oil
½ glass white wine
½ glass cold water
Salt to taste

Method

Pici Preparation:

On a clean work surface, make a well with the flour.
Pour the water, olive oil, and two pinches of salt into the center.
Start mixing with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour.
When the dough is no longer liquid, remove any excess flour.
Continue kneading with your hands, adding flour until the dough is smooth and firm.
Knead vigorously for about 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Cover the dough with a cloth or plastic wrap and let it rest for about 40 minutes.
After resting, roll the dough out to a thickness of just over half a centimeter.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
Cut the dough into strips and roll them between your hands to form the pici.
Place the pici on a tray dusted with durum wheat semolina to prevent sticking.
Cook the pici in plenty of salted boiling water for about 7–8 minutes.
Drain and sauté the pici in a pan with the aglione sauce.

Aglione Sauce Preparation:

Pour the olive oil into a large pan.
Add the coarsely chopped aglione cloves.
Add half a glass of white wine and some water.
Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, checking that the liquids do not evaporate completely; add more if necessary.
The aglione is ready when it can be easily mashed with a fork.
Add the tomato puree, salt, and a pinch of chili pepper.
Continue cooking on low heat for about 40 minutes until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.