Ingredients (2 small portions)

For the pasta

• 1 extra-large egg
• 80 g (a teaspoon less than 3 oz.) King Arthur Flour pasta blend, plus more as needed to obtain the dough
• A pinch of salt
• All-purpose flour, as needed, for rolling and shaping

For the dressing

• Half a ripe avocado
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or vegetarian-friendly hard cheese), to taste

Instructions

Make a dough using the first three ingredients. Add more pasta flour as needed to get a supple dough. Cover the dough and let rest for 1/2-1 hour.

Roll the dough by hand or with a machine into one of more thin sheets (on my machine, I roll to the last thickness level; I roll the dough twice at each level and once at the last level), flouring lightly as needed (with all-purpose flour) to prevent sticking. Cut the pasta into squares of 4 cm / 1.5 inch side and let rest briefly, while you knead, roll and cut the odd-shaped cutouts.

Starting from the squares you cut first, shape each one into a garganello. Place a square diagonally on the board, then lightly roll the mini rolling pin over it in the direction away from you. Hook the corner closest to the board handle on the mini rolling pin and roll towards you, applying a light pressure to imprint the ridges on the outer surface and to seal the garganello. Flour the board and the mini rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking. Place the shaped garganelli on a lightly floured tray. [You can watch my hands at work in this short video.]

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add some coarse salt, stir and then add the pasta. Bring water back to boiling. Cooking time depends on flour used and thickness of pasta, but it is in the order of a few minutes, so don’t wander away, but pay undivided attention.

Since the pasta takes only a short time to cook, prepare the dressing as the water comes to a boil. Put the avocado in a bowl and mash it with a fork to make a cream.

When the pasta is ready, turn off the heat, pour a glass of cold water in the pot, stir and then drain the pasta, leaving a bit of water clinging to it. Toss pasta and mashed avocado, sprinkle cheese on it and toss some more. Serve immediately.

Go to the full post on handmade garganelli