Ingredients (serves 2)

For the pasta dough

• 100 g / 3.5 ounces semolina flour of good quality OR 1 teaspoon grape seed flour + enough semolina flour to make 100 g / 3.5 ounces total
• 50 g / 1.75 ounces warm water 
• A pinch of salt

For the tomato sauce

• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• A shallot, minced
• Leaves of a sprig or two of thyme
• A small garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 cups / 475 ml strained roasted tomatoes (thawed, if frozen)
• Fine sea salt, to taste
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste

Instructions

Note #1: I recommend weighing both flour and water because the quantities involved are small.

Note #2: to make the mini rolling pin, purchase a 1/4-inch / 6 mm diameter dowel at the hardware store and cut a piece about 7 inches / 18 cm long. Better yet, cut two or three (the dowel is long enough) so if/when one gets a bit sticky, you have a dry one available.

How to make the dough and shape mezzi tubi rigati

Make a dough with the ingredients and knead until nice and smooth. [You can watch my hands at work in this short video.] Let it rest, well covered (e.g., wrapped in plastic film), for half an hour or so. 

Working on the kneading board, roll the dough into a thick salami and cut it into 5-6 pieces. Keep them covered while you shape the mezzi tubi. Roll each piece into a thin snake (3/8 inch / 1 cm thick), then cut into 3/4 inch / 2 cm long pieces.

Place the gnocchi board parallel to you, with the handle pointing left if you are right handed, right otherwise. Working on the gnocchi board, shape each piece into a mezzo tubo rigato with the mini rolling pin (see Note #2 above).

Place a piece of dough on the gnocchi board fairly close to the end (on the opposite side of the handle) with its long sides parallel to the board’s ridges. Place the rolling pin lengthwise on the piece of dough so that it touches the side furthest from you. Roll the rolling pin on the piece of dough towards you pressing so that the dough wraps about 3/4 of the way around it.

Do not press hard or the dough will stick to the dowel or to the board, or it will wrap completely around the rolling pin. Gently detach the mezzo tubo from the rolling pin without misshaping it and lay it out to dry on a lightly floured section of the kneading board (or a baking sheet lined with a cotton kitchen towel or, in my case, a linen placemat). [You can watch my hands at work in this short video.]

Have two mini rolling pins ready to work with and exchange them every few pieces of pasta. Insert one into some flour in between uses, so it dries out. Repeat until you have used up the prepared dough. 

I suggest making this pasta at least a few hours ahead of cooking so it firms up a bit. In my experience, it keeps its shape quite well during cooking. Cook the mezzi tubi rigati and dress them as you like. The following tomato sauce is a suggestion.

How to prepare the tomato sauce

In a small saucepan, warm up the olive oil, then add shallot and thyme. Cook gently for a few minutes, then add garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes. Adjust salt, to taste.

Note that this will make more sauce than you need to dress the orecchiette, but once you have the sauce ready, I am sure you’ll find ways of using it, like making more handmade pasta.

How to cook and dress the mezzi tubi rigati

Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil, add some coarse salt, stir and then toss the mezzi tubi rigati in it. The time needed is a bit variable, depending on the size and dryness of the pasta, but it is not long.

Taste and stop the cooking when the pasta is ready. Pour a glass of cold water in the pot, stir and drain the mezzi tubi rigati well. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle a bit of the cheese on them and stir briefly, then distribute some tomato sauce and toss. (When dressing pasta, remember that the sauce is an accompaniment and as such it should play its part discreetly, not overwhelm the protagonist.) Finally, sprinkle some cheese and serve immediately.

Alternatively, while the pasta is cooking, place a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce in a small skillet and warm it up. Pour a glass of cold water in the pot and stir. Drain the mezzi tubi rigati leaving a little bit of the cooking water clinging to the pasta and drop into the skillet with the sauce. Stir well over medium-low heat for about half a minute. Sprinkle some of the cheese and stir one last time. Plate and sprinkle a bit more cheese on the top. Serve immediately.

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