From Work Party to Pici Party

Our hosts at L'Antica Vetreria, have been so generous with their time. They've taken us on many of the outings we've been on for the last week, and have cooked with us in the evenings, or gone out with us to dinner. They've made this time in Italy so special.

To thank them, we decided to have a work party today and we all scrubbed for several hours on the walls of La Terrazza. This apartment was the last to be finished in early summer of 2008, and the guests were set to arrive while the workmen were still there. Needless to say, sealing the stone walls didn't happen because of the timing. So since it's unrented this week, we moved all of the furniture out and used wire brushes on all of its walls and ceilings. We scraped the living room, dining room and kitchen, and even had time to spray some sealer on one of the walls to see how it would look. Hopefully, we'll find more time to finish the project up before we head home.

After that, of course we had to swim in the pool to wash off all that grit and then Colleen taught us how to make Pici. Since we have been trying everything with black truffles, of course, we had to make black truffle pici. And it was superb. Here's the recipe.

Pici Pasta
7c extra fine flour
3 eggs
1/4c sunflower oil
2t salt
room temperature water

In a mound of flour on the table, make a large indent (volcano). Into the volcano, pour the oil, salt and three eggs. Break the eggs up slightly. Add a few tablespoons of water. Begin to mix and continue to add water until you're able to work the dough. Kneed until there are no lumps, about 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a 3" thick log, about 12" long. Cut off 2" and roll out into a long pasta sheet on floured surface, about 10" long. Place onto Guitaro and roll slowly until pasta is cut by the strings. Place pici into bowl and sprinkle with flour. Repeat until all dough is used.

Black Truffle Sauce:
3T flour
3T olive oil
1c milk
1c thick cream
Truffle cheese
1 jar truffles
White wine

Make rue of flour and olive oil. Once bubbly, add in milk and cook until thickened. Add in cream and truffles, and grated truffle cheese and continue cooking until thick. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Delicious over pici pasta!



Dan working on the kitchen walls in La Terrazza.


The glass oven in La Terrazza. We've been working on sealing the walls up today, in repayment for all the wonderful touring that Colleen and Tom have taken the time for.


Here we are, making pici pasta for dinner. Ardel is rolling it out and Lori is separating the strands and dusting with flour. The wooden machine to Ardel's left is a guitaro.


Ardel is rolling out dough on the Guitaro. After laying the sheets of dough on the strings and running the rolling pin over them, you end up with a wonderful thick spaghetti-like noodles.


Plating our creation. Pici pasta with black truffle sauce. Divine.