Busiate
Handmade Busiate pasta is fun and rewarding to make and eat!
You don’t need any fancy pasta machines for this Italian pasta recipe. Just two ingredients, a bamboo skewer and your time. Follow my foolproof instructions to make this delicious Sicilian speciality!
Busiate is a type of eggless pasta found in Trapani in western Sicily. This busiate pasta is popular and found throughout the town. Using the same dough as cavatelli, it’s popular with both seafood and pesto style sauces. In fact, in Trapani, is served a particular version of pesto using tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, basil, garlic and almonds known as pesto alla Trapanese
Pasta has always been an integral part of my life and growing up Italian. As children, my sister and I always helped to make the tagliatelle and the same still happens with my own family. So while busiate isn’t a particularly difficult pasta to make it’s time consuming which is the ideal reason to gather the family or your friends together and make it an event!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Authenticity – Making this traditional Sicilian pasta by hand in your kitchen keeps the culinary heritage of the region alive and brings part of Sicily into your home.
- Freshness – Homemade busiate pasta will always be fresher than anything you’ll purchase in the stores. By using the best quality ingredients, you’ll ensure the best taste and texture that store-bought variations can’t match.
- Therapeutic and Meditative – Making busiate pasta by hand is like nothing else. This is a task that forces you to slow down and take your time. Listen to music or chat with those around you while forming the shapes.
- Texture – This handmade busiate pasta, just like garganelli, is never perfect because each piece is individually made. There is a wonderful texture to this homemade pasta that the store-bought variety can never replicate.
- Family or Social Activity – Making busiate is fun to make with family or friends. Gather around the kitchen table to laugh, tell stories and create lasting memories.
Origin of busiate
Busiate originated in the Sicilian town of Trapani with similar variations found in other areas of Sicily and Calabria. This interesting pasta is shaped using a thin stick. That’s how it got its name. Busiate is derived from the “buso” which is a dried wooden reed used to form it in Trapani. Today, you don’t have to go in search of a special reed to make busiate. All you need is a bamboo skewer or thin rod.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Semolina flour – Made from durum wheat this flour is more golden in color and a little more coarse than all purpose flour. Most supermarkets stock it near all purpose flour. This is not the coarse semolina used to make polenta but instead it’s ground superfine for making pasta and semolina bread.
- Water – You’ll need the water to be hot or warm for this recipe which will make the kneading process easier.
Instructions
Have ready some baking sheets that you’ve covered with kitchen towels or parchment paper sprinkled with semolina flour.
On a work surface, make a well in the semolina flour into which you add the warm water gradually incorporating the flour into the water by hand.
When all the flour and water has been combined, knead well until smooth.
Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest.
Roll out one quarter of the dough into a thick oblong shape.
Cut the sheet of dough into thick strips. Roll each strip into strands. Shorten into smaller lengths.
Place your wooden skewer at the end of the dough on an angle and press onto the dough slightly to stick.
Start rolling the skewer with your hands and guide the dough around with your flattened hand.
Once wound, roll the skewer backwards and forwards with your hands until the busiato thins. Slide the busiato off the skewer onto the prepared baking sheets.
Repeat until all the dough has been used. Cook the busiate pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water and serve with a sauce of your choice.
If handmade pasta seems like too much trouble then you should try my pasta dishes with store bought pasta like my Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells.
Hint: Don’t use any flour on the work surface when you roll the strips into ropes or strands. If you use flour, you will struggle and the dough will slip and not roll into the long lengths that you need.
Equipment
All you need to make busiate pasta is a bamboo skewer or thin rod. If you don’t have a rolling pin, use a bottle. If you don’t have baking sheets, just lay kitchen towels on a table to hold the busiate before cooking.
For cooking, you will need a large saucepan and a colander or slotted spoon to drain the cooked busiate.
Storage
Dry the busiate pasta for 30-60 minutes if not using immediately. Then store uncovered in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Be sure to use lots of semolina flour to prevent sticking. If the weather is hot and humid or wet, you may need to allow the pasta to dry for a little longer.
Busiate pasta can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Cook from frozen or cold from the fridge. Don’t let the busiate come to room temperature.
Tips for Success
There is only flour and water in this dough so there is not a lot that can go wrong. If it’s too dry, add a little water. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour. Don’t stick strictly to the recipe because there are a lot of factors that can influence the hydration of your dough – humidity, flour and weather.
Don’t use flour to roll the ropes or strands. However once you’ve rolled and cut the lengths needed, toss them in a little semolina flour to stop them sticking to each other.
Forming the dough can be a little tricky but it’s not actually that hard. Be sure to wind the dough around the skewer and then press and roll to thin and lengthen. This forms the shape correctly. Just slide the coil off the skewer. Don’t try to unwind it.
If the pasta sticks to the skewer, gently roll the skewer in the opposite directions that it was rolled. This will help detach it.
Cooking fresh busiate pasta doesn’t take long but the time will vary depending on how thick you have rolled the pasta. Check doneness by tasting. Remember to salt the cooking water well!
FAQ
Busiate pasta comes from Trapani in western Siciliy. It’s a handmade, eggless pasta that looks like an old fashioned, twirled telephone cord.
The name for busiate is derived from the “buso” which is used to create the spiraled shape. Buso is the Sicilian name for the local grass which is dried to form the long thin reeds. Today, you can use a bamboo skewer or thin rod to shape busiate pasta.
Busiate or busiati is plural and busiato is singular.
Busiate al pesto trapanese is the traditional way to serve this handmade pasta. Pesto Trapanese is made with ripe red tomatoes, almonds, basil and extra virgin olive along with pecorino cheese fresh garlic. This uncooked sauce is quickly and easily made in a food processor.
Serving Suggestions
Busiate pasta is traditionally served with trapanese pesto but it’s also popular with seafood sauces. However, we enjoy it with a variety of sauces like San Marzano tomato sauce, basil pesto or Authentic Bolognese sauce which are all ideal to coat this pasta and get caught in the many twirls.
Serve this busiate pasta as a a ‘primo” or one of the pasta dishes before a main of Italian chicken cutlets or chicken Sorrentino. Or serve it as the main dish with lots of ciabatta garlic bread to mop up the sauce.
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Busiate Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups (430 grams) semolina flour
- 1 cup (240mls) warm water
Instructions
- Prepare a few baking sheets by lining with kitchen towels or parchment paper and a sprinkle of semolina flour. Set aside.
- On a work surface, make a well in the semolina flour into which you add the warm water gradually incorporating the flour into the water by hand.
- Once all the flour and water has been combined, knead well until smooth. Kneading is important and should take 8-10 minutes to work the dough properly.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Cut the dough into four. Work with one quarter and rewap the remaining dough.
- Roll out one quarter of the dough into an thick oblong shape.
- Cut the sheet of dough into ½ inch strips.
- On an unfloured surface, roll each strip into a rope approximately ¼ inch/6.5mm thick and cut into approximately 6 inch/12cm lengths. Actually the busiate can be longer or shorter. It’s your choice.
- Dust the dough ropes or strands with semolina flour to stop them sticking.
- Take one strand of dough and place it in front of you at a 45 degree angle. Place the wooden skewer on the end furtherest from you and press onto the dough slightly to stick.
- Use your fingers to guide the tip of the dough around the skewer while with the other hand begin to roll the skewer towards you.
- Continue to roll the skewer slowly with one hand and guide the dough around with your other flattened hand.
- Adjust the dough strand as necessary if it is rolling onto itself. If the dough strand and the skewer are at the correct angles to each other, the dough should twirl fairly evenly onto the skewer.
- Once the dough is fully twirls onto the skewer, roll the skewer backwards and forwards with your flattened hands until the busiato thins and lengthens a little.
- Slide the busiato off the skewer with your hands and place it onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Continue until all the dough is used.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Salt it well.
- When boiling, add the busiate pasta, stir and boil until tender but still al dente. Usually this is between 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the busiate.
- Drain the pasta and combine with a sauce of your choice. Serve hot.
Notes
- If the dough is too dry, add a little water. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour. Go by the feel of the dough.
- When rolling the ropes or strands of dough, don’t use flour.
- Take your time when shaping the busiate. It can be a little tricky but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
- Gently roll the skewer in the opposite directions that it was rolled if the busiato sticks to it.
- Salt the cooking water well.
- And taste to check doneness of the pasta. It won’t take long!
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
This updated recipe was published on April 17, 2013.
Shaped semolina pasta like Busiate must be dried for at least 24 hours before boiling it in water in order to keep it’s shape. Also, for every 100 grams of semolina flour, it takes (more or less) 50ml of water. So if one starts with 300 grams of flour, (about 3 cups) expect to need about 150, not 100ml of water (about 1 1/2 cups) to make the dough. Start with somewhat less, especially on humid days.
Daniel, you’re very close with your calculations! However, 1 cup of semolina rimacinata typically weighs around 145 grams (give or take a gram or two) rather than 100 grams. Using your measurements, the dough would turn out quite wet and would require 24 hours to dry. My recipe is designed to hold its shape without that long drying time. It’s possible that the semolina you’re using is different from Italian semolina rimacinata. I hope this helps!
My first time, and of course the first half is not as pretty as the second half. I decided that a little butter on the skewer helped my brutish fingers. Started gnocchi a few months back and eventually got the hang😁
Thank you!
I’m glad you persisted and found a way that it worked for you, Thomas.
loved recipe!
My compliments on your pasta making skills! Those busiati are gorgeous. I tried them (with the local pesto) when we were in the Trapani area last year for a wedding. Such a lovely area, and such a delicious pasta!
Thank you Frank! Oh, I’d love to have them in Trapani! How lucky you are. It’ll be a while before we can get back there unfortunately.
What gorgeous looking pasta!
So beautiful! I'm in awe of you!
wow homeamde busiati..that's amazing and perfect!
You make it look so easy! I love that inherited a rolling pin. My husband brought back his mother's when their home sold. Perfect pasta. You are making me think I could actually do this.
Wow, these are gorgeous. I have been wanting to make these for a long time and even bought a small piece of metal at a specialty store especially for these, but still haven't gotten around to it. You're giving me the incentive to do it.
That a lot of work! It's so great you have inheritated something so valuable as this rolling pin. You are using it very well 🙂
Beautiful! I love busiati. I first had them in Trapani while waiting for a ferry to Marettimo. They had been mixed with "pesto trapanese", made with tomatoes, ground almonds, aubergine and basil (I think) and had been baked in a sort of cake crusted with bread crumbs. One of the most delicious things I have every eaten.Thanks for the recipe. I shall definitely be trying these. And thanks too for the link to Manu's blog. I shall be over there asap too 🙂
That is simply wonderful…
That's an amazing looking batch of busiati! Bravissima Marcella! I am so glad you liked them! Your ragu' looks delicious too! Thank you so much for the mention! 🙂