Tonnarelli Pasta

Tonnarelli pasta is ideal to make at home even if you’ve never made pasta before!

Using just two ingredients, this pasta is so versatile and tasty you’ll want to make it again and again!!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Similar to spaghetti but thicker and square, tonnarelli is a typical egg pasta of the Lazio region of Italy. This pasta, made with semolina flour, holds onto sauce particularly well and is ideal with ragu or vegetable sauces like asparagus. However tonnarelli cacio e pepe is probably the most well known.

This pasta is also found in other regions in Italy but known by different names. In Abruzzo, spaghetti alla chitarra is cut on a special pasta cutting tool to create a very similar shape.

Making pasta at home is not as hard as you may think. Pasta dough, including this tonnarelli recipe, is very forgiving. It’s so simple to correct and fix any problems that might arise.

Homemade pasta is very rewarding and satisfying. If you loved this tonnarelli recipe, I know you’ll enjoy my cavatelli and garganelli recipes. These are just as popular with my family!

For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Ingredient notes

Tonnarelli require simple ingredients. All you’ll need is:-

• semolina flour – for added “bite” to the pasta
• eggs – use eggs that weigh at least 2 oz (58 grams) that is 24 ounces (700 grams) per dozen eggs

Instructions

1. Pour the semolina onto the work surface, make a well in the middle and break the eggs into the well.
2. Whisk eggs, bringing in some of the semolina flour.
3. When the dough is shaggy, use your hands to knead in the remaining semolina flour. Knead well, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Use a pasta machine to flatten the dough.
5. Roll pasta into thick sheets. For tonnarelli the pasta should be quite thick – a little under ⅛ inch or 2-3 mm. On my Imperia pasta machine I used setting #3.
6. Pass the sheets through the pasta cutter attachment. This pasta should be as wide as it is thick so choose the appropriate cutter size OR cut by hand.

To cut by hand, allow pasta sheets to dry for a little but are still very flexible (just 10 minutes is fine). Dust pasta very well with semolina or flour, fold the sheet into thirds width ways, and cut into thin strips (a little under ⅛ inch or 2-3 mm) with a sharp knife.

Tips for success and FAQ’s

As always, when making tonnarelli pasta at home it’s important to knead the dough by hand so that you can feel if it’s too sticky or too dry.

It is very important to knead the dough well in order to develop the gluten which creates a stronger pasta.

Tonnarelli are much thicker than most homemade pasta, so don’t roll it too thinly. This square shaped spaghetti should be as wide as it is thick – a little under ⅛ inch or 2-3 mm.

More recipes like this

Tagliatelle – homemade egg pasta
Pesto Gnocchi – a quick recipe using store-bought gnocci
Ricotta Cavatelli – a melt-in-your-mouth, handmade pasta
Italian Rice Balls – arancini made easy with my step by step instructions
Calabrese Pizza – all the flavors of Calabria – anchovies, black olives and capers!!
Fagottini – little pasta parcels filled with delicate ricotta

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Tonnarelli Pasta

Tonnarelli is a traditional pasta from Rome that is square shaped spaghetti. This is one of the oldest pasta shapes and is also known in other Italian regions by other names like spaghetti alla chitarra.

5 from 34 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings:4 people

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups (429 grams) semolina flour
• ▢ 4 eggs

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Instructions

To make the dough

• Reserve a couple of tablespoons of flour. Tip the remaining semolina flour onto the work surface and make a well in the middle.
• Break eggs into the well in the flour
• Using a fork (or fingertips) whisk the eggs like you’re making scrambled eggs. As you whisk, bring in a little bit of semolina flour from around the edges and incorporate it into the eggs.
• Keep working more semolina flour into the dough. A pastry scraper is useful or just use your hands.
• Add more flour as needed. The dough should not be sticky. If you are rolling by hand do not add too much flour.
• If the pasta dough is too dry, knead in a little water one teaspoon at a time. If the pasta dough is to wet, knead in a little flour to adjust.
• Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until it is smooth. You’ll feel the change in the dough.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes.

To roll the pasta using a pasta machine

• Cut off a small piece of dough and keep the remaining dough covered.
• Adjust the pasta machine rollers at the widest setting.
• Press the portion of dough flat into a thick rectangle and dust lightly with semolina flour. Guide through the rollers.
• Fold into half and pass again through the widest setting. Repeat this 6 to 8 times until the dough is smooth. Dust lightly with semolina as needed.
• When the dough is smooth and has been folded a few times, start to reduce the settings of the rollers one setting at a time. For tonnarelli the pasta should be quite thick – a little under ⅛ inch or 2-3 mm. On my Imperia pasta machine I used setting #3.
• Set aside on floured tablecloth to dry for about 20 minutes while you roll out the remaining dough. Turn the sheets over to assist drying.

To cut into tonnarelli

• Select the cutter attachment which will cut the pasta as wide as it is thick.
• Guide the pasta sheets through the cutter.
• Gather up the tonnarelli and spread out onto a floured cloth.
• Repeat with remaining pasta sheets.

To cook the tonnarelli

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
• When boiling, add two or three tablespoons of salt.
• Put the tonnarelli into the boiling water and stir to make sure nothing sticks.
• Cook the tonnarelli for 4-5 minutes or until tender but still firm. Check by tasting.
• Drain well and mix with desired sauce.

Notes

Tips for success

• As always, when making tonnarelli pasta at home it’s important to knead the dough by hand so that you can feel if it’s too sticky or too dry.
• It is very important to knead the dough well in order to develop the gluten which creates a stronger pasta.
• Tonnarelli are much thicker than most homemade pasta, so don’t roll it too thinly
• For dough that’s too sticky, add little more semolina flour.
• For dough that’s too dry, add a trickle of water.
• While I prefer kneading the dough by hand, a stand mixer or food processor can by used. However finish the dough by hand.
• If you don’t have a pasta machine to roll the dough, make the dough a little softer and use a rolling pin to thin. To cut, fold the rolled out dough lengthwise several times and then cut into tonnarelli using sharp knife.

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Nutritional Estimate Per Serving

Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 6mg

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.