Busiate
Also known as: busiati, busiata
Sicilian pasta from Trapani: long spirals of durum wheat semolina and water, made by winding a strand of dough around a thin rod.
Busiate are a Sicilian pasta shaped as long spirals made from durum wheat semolina and water. Traditionally they are handmade fresh pasta, but they are also widely produced as dry durum wheat pasta.
A rope of dough about as thick as a heavy spaghetto is wound in a spiral around a thin rod and then slipped off. The result is a springy coil about 10–15 cm long with a hollow inside where the sauce collects.
The name is usually traced to the Sicilian busa, the stem of a wild grass on which the dough was once rolled; today a metal rod is more common. The shape comes from the province of Trapani in western Sicily.
The dough is made from durum wheat semolina, often finely re-milled, and warm water, without eggs. It is rolled into thin ropes, cut into lengths, and each is wound round the rod by rolling it across the board, then slid off.
Fresh busiate cook in 5–8 minutes, dry ones usually in 12–15 minutes. The tight spiral stays springy even after cooking.
The classic pairing is pesto alla trapanese: raw tomatoes, almonds, basil, garlic, olive oil and grated cheese, often pecorino. Busiate are also served with fish sauces, swordfish and aubergines.
When buying dry busiate, check that the ingredients are only semolina and water and that the surface is matt and rough. The spirals should be whole; slight irregularity is typical of hand or semi-hand production.
Facts
| Raw material | Durum wheat semolina and water |
|---|---|
| Region | Sicily, province of Trapani |
| Duration | Fresh 5–8 min, dry 12–15 min |
| Main use | Pesto alla trapanese, fish sauces, swordfish and aubergine |
How it connects to Pasta
Busiate → related → 🫒 Olive oil ← related ← 🍝 Pasta
Links
- Used in
- 🍅 Pesto alla trapanese
- What it contains
- Semolina, 🌾 Durum wheat
- Part of
- Fresh pasta, Dry durum wheat pasta
- Similar and different
- Fileja, Fusilli, Trofie, Casarecce
- In other topics
- 🫒 Olive oil, 🧀 Pecorino
Frequently asked questions
Are busiate the same as the fusilli sold in UK supermarkets?
No. Fusilli are short industrial spirals, while busiate are a longer Sicilian spiral, traditionally wound by hand on a rod.
Why are busiate sometimes spelled busiati?
Both forms appear; the name is usually traced to Sicilian busa, a wild grass stem that dough was once rolled on.
Is it true that busiate need eggs like fresh tagliatelle?
Not quite. The dough is durum semolina and warm water, without eggs.
How do you pick dry busiate in the shop?
The ingredients should be only semolina and water, the surface matt and rough; whole spirals, with slight irregularity.
What is pesto alla trapanese on busiate?
Raw tomatoes, almonds, basil, garlic, olive oil and grated cheese, often pecorino; fish, swordfish and aubergine sauces work too.
Recipes
What to read next
- 🌾 Durum wheat — A wheat species with very hard grain and strong gluten, milled into semolina for dry pasta and couscous.
- Fileja — Calabrian pasta of durum wheat semolina and water: long, hollow, twisted tubes rolled around a thin rod.
- Fusilli — Short dry pasta twisted into a spiral, made from durum wheat semolina and water; the name comes from fuso, the spindle.
- Casarecce — Short dry Sicilian pasta rolled like a small parchment, 45 mm long at Rummo; it cooks in 8 to 11 minutes and holds ragù, vegetable and cheese sauces.
- Trofie — Small twisted pasta from Liguria, listed among the region's traditional agri-food products (PAT); Garofalo's fresh trofie are small braided coils of durum wheat semolina.
Similar
Fileja · Capunti · Pici · Testaroli · Cavatelli · Malloreddus
What it includes
Sources
- MASAF — Elenco nazionale dei prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali (PAT)
- DPR 9 febbraio 2001, n. 187 — regolamento sulla produzione e commercializzazione di sfarinati e paste alimentari (Normattiva)