Troccoli
Also known as: troccolo pasta, torchi
Fresh pasta from the province of Foggia, Apulia: strands like thick, rough spaghetti, cut from a sheet of semolina dough with a rolling pin, the troccolo.
Troccoli are a fresh pasta from the province of Foggia in Apulia, on Italy's national list of traditional agri-food products (PAT) since 2001. According to the Apulian PAT sheet they are like spaghetti but thicker and rougher, with a cross-section between round and square.
The dough is made from durum wheat semolina and water, usually with eggs, which give a bright yellow colour; it can also be made without eggs. It rests for about an hour and is rolled into sheets roughly 3 mm thick. The troccolo (also troccolaturo), a rolling pin fitted with circular blades, is pressed across the sheet to cut the strands, which are then separated by hand.
The sheet derives the names troccolo and troccolaturo from the Latin torculum and notes that Bartolomeo Scappi described an early version of the tool in 1570 as a "ferro da maccheroni". In Cerignola the pasta and the tool are also called torchi and torchio.
In Foggia troccoli are usually served with Sunday ragù; they are also served with local mushrooms or, on the Gargano, with seafood.
For example, Divella's fresh troccoli, made from semolina, cook in 4–5 minutes according to the producer's product page.
Facts
| Raw material | Durum wheat semolina, water, usually eggs (also made without) |
|---|---|
| Region | Apulia, province of Foggia |
| Duration | Divella fresh: 4–5 min |
| Main use | Sunday ragù, local mushrooms, Gargano seafood |
How it connects to Pasta
Troccoli → kind of → Fresh pasta → kind of → 🍝 Pasta
Links
- What it contains
- Semolina, 🌾 Durum wheat, 🥚 Chicken egg
- Part of
- Fresh pasta
- Similar and different
- Spaghetti alla chitarra, Scialatielli, 🍝 Spaghetti
Frequently asked questions
How do troccoli differ from spaghetti alla chitarra or thick spaghetti?
Troccoli are like spaghetti but thicker and rougher, with a cross-section between round and square, cut with a rolling pin with blades.
What is a troccolo, and why is it also called torchio in Cerignola?
A rolling pin fitted with circular blades; in Cerignola the pasta and tool are also called torchi and torchio.
Is it true that troccoli are always made without eggs?
Not quite. The dough is usually made with eggs, which give a bright yellow colour; an eggless version exists too.
What do people in Foggia serve with troccoli?
Usually Sunday ragù; also local mushrooms, or seafood on the Gargano.
How long do Divella fresh troccoli cook?
About 4–5 minutes, according to the producer.
What to read next
- 🌾 Durum wheat — A wheat species with very hard grain and strong gluten, milled into semolina for dry pasta and couscous.
- Spaghetti alla chitarra — Long egg pasta from Abruzzo with a square cross-section, cut on the chitarra, a wooden frame strung with steel wires.
- Scialatielli — Handmade pasta of Campania, similar to a shorter, flatter fusillo, made from flour, milk, eggs, basil and pecorino and cut into strips about 10 cm long; the original version is served with seafood.
- 🥚 Chicken egg — The egg of the domestic hen: in pasta it gives yellow colour, an elastic dough and protein, and in the EU it must be highlighted on labels as an allergen.