Don't Have a Pasta Machine? Make Chiusoni

Pasta Workshop is one of my favorite classes to teach at The Chopping Block. Students are always so engaged in the pasta making and want to continue on with it outside of the classroom. Since most people don’t own a pasta machine at home, one of the most frequently asked questions I get during this class is, “What should I do if I don’t own a pasta machine?”

While you can accomplish pasta rolling with a rolling pin and enough skill and space, it can be difficult and tedious. So, my favorite shape to make without traditional equipment is called chiusoni. This shape can be made with just a bowl, a fork, a flat surface, and a cheese grater. 

Chiusoni is extremely similar to the more popular shape cavatelli. Almost too similar to say they’re cousins, I would say chiusoni is cavatelli in its punk-rock phase. The only difference is that cavatelli uses a grooved board to make ridges along the pasta, while chiusoni uses the backside of a cheese grater to create small knobs on the surface. There are wooden boards produced specifically to create this shape, but the backside of a cheese grater works just as well. 

To make chiusoni, I use a water-based semolina dough. I prefer to use semolina rimacinata – a finely-milled semolina flour – rather than a coarse semolina. While this can be made with coarse semolina, the rimacinata absorbs the water effectively and makes the dough very smooth. I also find it important to use lukewarm-warm water. Similar to how we temper our eggs for an egg dough, the warm water will work into the flour much easier than ice cold water.

Semolina Dough 

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Yield: 3-4 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Inactive time: 30 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

300g Semolina Rimacinata or 1 1/4 cups

150g warm water or 2/3 cup

1. Place flour in a mixing bowl and create a well in the center; slowly pour water into the center while mixing with a fork.
2. Continue mixing until no visible water remains, then use your hands to work into a ball. If there is some dry flour in the bottom of the bowl, leave it behind.
3. Place the ball of dough onto a flat surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Wrap dough in plastic and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. 

Once the dough is formed and rested, the fun part of shaping the chiusoni begins.

Divide the dough into 5 pieces (they don’t need to be perfectly even). Using your hands, roll a piece of dough back and forth on a flat surface, applying firm and even pressure. The goal is to get an even, long piece of dough about a 1/2-inch thick. 

Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the length of dough into pieces around 3/4-inch to 1 inch. 

Using your thumb or the backside of a butter knife, press each piece along the backside of a cheese grater so the exterior gets a knobbed texture, and there is a lip on the underside. 

And there you have chiusoni! I collect them on a floured surface and reserve them uncovered until it is time to cook them. This is a great pasta to dry completely and store in an airtight container as well. This pasta is intended to be paired with a ragu, so I threw together a super quick pork ragu to pair with mine. 

If you are interested in learning how to make all kinds of interesting handmade pastas, join us at our next Pasta Boot Camp on Saturday, March 2nd.