Bigoli are thick, smooth tubes of pasta similar to bucatini. Originally made with buckwheat and duck eggs they are now made with normal wheat. Bigoli can only be bigoli if they’re made with a bigolaro and bigolari are rare. Once upon a time when there were no pasta machines and no pre-packed pasta, people in the Veneto region (especially) used a bigolaro to make this inspired pasta. A bigolaro (image below) is a machine made from wood and brass or copper. Someone sits on the one end and pushes the pasta dough through a tube that has interchangeable bits for adjusting the thickness of the pasta.

The pasta dough is pushed in at the top and when the handle is turned it comes out through the bottom into long thin (or thicker) noodles. It drops onto a table below that is covered with mesh to dry.

BIGOLI IN SALSA

Ingredients

• 400 g bigoli
• 6 salted anchovies
• 2 x onions
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until it is al dente.
• Wash the anchovies removing any bones and slice very finely.
• Peel the onions and slice finely as well.
• Heat half the olive oil in a skillet over low heat and sauté the onions until soft and golden (should it prove necessary deglaze with a little water).
• Add the anchovies and cook gently until they disintegrate.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the olive oil.

Toss the salsa in the pasta and serve with a tomato salad and fresh Venetian bread.