Doughs:
Sauces:
What they are
Ancient pasta spirals from Sicily, and a remnant of the region’s Arab influence. Their signature ringlet shape was first created by coiling long ropes of dough around a reed called a busa, from the Arabic “bus”; today, a metal rod known as a ferretto, or ferro, is used to achieve the same effect. It took me years to find a ferretto, so instead I used a knitting needle from my local crafts store—it made no less beautiful busiate. (A wooden or metal barbecue skewer works wonders, too.)
How they’re traditionally served
With a refreshing tomato and almond pesto (pesto alla trapanese), tomatoes and fresh tuna, and other seafood.
MAKE THE DOUGH
Make your dough of choice and let it rest, tightly covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes.
SET UP YOUR WORKSPACE
Dust a sheet pan with semolina or line it with a dry dishcloth. Gather your tools.
ROLL THE DOUGH INTO A SLAB
Cut off a quarter of the dough and keep the rest covered. Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand into a rough oval. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a scant ¼-inch (6-mm) thick slab, about the thickness of pita bread.
CUT THE DOUGH INTO STRIPS
Slice the dough into strips a little thinner than ½ inch (1.25 cm) wide. They will all be different lengths.
ROLL THE STRIPS INTO STRANDS
Position one of the strips horizontally on your work surface and cover the other pieces with a dishcloth. Starting in the center, use your fingers to roll the strip of dough into a thin strand that’s about a scant ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, or a little thicker than pici.
MAKE THE BUSIATE
If using a ferretto, cut the rope into 8-inch (20-cm) lengths; if using a knitting needle or other skewer, cut the rope into pieces that are a little shorter than what you have.
Position a piece of dough vertically on your work surface. Place your skewer at a 45-degree angle toward the left-hand side in an upside-down V.
Holding the bottom of the skewer loosely in place with your left hand, use your right hand to roll the other end—where the dough and skewer meet—toward you as if tracing an arc. (I like to think of it as drawing a rainbow). The pasta will naturally wrap around the skewer like a telephone cord.
Once the dough is completely twisted around the skewer, position it horizontally on your work surface. Gently roll the skewer, with the pasta still attached, back and forth once or twice to flatten the dough. Twist the skewer to loosen the pasta and slide it off.
Arrange the finished busiate in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining pieces, and then the remaining dough. If you have the time, let the pasta dry for an hour (or up to 5 hours) before cooking.
COOK THE PASTA
Cook the busiate until tender but with some bite, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on their thickness and drying time.
