I had the pleasure this evening of sitting at a table and watching my hosts slave over the table making me homemade pasta with funghi (mushrooms) and crostinis with smoked ham and some pungent cheese that was delicious. I would love to make this a recipe post, however, I was too busy snacking, humming away to some retro Italian music they had playing and chatting on gmail to my bff whose making her way to see me next week.

But I thought it was well deserved seeing as how I’m usually the one cooking for my friends, so I just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the Pici.

Pici is handmade pasta consisting of only flour, water and salt. It is kneaded and kneaded and kneaded (a glass of wine for each session of kneading highly recommended) and then rolled into long, thicker than spaghetti noodles. It is then boiled like any pasta and served with a sauce of sliced mushrooms, parsley, salt and olive oil. It originates in Siena, where my host cleverly informed me that the more imperfect the pasta turns out the more genuinely handmade you know it is. ha

It was a pleasure to dine on the beloved balcony and leisurely converse in slightly broken English til the wine (and Pici) were gone. The wind blew and kept the mosquitos at bay, making it a perfect Pici night.