🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🍝 Maccheroni alla Mugnaia
Maccheroni alla Mugnaia
A thick, hand-pulled pasta from Scanno, traditionally rolled into one continuous strand around a wooden stick, tossed in a rich pork and tomato ragù thick enough to coat every ridge.
The technique behind maccheroni alla mugnaia is genuinely unusual — a single, very long strand of dough is rolled and pulled around a thin wooden rod, resulting in a rustic, chewy noodle designed specifically to trap a substantial meat ragù.
Ingredients
Equipment: Thin wooden dowel, Rolling pin, Heavy-bottomed pot, Large pot for pasta
- 500 g (4 cups) 00 flour
- 250 ml (1 cup) water, approximately
- Pinch of salt
- 600 g (1.3 lb) mixed pork (shoulder and sausage), cut into pieces
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) dry red wine
- 600 g (1.3 lb) canned crushed tomatoes
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Grated pecorino, for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Combine the flour, water, and salt into a very firm dough, kneading for 15 minutes until smooth. Rest, covered, for 30 minutes.
- For the ragù, warm the olive oil in a heavy pot and brown the pork well on all sides.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery, sautéing until softened.
- Add the wine and let it reduce, then add the crushed tomatoes.
- Cover and simmer gently for 1.5–2 hours, until the pork is very tender, shredding it into the sauce toward the end.
- Roll the pasta dough into a large, thin sheet, then cut into one very long, wide strand.
- Wrap the strand around a thin wooden dowel and roll to thin and stretch it further, creating the traditional single long noodle.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 4–5 minutes until tender.
- Drain and toss with the pork ragù, serving with grated pecorino.
Chef Tips
- The traditional technique produces one single, very long strand of pasta — a simpler cut into thick, long noodles works as a reasonable substitute.
- The pork ragù needs genuine time to become properly tender and rich — don't rush this step.
- This dish is traditionally associated with the mountain town of Scanno and its distinctive hand-pulled pasta technique.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing the ragù, which leaves the pork tough rather than falling-apart tender.
- Making the pasta too thin, losing the rustic, chewy bite that makes this pasta suited to a hearty sauce.
- Skipping the shredding step, missing the way the ragù is meant to fully coat and cling to the thick noodles.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein from the pork.
Cultural Note
Maccheroni alla mugnaia is a defining specialty of Scanno in Abruzzo, its unusual hand-pulled technique producing a single, very long strand of pasta traditionally rolled by local women.
Storage & Serving
Storage: The ragù keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat the ragù gently on the stovetop; cook fresh pasta just before serving.
Serve with: A robust red wine from Abruzzo