The "ferretto" or "ferro" is an ancient and simple brass stick with a square section, useful for making a typical variety of homemade pasta from the Apulian tradition called "fusilli or maccheroni al ferretto".
In the past this pasta was prepared at home with durum wheat semolina, flour and water.
A thin sheet of dough is wrapped around the underwire and then rolled on a pastry board to lengthen the macaroni. Once the length of 6 cm has been reached, the underwire is removed and the resulting dough is aligned on a lightly floured surface waiting to be cooked.
Usually macaroni al ferretto is seasoned with a pork, veal or sausage sauce.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE:
for every 100 g of semolina flour you need about 100 ml of warm water and a pinch of salt.
METHOD:
Mix the flour with a pinch of salt and form the classic fountain with a hole in the middle. Add the water a little at a time and knead until you obtain a smooth, firm dough. Divide the dough into eight parts and let it rest for half an hour in a plastic bag. Divide the dough into many pieces with which you will form salamis which you will then cut into 3.5 cm long pieces. Take the iron, put light pressure on the piece of dough and slide the iron back and forth with quick and short movements, so that the dough stretches, rolling up to it but without sticking.
TIP: if the underwire doesn't come off the macaroni well, then your dough isn't ready yet. Add flour and continue kneading, because otherwise the hole in the macaroni will not appear. Gently remove the dough from the underwire and align it on a floured surface. Let them rest overnight.
Then put a nice tall saucepan on the heat and cook your macaroni in plenty of salted water.