What are pici al cinghiale?

The pici al cinghiale are thick, hand-rolled fresh pastas, served with a wild boar ragù simmered a long time in red wine and tomato. It is one of the most common dishes in the trattorias of southern Tuscany, from inland Maremma to Monte Amiata.

The pici come from the south of the province of Sienabetween the Val d'Orcia and the Val di Chiana. The dough is simple: flour, water and a pinch of salt, usually without egg. Each piece is rolled between the palms to form a long, thick, irregular spaghetti, which gives a firm texture that holds sauces well. Wild boar, for its part, is the game of Maremma: it is also found in pappardelle or stew. Other classic sauces with pici: theaglione (tomato and the large sweet garlic of the Val di Chiana), the crumbs (fried bread crumbs in oil) or cacio e pepe.

To recognize handmade pici, look at their shape: uniform, smooth pastas often come out of a package. In the Amiata area, the village of Seggiano even organizes a sagra of picio, the Sagra del Picio of Seggiano. The dish is presented in more detail on the pici al ragù di cinghiale fact sheet.