Testaroli con Pesto

Testaroli  is propably the oldest type of Italian Pasta. Testaroli were know since the Roman Empire and Testaroli with Pesto sauce are a traditional dish of Lunigiana, a beautiful area in the North-West part of Tuscany, bordering Liguria, where pesto was invented. 
The name Testaroli comes from "testo" which was a domed griddle (made with cast iron or stone) on which the pasta dough was cooked.

The dough is just flour and water, in the past only water and Farro from Lunigiana were used (a typical grain  of the area) . 

The procedure is interesting because the dough is first cooked into a crepe and then cut into strips then diamonds (or squares) and finally boiled like pasta. They have a unique consistency, almost like gnocchi and soak up the Pesto sauce wonderfully.

Testaroli is a dish which belongs to the so called "poor cousine" and is a part of cooking tradition of Lunigiana. Discover this wonderful dish and be part of our culture! 

Viva la Toscana!