MACCARRUNI - Mamma Stag's Hand Made Sicilian Macaroni, No Machine Required

Like to give home made pasta a go? But can’t bring yourself to buy a pasta machine which will just take up valuable kitchen room. And you really don’t know how often you’ll use it anyway? Then give my mum’s pasta machine free Maccarruni a go...

This is a great home made pasta from my childhood – in Siclian dialect we simply call these “maccarruni” (maccheroni in Italian, macaroni in English). My mother tells me that women in Sicily would use a knitting needle or umbrella spoke to roll these Maccarruni out - but I wouldn't recommend it today as they as they seem to be coated with paint that may chip and end up in your pasta - so simply just use a skewer instead.

Unlike most fresh pastas this is made with no eggs, so its great for vegans. Did I mention you don’t need a pasta machine??

You’ll need…

Ingredients, tools etc

1 kg flour for pasta (farina per pasta di casa) – plus extra for flouring surfaces etc.

2 tablespoons of olive oil

350 – 400 ml of luke warm water (tip: mix together 1/3 boiled water and 2/3 room temperature water mix them together and you’ve got luke warm water)

Large bowl

Large clean bench (or kitchen table will do)

1 or 2 wooden or metal skewers

Plastic storage boxes or plastic freezer bags (if freezing macaroni to be cooked another day)

A few lightly floured boards, metal baking sheets or trays (if freezing them to cook later)

Tea towels (if cooking them now)

OK, now you can get started…

1) In a large bowl add flour, then olive oil and water. Mix with a wooden spoon from the outer of the bowl towards the centre, until it all comes together and starts to resemble dough.



2) Remove dough from bowl and onto a bench/table and knead. Knead into a nice large sausage shape, bend the sausage and knead again into another large sausage. Repeat this a few times until the dough is nice and elastically. Knead into a big ball like shape, and place back in bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

3) Take dough onto bench and knead a little. Break off bits of dough the size of a golf ball. Roll each “golf ball” into a long sausage shape about 20 to 25 cm long. The diameter of the “sausage” should be about 1cm.

4) Cut sausage into 2cm long bits. My mother calls these bits "pizzuluni". Let these bits rest for about 10 minutes – no cover. This lets them dry up a litte and makes turning them into macaroni easier.

5) Now start to turn these dough bits into macaroni. This is the tricky part. It can take some practice and trial and error. Sit at a table or stand at bench. Place one of the dough bits in front of you on the bench. Take a skewer and place into onto of the dough bit and lightly press it into the dough bit until the skewer in half way into the dough. With your fingers pinch the dough up so it encases the skewer. With the palm of your hand gently start rolling back and forth, the macaroni with start to form. Then start rolling with the palm part of your fingers with each roll move your hands outwards, this will help lengthen the macaroni. When the macaroni is about 8 to 10cm in length remove the macaroni and place on a floured tray if freezing or if too be cooked within about a few hours place on tea towel. The macaroni can be removed by holding the skewer with one hand and with the other hand grabbing the macaroni gently and pulling it off. If the macaroni won’t come off you have either not rolled it gently enough or grabbed it too hard when trying to pull it off.


Another way to remove the maccoroni is to hold the skewer at one end and tap the other end onto the floured tray (or tea towel) and it should slide off. Again, if it does not slide off you have not rolled the macaroni gently enough.

Maybe these photos will help...

Or maybe this video will help....

Macaroni are now ready to cook or freeze to cook another time.

If freezing place trays full of macaroni into a freezer for one hour or more. Then remove from freezer and place macaroni into freezer bags of plastic boxes in batches of 350 grams. This is 2 serves of macaroni (discard flour from tray). Tip: don’t just shake macaroni into your bags/containers – you’ll end up with macaroni and flour, most of the flour should remain on your tray.


Tip: if cooking from frozen do not thaw – just throw them straight into the salted boiling water.

To cook macaroni (from frozen or unfrozen) place macaroni into salted boiling water (1 litre of water and 1 teaspoon salt per 100 g of macaroni), water will stop boiling.

When water starts boiling again – allow to cook for about 1 minute and drain.

Serve with a good meaty sauce (like a ragu) or just a simple garlic, tomato & basil sauce. Top it with some grated pecorino or parmesean cheese (pecorino is more traditional).

Please show these Macaroni (and your hard work) respect, don't try to make Mac and Cheese with them!


Enjoy.