Trofie are a traditional pasta shape hailing from the comune of Sori on Italy’s Golfo Paradiso (Gulf of Paradise), in the western region of Liguria. Despite the close proximity of Sori to the west coast’s port city of Genova, trofie were not commonly found in Genova until the mid-20th century. The word trofie, pronounced trof·ee·eh, comes from the Ligurian word strufuggiâ, meaning ‘to rub’, which is a reference to how the dough is prepared. Trofie get their unique, twisted shape by rolling and rubbing on a wooden board.
Make our Delicious Fresh Trofie
Serves: 2-3 people
Prep time: 45 minutes
Calories per serving: 232 kcal
Ingredients
- 200g semolina flour or durum wheat flour
- 100ml warm water
- Pinch of salt
Tools
- Fork
- Wooden board
Method
Follow the steps below or watch our lovely sfoglina, Roberta, make fresh trofie in our video guide. To watch Roberta make the vegan pasta dough used in this recipe, watch our vegan pasta dough guide.
Part 1: Making the dough
- On a clean marble or wooden work surface, pile your flour and pinch of salt into a mound.
- Make a well in the centre of the mound large enough to contain the water.
- Gently pour the water into the well.
- Gradually add the flour to the water, slowly incorporating the flour from the sides of the well. As the mixture thickens, start using your hands with a scraper to continue incorporating the flour.
Part 2: Knead the dough
- Clean the work surface of any excess flour or dough bits that never incorporated. Then lightly flour your clean work surface.
- Knead the dough by pressing the heel of one hand into the ball, keeping your fingers high.
- Press down on the dough while pushing it firmly away from you. The dough should stretch and roll under your hand to create a shell-like shape.
- Turn the dough over, then press into the dough with your knuckles, one hand at a time. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy to the touch.
- Roll the dough into a smooth ball.
Part 3: Let the dough rest
- Place the dough in a small bowl and cover with a tea towel or cling film.
- Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes at room temperature.
Part 4: Shaping your trofie
- Divide your dough in half and cover one half so that it doesn't dry out. Cut a section from the remaining dough and roll it into a thin sausage shape, approximately 5mm thick.
- Cut the dough sausage into 2-3cm pieces. Then, take each piece and, using your palm, quickly roll it away from you diagonally on a wooden board.
- The trofie should start at the centre of your palm and get rolled to the outside of your palm. This motion will create a delicate spiral in the pasta. If you are having difficulty with this motion, you can also roll the pasta down the base of your palm to your fingertips.
- Repeat this until all of your dough is used up.
Part 5: Cooking your trofie
- When you've finished shaping all of your trofie, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook your pasta in the water for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve with a sauce of your choice. We recommend a delicious salsa di noci, or walnut pesto.
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