Foglie d’ulivo are a very rustic southern Italian pasta named for the olive leaves their shape resembles. They will be somewhat irregular, just like olive leaves, so don’t try to make them all perfectly the same and don’t worry if they even tear a little. Smaller pieces of dough, around 1cm thick (no more than ½″), are easiest to work with – at least until you’ve mastered how to shape foglie d’ulivo, then you can make larger leaves if you like. This olive leaf pasta has a lovely slippery texture when cooked, and the rough area in the centre holds pasta sauces really well. Shaping foglie d’ulivo may feel a little awkward at first, as you try to hold the dough in place with one hand while stretching it with the flat of the knife in the other hand, but once you’ve done it a few times you’ll be surprised how easy – and satisfying – it is. Though it’s now popular throughout southern Italy, foglie d’ulivo originated in Puglia where it’s traditionally dressed with chopped ripe tomato, burrata and – if you like – a touch of chilli. I love it tossed with plenty of olive oil, garlic and chilli (like a spaghetti aglio e olio) or a vibrant green pesto (see video below) to highlight its olive leaf shape. It’s best to make foglie d’ulivo (or any pasta) on a wooden bench as it will absorb any excess moisture. This makes the dough easier to handle without the need to dust with extra flour. The semolina you use on the tray to hold the pasta is the slightly coarse product (called semola in Italian) rather than the twice-milled rimacinata semolina flour used to make the pasta dough.
To make enough foglie d’ulivo to serve 4 as a starter, you’ll need:
Here’s how to make foglie d’ulivo:
Here’s how to cook foglie d’ulivo:
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