Mezze maniche
Foods, Culinary bases, Flour-based foods, Shaped unleavened doughs, Italian pasta
Availability: Central Italy, Southern Italy, Emilia-Romagna
Introduction
Mezze maniche is a type of short tubular pasta closely related to rigatoni and penne. The name mezze maniche literally translates to “half sleeves” in Italian, referring to their short, barrel-like shape that resembles a cut-off version of rigatoni. They are usually straight (not curved), with ridges along their outer surface and ends cut perpendicular to the tube walls, similar to rigatoni. Typically wider and shorter than penne, mezze maniche are especially appreciated for their ability to hold dense sauces, thanks to both their internal cavity and the external ridges.
Mezze maniche production method
Mezze maniche are typically sold as dry pasta, ready to cook straight from the package. However, it’s also possible to make them from scratch at home, as shown in the recipe below.
Mezze maniche
Іngredients
- 500 g durum wheat semolina (3 1/4 cups )
- 250 ml
water (1 cup)
Іnstructions
- Place the semolina flour on a clean work surface and gradually add the water, mixing it in slowly while kneading continuously. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Knead until you obtain a smooth, uniform dough.
- Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough using a pasta machine or a rolling pin until you get a smooth, thin sheet about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) thick.
- Cut the sheet into squares of equal size, each side measuring approximately 2 centimeters (0.8 inches). Place each square on the rigagnocchi so that the ridges run straight and lengthwise.
- Place the stick that comes with the rigagnocchi onto the dough square, then roll it around to shape the classic rigatone. Continue this process until all the dough squares are used.
- (Alternatively, cut the dough into pieces and feed them into an extruder fitted with a rigatoni-shaped die. Turn the handle, cutting the dough each time it reaches about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) in length).
- Gather all the rigatoni on a tray, spreading them out well, and store them in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to cook them.
Notes:
Nutritional facts table
Please note that nutritional values may vary slightly depending on the producer or the exact ingredients used.
| Nutrients | Per 100 g dry weight | Per 100 g fresh weight |
| Calories (kcal) | 359 | 240 |
| Total fat (g) | 2 | 1 |
| ———Saturated fat (g) | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 0.5 | 0.67 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 70.9 | 48 |
| ———Dietary fiber (g) | 3 | 2.6 |
| ———Total sugar (g) | 3.5 | 0.4 |
| Protein (g) | 12.8 | 8.7 |
Recipes that use this product as an ingredient:
Photo(s):
1. Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons