It's a very special pasta, even for Italians. You can find it in a small area, Lunigiana, between Liguria and Toscana.
I know them very well since I was little because, driving back from Tuscany, after the summer spent at my aunt house, we would always stop and buy a couple of Testaroli to take home. Since I cannot find them here and my family is in Tuscany at the moment, I decided to try to cook them and somehow feel there with them. This will be the dish for our next IG class about Liguria.
The texture is very strange, a bit chewy, don't expect traditional pasta. They are basically thick crepes, cut into diamond shape and boiled, traditionally seasoned with fresh pesto.
INGREDIENTS: (4 servings)
300g flour
450ml water
a pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Bring your cast iron pan on medium low heat
Put the flour and salt into a bowl. Slowly add the water
Mix with a whisk till you get a smooth batter (similar to pancakes). If you have time let the batter rest for one hour
When your pan is hot, add some oil and grease the pan with some paper towel
Pour one ladleful of batter (the crepe should be 3/4mm thick) and cover with a lid
Cook for about 4-5 minutes each side
Bring salty water to boil
When cooled off, cut the Testaroli into diamond shape
Boil the Testaroli for about 2-3 minutes (they come to the surface)
Season with Pesto alla Genovese (https://www.amamikitchen.com/post/pesto-alla-genovese) or simply good Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Parmigiano.
Buon Appetito!
You can refrigerate the disc for a day and cook them the next one. Freezing is not advised.