bigoli

Nearly every region has its handmade spaghetti— pici, for instance, in Tuscany— and bìgoli are the version in Venice, which originally were supposed to be as thick as knitting needles.

Traditionally they were made of buckwheat and duck eggs but today they're usually made from wheat or whole wheat and chicken eggs. To make them, the pasta is squeezed through a press called a bigolaro, (or torcio) a device first recorded in the 17th century and still used today.

Classic preparations include bigoli con l’anatra (or bigoi co' l'arna) cooked in a duck broth, and served in a sauce flavoured with its giblets.

Another popular version is bigoli in salsa with a sauce of butter, garlic, parsley, onions, and anchovy fillets.