Bigoli ( Venetian: ''bìgołi'') is an

extruded Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile by pushing material through a die of the desired cross-section. Its two main advantages over other manufacturing processes are its ability to create very complex c ...

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...

in the form of a long and thick strand. Initially bigoli were made with buckwheat flour, but are now more commonly made with

whole wheat flour Whole-wheat flour (in the US) or wholemeal flour (in the UK) is a powdery substance, a basic food ingredient, derived by grinding or mashing the whole grain of wheat, also known as the wheatberry. Whole-wheat flour is used in baking of breads ...

, and sometimes include

duck eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especia ...

. The preparation is then extruded through a ''bigolaro'', from which the pasta gets its name. Bigoli is a term used in

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

; a similar type of pasta called

pici Pici (; ) is thick, hand-rolled pasta, like fat spaghetti.'' Il Devoto-Oli. Vocabolario della lingua Italiana'', edited by Luca Serianni and Maurizio Trifone, Le Monnier. It originates in the province of Siena in Tuscany; in the Montalcino are ...

is produced in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

History

There are different versions of the origins of the bigoli. They only agree that they originated in what is now the Veneto region. According to one theory, its origin dates back to the 14th century during the Venetian Turkish Wars. After the Turks sank numerous Venetian ships loaded with

durum Durum wheat (), also called pasta wheat or macaroni wheat (''Triticum durum'' or ''Triticum turgidum'' subsp. ''durum''), is a tetraploid species of wheat. It is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat, although it represen ...

, the remaining flour was stretched with

common wheat Common wheat (''Triticum aestivum''), also known as bread wheat, is a cultivated wheat species. About 95% of wheat produced worldwide is common wheat; it is the most widely grown of all crops and the cereal with the highest monetary yield. Ta ...

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

. The new mixture was used for a dough, formed into a large spaghetto and called a bigolo. In 1604, a pasta maker from

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

named Bartolomio Veronese, known as Abbondanza, patented a press for making bigoli. This was the real triumph of the bigoli. According to another version, the bigoli are the result of a further development of a type of pasta that was already widespread in

Northeast Italy Northeast Italy ( it, Italia nord-orientale or just ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency. Northeast ...

. They were first mentioned as bigoli in the 15th century at the court of the Bishop of

Eraclea Eraclea () is a small city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, northern Italy. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast between the towns of Caorle and Jesolo. History From its founding until 742 AD, the Repu ...

.''Le paste d’Italia'' (= ''Le guide de L’Espresso.'') S. 178.

References

* * Types of pasta Cuisine of Veneto {{Italy-cuisine-stub

History

See also

References