Foglie d'Ulivo: The Olive Leaf Pasta Shape

Foglie d'ulivo is an Apulian pasta shape named for the olive leaves it resembles — which is also why it's traditionally made with a vibrant green dough. The technique is similar to orecchiette, but I find it a bit more forgiving to learn, which makes it a nice stepping stone if orecchiette has felt tricky.

Ingredients

• Spinach semolina dough (100g dough per portion)

Tools

• Kitchen knife (a butter knife works well)

• Large wooden working board

• Dry kitchen towel

Roll and portion

Quarter your dough, keeping what you're not using covered so it doesn't dry out. Roll one portion into a long snake, about as thick as your pinky finger. Cut it into inch-long pieces.

Thin the edges

With a slightly cupped palm, roll each piece once more over your working top to thin out the edges.

Drag to shape

Place a butter knife at the edge of a dough piece and pull it across with firm pressure, dragging and tearing the dough as you go. You'll see the inside of the piece develop an organic, textured structure while the outside curls around it — this is what creates the resemblance to a thin olive leaf. Place each finished piece on a dry kitchen towel as you work.

Beyond spinach green

Once you're comfortable with the technique, it's worth trying other colors for a seasonal variation — cocoa, paprika, and turmeric doughs turn this into a little bouquet of autumn-toned leaves.

Serving

These pair well with anything that lets their shape and texture shine — a light butter sauce or a simple pesto both work nicely.

Shop Pasta Tools →