Antonietta's Cicatelli

DIRECTIONS

Combine the flour with the salt. Make a well. Crack the eggs into the center of the well, add the oil and mix with a fork. (This may also be done in a food processor.)

Slowly incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients until you have a workable ball of dough. Add water only if the dough is too dry. Knead the ball for 5 minutes. Cover the dough with a clean towel and let it rest for a half hour.

Divide the rested dough into quarters and work with one piece at a time, leaving the rest covered with a towel. On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough into 1-inch thick ropes as you would for gnocchi. Cut the rope into 1/4-inch pieces and drag each piece with two fingers across the table to make a small gnocchi shape about an inch long.

As you form the cicatelli, let them rest in a single layer on floured towels so they don't stick together. Repeat this process until all the dough is used.

Cook the cicatelli in a pasta pot with salted boiling water 3 to 4 minutes. You may have to do this in batches of a couple dozen at a time. Drain the pasta well and pour it into the sauté pan and mix thoroughly with sauce of your choice.

Turn out onto a platter and serve immediately. Pass grated Pecorino cheese for sprinkling.