Umbricelli, dialectally called umbrichi, umbrichelli or umbrichelle, are large handmade spaghetti made with flour and water characteristic of the province of Perugia and the town of Orvieto (Terni). The name umbricelli comes from the Perugian dialect umbrico meaning earthworm, because of their long, rounded shape, precisely like an earthworm.
The ingredients, wheat flour and water, are worked by hand on a wooden pastry board; once a homogeneous dough is obtained, a sheet of dough about 5 to 8 mm. thick is rolled out with the rasagnolo; strips of dough (about 10 cm. wide) are cut horizontally, which in turn are cut into small strips (about 1 cm. wide), which are pulled by hand on the pastry board until they form spaghetti about 25 to 30 cm. long.
The process is laborious, but the result is excellent: umbricelli are a testament to the sobriety and simplicity of the Umbrian cuisine of yesteryear.
The seasoning possibilities are very varied. They range from the old-fashioned battuto (bacon beaten on a cutting board, sautéed with onion, carrot, celery and herbs to taste), to a sauce with oil, garlic, tomato and chili pepper (the classic arrabbiata), to a sauce with mushrooms or asparagus. The black truffle sauce is also worth trying.
