Anyone who sits down at a Salentine table on feast days will sooner or later find themselves in front of a steaming bowl of sagne 'ncannulate (also known as sagne torte).
This is an iconic fresh pasta format, inextricably linked to our land. Imagine long spirals, similar to thick, rough pappardelle, carefully twisted upon themselves. This unique, sinuous shape is not a purely aesthetic whim: it was born precisely to capture and hold the rich, full-bodied sauces of our peasant tradition.
The origins: a poor dish, but rich in ingenuity
The history of this pasta tells us about the resourcefulness of Salentine women. Sagne 'ncannulate were born as a humble dish, a very simple dough made only from water and flour. No eggs: in the past they were considered too precious and expensive a resource to be "wasted" in the everyday dough!
The name itself tells its story. The word "sagne" derives from the Latin sagna (which indicated a kind of garment), while "'ncannulate" refers to the gesture of rolling the dough. Originally, the pasta was twisted around a small stick or a piece of cane (canna, hence the name) to give it its characteristic spiral shape.
During World War I and World War II, when poverty was biting hard, cheaper flours were used instead of precious durum wheat, such as barley flour, which gave the pasta a much darker colour. Today we use high-quality local durum wheat semolina.
The kneading ritual: water, flour and expert hands
Preparing sagne is not just cooking, it is a true ritual passed down from generation to generation.
All you need is 500 grams of durum wheat semolina, warm water and a pinch of salt. The flour is arranged in a well on a wooden board and kneaded energetically until a firm but elastic dough is formed. From there, a sheet is rolled out — not too thin — and cut into strips about 20–25 cm long and a couple of centimetres wide. At this point the magic happens: with a quick press of the palm on the board, the strip coils upon itself, creating the perfect cradle for the sauce.
How are they dressed? The variations and "our" special version
The beauty of this pasta format is its versatility:
- The summer version: Lighter and fresher. The sagne are dressed with a fresh tomato sauce, plenty of basil and a generous grating of Salentine cacioricotta.
- The winter version: More substantial, often based on a thick tomato passata, aged pecorino and sometimes the addition of meat or vegetables.
And then there is the heartfelt version, the one we make ourselves. At Locanda Tu Marchese, the Sunday dish must be a true celebration. Our sagne are enveloped in the sweet passata made from the tomatoes of our farm. On top, a cascade of aged pecorino and the magic touch: tiny little fried meatballs, prepared with care and patience by Nonna Tetta. A flavour explosion that will take you straight back to childhood!
From the table to your hands: our Workshop
Have you come to Matino to savour the true essence of Salento? As well as enjoying steaming sagne 'ncannulate in our restaurant, you can live an experience you won't easily forget.
In our urban farmhouse we have set up a fresh pasta workshop. Here, guided by the skilled hands of Nonna Tetta, you can literally "get your hands in the dough", learning the traditional technique for rolling the perfect sagne 'ncannulate, discovering the secrets of the dough, and taking home a piece of Salentine culture.