Semolina pasta is simply pasta made from Semolina flour. Semolina flour is a type of flour made from Durum wheat, or other “hard” wheats. Durum wheat is considered a “hard” type, which creates a coarse flour when it’s milled.
Semolina flour is usually the most preferred when creating pasta, and it’s considered some of the best quality. Which is why we at Dagostino’s always make our pasta using only Semolina wheat and water.
You can learn more about Semolina pasta, flours and it’s benefits in our blog “Semolina Pasta: Why it’s Better”.
But for now, check out these easy semolina pasta recipes you need to try ASAP.
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Fettuccine With Arugula and Mushrooms
- Cajun Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Traditional Italian Lasagna
- Gulf Shrimp Spaghetti with Veggies
- Basic Semolina Pasta dough recipe
- About Dagostino's Pasta
Italian Wedding Soup
Made with Dagostino Pastina “Birds Eye” pasta, this dish radiates warmth and familiarity.
The meat is hearty and fulfilling, yet the broth is flavorful and light. This combination creates a delicious balance or a “happy marriage” within the dish.
The term "wedding soup" comes from the Italian phrase "minestra maritata" or "married soup". Married Soup is a reference to the flavor produced by the "marriage" of the greens and the meat.
Fettuccine with Arugula and Mushrooms
Looking for an easy healthy pasta recipe? This vegetarian pasta recipe is not only really tasty but takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. Minimal prep time combined with our fast-cooking semolina pasta means you can start eating dinner quicker.
Did we mention this recipe is dairy free as well? Semolina Fettuccine Pasta perfectly captures this olive oil based sauce. And hearty mushrooms with Arugula leaves you full and satisfied, making this recipe perfect for weeknight dinners.
Cajun Chicken Lemon Piccata
This easy lemon chicken piccata recipe is defined by its classic southern Italian flavors but with a cajun twist. The piccata sauce adds a nutty depth by substituting butter for roux that clings to our best selling crawfish shaped pasta. Breaded cajun chicken brings the heat in this dish, which is balanced by the tangy citrus of lemon.
Prepare to tantalize even the most discerning taste buds as we set the bar high with this recipe. You can prepare a piccata that is fit for Sunday dinner, but simple enough for Wednesday night.
Traditional Italian Lasagna
A Traditional and a staple recipe for most families. This recipe is the epitome of "Nonna's" lasagna. This lasagna was featured on John Folse’s cooking show “A Taste of Louisiana”! This recipe captures the true authentic flavor of old world italian cuisine.
Three different cheeses, tender lasagna pasta, combined with authentic tomato sauce create a crispy top layer as well as an ooey-gooey pull apart center.
This recipe is sure to impress the whole family!
Gulf Shrimp Spaghetti with Veggies
This easy 20 minute recipe gives a southern twist on classic spaghetti. This Shrimp Spaghetti uses a garlic, butter and oil base, giving it a light profile to compliment juicy Gulf shrimp.
The Cajun kick comes in with the inclusion of crushed red pepper and other spices. Golden and tender spaghetti pasta perfectly captures the sauce and spices with an even coat. The recipe is completely customizable when it comes to the veggies. This recipe pairs really well with mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash or chopped plum tomatoes.
Basic Semolina Pasta dough recipe
If you’d like to try your hand at making Semolina pasta at home, try this simple recipe. This recipe yields about 4 cups of pasta.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of semolina flour and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- After dry ingredients are mixed together, add ½ cup of warm water.
- Increase the amount of water if needed. For instance, if the mixture seems too dry.
- Generously cover your cooking surface with all purpose flour, wheat flour, or more semolina durum wheat flour.
- Pat and shape the pasta dough into a ball. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cover your dough with saran wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Roll out your pasta dough either with a rolling pin or pasta roller machine. Work with ¼ of the dough at a time. Pro tip: Keep the rest of the dough you’re not working with covered to avoid it drying out.
- Roll pasta out until it’s about 1/16 of an inch thick. On a pasta maker this should be the second from the widest setting.
- Once your dough is rolled into a sheet, take a sharp knife and cut into your desired shape.
- Boil your fresh pasta in salted water for 3-5 minutes - or until al dente. Drain.
- Add in pasta according to your chosen recipe.
This recipe is meant for semolina pasta to be served fresh, not dried. At dagostino Pasta, we left our homemade pasta dry in wooden cellars for 3 days on bamboo drying racks.
Our dried pasta is still very fresh, allowing it to cook faster and more tender than mass produced pasta. Our Angel hair semolina pasta can reach al dente in about 3 minutes. This means less time spent in the kitchen and more time enjoying your favorite meals!
Buon Appetito!
About Dagostino's Pasta
From Lemons to Premium Pasta...
Our founders, the Fresina Family, were some of the original lemon farmers in Sicily during the early 19th century. During that time, Sicilians created settlements in New Orleans as citrus traders and brought pasta with them on their voyage. The Fresina Family felt right at home in Louisiana which led to The Fresina Macaroni Manufacturing Company being born in 1926. This began the foundation of 3 generations of hard-work and implementing traditional Italian methods to create handmade pasta that is now Dagostino Pasta.
We continue to stick to our Italian roots by producing our pasta the old-fashioned way right here in New Orleans. Our centuries-old delicate method consists of small quantities of pure semolina pasta cut through bronze, carefully looped over wooden rods, straightened and the air-dried in wooden cellars. We are dedicated to preserving our family traditions and Italian customs for many more generations to come.
Every pure artisan pasta deserves to be paired with a delicious sauce. Dagostino has some of the most authentic sauces available outside of Italy. Our fresh herb and spice blend is unique, preservative free, and all handmade in small batches. We pride ourselves for our ingredients being all-natural and preservative free, providing you with premium artisan pasta and tasty sauces to enjoy.
You will experience our time-honored family treasure in every meal.