Wholemeal Spelt Gemelli | Gemelli di Farro Spelta Integrale

Our pals at Rio Vista Olives sent us the incredible oil that we cook with in this post. Like everything that we recommend on our blog, we use and love their products, and hope that you will too!

The Story

Last week we tried to escape the mists and frosts of winter with a little touch of the seaside, but this week we’re embracing it. Or at least trudging on, bolstered by a hearty bowl of chewy wholemeal spelt gemelli. Their twisty texture and earthy flavour makes for a fortifying plate of pasta, whether it’s stirred through a hearty ragu, or tossed with a bit of butter and pepper.

bread flour and wholemeal spelt flour in measuring cups on a chopping board

Despite their initial appearance and name, meaning ‘twins’, gemelli are traditionally made from single strands of pasta, folded in half and then twisted around themselves. We’re not too invested in tradition though, and decided to save a bit of time by chopping ours from longer rolled pieces. We also changed things up a bit by using equal amounts of wholemeal spelt to bread flour, giving us a bold, tasty pasta to pair with a hearty ragu. This is another flour and water classic, made entirely by hand; so leave your tools in the drawer, put on your favourite pasta-making playlist, and roll up your sleeves.

The Pasta

This recipe is similar to our cassarecce, and starts off like all good pasta should: mix the flour and water into a ball, and then knead for 10 minutes. Rest it in an airtight container away from heat or direct sunlight for another 30. Note that the high percentage of wholemeal spelt in this pasta does make it a more difficult dough to work with, so if you’re not quite up for a challenge, replace 25-75% of the spelt flour with 00 flour.

ball of bread flour and wholemeal flour pasta dough on a chopping board

To speed things along, we passed the dough through the pasta machine’s widest setting a few times, before chopping across the resulting sheet. This left us with wide strips that we then rolled by hand into long pieces of pasta. You can just as easily use a rolling pin though, or skip that step entirely and divide the main ball of dough into smaller sausages with your hands.

strips of pasta dough on a chopping board with gemelli in the foreground

Lengthen these out into thin strands of pasta by rolling each piece back and forwards as you move your hands gradually outwards from the centre. If you have trouble getting the pasta to sufficiently grip the board, give it a light spritz of water.

long strands of rolled pasta and strips of cut pasta to be made into gemelli

Once you’ve formed your long pasta pieces, fold them in half. Then, anchoring one end under one hand, roll the other end away from you, causing the pasta to twist around itself. Chop it up to lengths of 5-6cm, and transfer to a baking paper lined tray.

close up of bread flour and wholemeal spelt flour gemelli on a chopping board

Little Al and I made this to serve with a hearty osso buco, and we heartily recommend that you do the same! It definitely hit the spot. You can find the recipe here.

bowl of bread flour and wholemeal spelt gemelli with osso bucco and a side of gremolata on a table with a fork
Wholemeal Spelt Gemelli with Osso Buco

One final tip: this is a pasta best made with passion rather than precision! Mindful cooking doesn’t have to be perfect cooking, so don’t stress if you end up with a batch of gemelli all-sorts.

Have fun, and buon appetito!

– Al & Al.

PS. If you’re new to our little blog, and would like to know a bit more about us, check out our story here!

bread flour and wholemeal spelt flour gemelli on a chopping board

Wholemeal Spelt Gemelli

An earthy, firm pasta, with deep flavour and fantastic texture. These gemelli make the perfect accompaniment to both light and hearty sauces.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: bread flour, eggless, gemelli, Pasta, spelt, wholemeal spelt
Servings: 2
Calories: 372kcal

Equipment

  • Pasta roller and cutter (if not using a rolling pin and knife)
  • Air tight container for resting

Ingredients

  • 100 g wholemeal spelt flour
  • 100 g bread flour
  • 80 g water plus more if required
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Mix the flours and salt together, and form a well in a mixing bowl or kneading surface.
    bread flour and wholemeal spelt flour in measuring cups on a chopping board
  • Gradually pour in the water, using a fork to combine with the flour mix, until it begins to hold together as a ball.
  • Knead vigorously for 10 minutes. Ensure that you add water one teaspoon at a time if the dough is too dry, and flour one teaspoon at a time if too wet. The dough should hold together well, without sticking to your hands or the kneading surface.
    ball of bread flour and wholemeal flour pasta dough on a chopping board
  • Transfer to an airtight container and rest out of direct sunlight or heat for 30 minutes.
  • Roll the dough out into long sheets using a rolling pin or pasta machine. If using a machine, fold the pasta over itself a few times in between passes to further develop the gluten bonds.
  • Chop across the sheets to form short flat pieces of pasta, about 1cm in width. Cover what you won’t be immediately working on.
    strips of pasta dough on a chopping board with gemelli in the foreground
  • Roll each strip of pasta into a long thin sausage. Move your hands from the centre to the outside edges as you lengthen them.
    long strands of rolled pasta and strips of cut pasta to be made into gemelli
  • Fold each piece in half, pressing the ends together. Then anchor one end under one hand, as you roll the opposite end away from yourself. The two halves should twist together as you roll. If you find that your pasta is becoming difficult to handle at this point, it may be drying out; if this is the case, give it a light spritz of water.
  • Chop into 5-6cm pieces, and transfer to baking paper lined trays.
    close up of bread flour and wholemeal spelt flour gemelli on a chopping board
  • Refrigerate for up to one week, uncovered (this will assist it to dry out and develop a firm bite when cooked). If you’re looking for the perfect sauce to pair with this gemelli, try our osso buco! Retain a little water when you cook the pasta, to help the sauce and pasta emulsify as you stir them together.

Notes

Note: The high percentage of spelt flour does make this a difficult dough to work with. If you’d like to make it easier for yourself, replace 25-75% of the spelt flour with 00 flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 74.5g | Protein: 11.8g | Fat: 2.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 5mg
Made this recipe? We’d love to see!Mention @pastaetal or tag #pastaetal!


Related Posts

Striped Ricotta Fagottini with Garlic and Fennel Confit Purée

Striped Ricotta Fagottini with Garlic and Fennel Confit Purée

Working on our book over this last year or so, I’ve focused on pairing more complicated pasta with simpler sauces, and vice versa. It just allows you to save a little time on one element, and use that to create something special with another.

So the dough and pasta is the focus here, although the confit purée is deceptively impressive for its simplicity – you certainly don’t have to sacrifice flavour to save time! This is our Striped Ricotta Fagottini with Garlic and Fennel Confit Purée.

Tomato Day 2023

Tomato Day 2023

Tomato Day this year only happened because I’m notoriously bad at reading and responding to messages. In the space of 24 hours we somehow pulled it all together. My uncle was immediately up for the challenge, and had a guy lined up by the end of the day with probably the last Romas in Australia. My mum grabbed some regular tomatoes and came straight around from work so that we could use them to clean out the machine, my cousin made early-morning plans to turn up with her baby and mum in tow, my brother drove 2.5 hours in the dark in a breaking down car, and my startled father-in-law, by chance visiting from Sydney, found himself swept up in the unstoppable momentum of Tomato Day 2023.



1 thought on “Wholemeal Spelt Gemelli | Gemelli di Farro Spelta Integrale”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





As a subscriber to our mailing list, you'll be the first to know when a new post is up, and we'll even send you the occasional bit of exclusive content directly to your inbox!

Thank you! Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This