Golden, hearty and made from durum wheat, semolina flour is the key to the firm, toothy bite of southern Italy’s hand-shaped pastas. Start with my simple Semolina Pasta Dough, made with just flour, water and salt, then shape it into Homemade Orecchiette from Puglia, ridged Malloreddus (Gnocchetti Sardi) or twisted Sardinian Lorighittas, no machine needed. And if you have a pasta machine, try thick, chewy Venetian Homemade Bigoli Pasta.