Istrian Fuzi - Delicious Traditional & Homemade Pasta

When we mention pasta, there is one specific region in Croatia that is known for its tradition of making authentic pasta - welcome to beautiful Istria, a Croatian peninsula that stands out due to its breathtaking views, picturesque nature, beautiful coast, and small towns which hid interesting history, culture, and traditional gastronomy.

Pljukanci, pasutice, lazanje, fidelini, makaruni, ravijoli, gnocchi, and rigationi present just a couple of types of Istrian pasta but the one that is by far the most famous out of them all is - Fuzi!

Istrian Fuzi

Fuzi is specific-looking pasta that resembles small flutes. Unlike the other types of pasta whose basic ingredients are flour and water, fuži are made with flour and eggs, and just a few drops of water. In the end, they are combined with various ingredients, sauces, and seasonings, so their softness beautifully combines with other flavors and nuances.

History of Istrian Fuzi

Fuzi dates to the beginning of the 20^th century. Nona Luca wanted to knead Pasutice, but then, out of the blue, she saw the opportunity of making something new and different - Fuzi! Pasutice or Krpice are simple squared-looking pasta so Nona came with the idea to fold the 2 opposite ends of the dough and that was it - Fuzi came to be!

Fuzi - Queen of Pasta

Yes, Fuzi is often referred to as the queen of all pasta. It is unique, simple to make, and delicious in the combination with a variety of ingredients and seasonings. From the time of Nona Luca until now, Fuzi is an unavoidable dish when it comes to festivities and celebrations, and it is a must-try dish for everyone who comes to Istria. Probably every household in Istria knows how to make Fuzi from scratch.

Homemade Fuzi with sauce

Fuzi is often prepared with asparagus, tomato sauce, prawns, truffles, beef, and other meat, fish, seafood, and vegetables. Whichever recipe you follow, just know this - in the end, Fuzi will beautifully combine with the used ingredients, their flavors, aromas, and nuances. But if you want a classic Istrian recipe for homemade fuzi with simple but rich in flavors tomato juice and rosemary, we are bringing you a visual step-by-step recipe! But firstly, here are a few tips which are important to follow in order to make the best pasta.

Tips for making Fuzi

When rolling out the dough, make sure you do it thinly. Also, while folding the 2 opposite ends of the dough, press them well in order to stick them together so they don't fall apart during the cooking time. To stick them better, use a bit of water on one end of the dough (square). This shall do the trick!

Now, let's knead and make some homemade pasta!

Ingredients and recipe

Ingredients for Fuzi

• 350 g bread flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt
• a bit of water
• parmesan (optional)

Ingredients for Sauce

• 500 ml tomato juice
• 2 cloves of garlic
• black pepper
• 1 tsp of red pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• rosemary

Kneading & Cooking Method

Making the Fuzi

Step 1

Put the flour into a bigger bowl. Make a small hollow in the flour and then add eggs, oil, wine, and a bit of water. Mix all the ingredients.

Ingredients for Istrian Fuzi

Step 2

After a few minutes, once the mixture is a bit firmer, start kneading it with your hands. When you get a nice, firm dough, put it on the floured table and knead it for a couple of more minutes.

Kneading the mixture

Step 3

Thinly roll out the dough. Start cutting it into strips (3-4 cm) and then into squares (3-4 cm).

Cutting the dough

Step 4

To ease up the folding process, use a ladle. Place its end on one piece of the square and fold the 2 opposite ends of the dough over each other. Once you do that, remove the ladle. Repeat this folding method with the rest of the dough. Once you fold everything, let the pasta rest for around 15 minutes.

Folding with the ladle

Step 5

To cook the pasta, put it into boiling and salted water and cook it for around 20 minutes. Of course, total cooking time depends on the thickness of the pasta.

Sauce for Istrian Fuzi

Step 1

Cut the garlic and put it in a bigger pan with olive oil. Add red pepper and then stir and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tomato juice and rosemary and mix all the ingredients. Cook the sauce for 30 minutes.

Cooking the sauce

Step 2

When the cooking time is near its end, add black pepper and salt into the sauce. Stir everything for a couple of more minutes.

Serve Fuzi with sauce (and parmesan if you like) and white wine.

Homemade Istrian Fuzi with tomato sauce and white wine

It is quite easy to make homemade pasta with the simple and visual step-by-step recipe, isn't it? Fuzi is delicious in the combination with tomato sauce and rosemary! All the nuances and aromas create beautiful and rich flavors of Istrian traditional cuisine. Of course, pasta can be combined with a variety of other ingredients but this one is simple, easy to do, and fantastic to taste!

If you're looking for more of Ana's recipes for Croatian dishes, visit the site KitchenToast!

Until then, make sure to enjoy these amazing traditional flavors!

Where to stay in Istria?

Finally, you can also try Istrian Fuzi in many of the fine-dining restaurants in Istria. If you decide to visit Istria and wonder where to stay during your gourmet vacation in Istria, feel free to browse our Villas in Istria.

Holiday Villa Bellisima in Istria

We wish you a pleasant stay and a wonderful gourmet experience in Istria!