{"id":64917,"date":"2025-04-08T14:55:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T12:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/znam.si\/uncategorized\/homemade-pljukanci-a-recipe-for-authentic-istrian-pasta-that-always-turns-out-great\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T22:59:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T20:59:09","slug":"homemade-pljukanci-a-recipe-for-authentic-istrian-pasta-that-always-turns-out-great","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/recipes-and-food\/pasta-risottos\/homemade-pljukanci-a-recipe-for-authentic-istrian-pasta-that-always-turns-out-great\/","title":{"rendered":"Homemade pljukanci \u2013 a recipe for authentic Istrian pasta that always turns out great"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Homemade pljukanci<\/strong> are a traditional Istrian pasta that charms with its simplicity and exceptional taste. These hand-rolled pieces made from flour, eggs, and olive oil are the foundation of many Istrian dishes \u2013 from asparagus and truffle sauces to rich meat goulashes. Their secret lies in the elastic dough and the characteristic shape that absorbs sauces perfectly. Preparation is simple and requires no special tools \u2013 just a little time, patience, and a love for home cooking.   <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ingredients for homemade pljukanci (for 4 people)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>300 g soft white flour (type 500 \/ all-purpose)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 egg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a pinch of salt<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>lukewarm water as needed (approx. 50\u201370 ml)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"dropcapp4 wp-block-paragraph\">1. Sift the flour onto a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Crack the egg into it, add the olive oil and a pinch of salt. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"dropcapp4 wp-block-paragraph\">2. Using your fingers or a fork, slowly mix the flour from the edges toward the center and gradually add lukewarm water until you get a soft but firm dough. It&#8217;s important that the dough isn&#8217;t sticky \u2013 add a little more flour if necessary. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"dropcapp4 wp-block-paragraph\">3. Knead the dough for 8\u201310 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Resting allows the gluten to relax, making the dough flexible and easier to shape.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"dropcapp4 wp-block-paragraph\">4. After resting, divide the dough into smaller portions. Roll each piece between your palms into long strands about 1 cm in diameter, then cut them into pieces 3\u20134 cm long. Lightly roll each piece between your palms to give it its characteristic elongated shape and slightly narrower middle.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"dropcapp4 wp-block-paragraph\">5. Place the pljukanci on a floured surface or tray so they don&#8217;t stick together. Let them rest for 20\u201330 minutes to dry out slightly before cooking. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"dropcapp4 wp-block-paragraph\">6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 tbsp salt per liter). Cook the pljukanci for 3\u20135 minutes until they float to the surface. Once cooked, drain them gently and, if desired, mix immediately with your chosen sauce \u2013 from truffle to tomato or goulash.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tips for perfect homemade pljukanci<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Always knead the dough long enough \u2013 this is the only way the pljukanci will be elastic and won&#8217;t break during cooking.<br\/> \u2022 You can use a few drops of white wine instead of water \u2013 the dough will be even softer.<br\/> \u2022 If you&#8217;re making them in advance, you can store them in the fridge (up to 24 hours) after drying, or freeze them.<br\/> \u2022 They pair perfectly with goulashes, asparagus, truffles, or mushroom sauces.<br\/> \u2022 Always drizzle them with a few drops of olive oil before serving to keep them shiny and supple.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-znam-si wp-block-embed-znam-si\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"UjQhVGqQO5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/znam.si\/recepti-in-hrana\/testenine-in-rizote\/pljukanci-s-sparglji-in-slanino-v-kremni-omaki\/\">Pljukanci s \u0161parglji in slanino v kremni omaki<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cPljukanci s \u0161parglji in slanino v kremni omaki\u201d \u2014 Znam.si\" src=\"https:\/\/znam.si\/recepti-in-hrana\/testenine-in-rizote\/pljukanci-s-sparglji-in-slanino-v-kremni-omaki\/embed\/#?secret=xBYfoXXkuu#?secret=UjQhVGqQO5\" data-secret=\"UjQhVGqQO5\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can I make pljukanci without an egg?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Traditional Istrian pljukanci are often prepared without an egg \u2013 using only flour, water, salt, and oil. In this case, the dough will be slightly firmer and the taste more neutral.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What should I do if the dough is too hard or too soft?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the dough is too hard, add a little more lukewarm water. If it&#8217;s too soft and sticky, gradually mix in a little more flour until it becomes supple but not dry. <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How long can I keep them?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fresh pljukanci can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but it&#8217;s best to freeze them raw \u2013 spread them out on a tray, freeze, then transfer to a bag. This way they stay separate and you can cook them directly from frozen. <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are they best served with?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Homemade pljukanci are the perfect base for many Istrian dishes \u2013 from truffle and asparagus sauce to beef goulash, mushroom sauce, or a simple combination with butter, cheese, and chives. Serve them with a nice glass of Malvazija or Teran. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Homemade pljukanci are a traditional Istrian pasta that charms with its simplicity and exceptional taste. These hand-rolled pieces made from flour, eggs, and olive oil are the foundation of many Istrian dishes \u2013 from asparagus and truffle sauces to rich meat goulashes. Their secret lies in the elastic dough and the characteristic shape that absorbs [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":64916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5112],"tags":[5160],"class_list":["post-64917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pasta-risottos","tag-pljukanci"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64917"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64918,"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64917\/revisions\/64918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/znam.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}