100% Durum pasta, bronze drawn, slow dried

Choosing the right pasta shape is like looking for the right sauce partner: the shape, texture, and thickness determine how the sauce adheres to the pasta.

Here is an overview of our five types, their differences, and the best culinary uses.

The Long Pastas

Spaghetti

• Description: The absolute classic. Long, round, thin strands of dough (usually around 2 mm thick).
• Characteristics: Smooth and compact. Because the surface is relatively small and round, heavy, thick sauces slide off quickly.
• Application: Ideal for relatively liquid, smooth sauces or oil-based sauces where the pasta needs to slide smoothly. Classics: Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino (perfect for high-quality extra virgin olive oil), Carbonara, or a smooth, light tomato sauce (Pomodoro).

Linguine

• Description: Literally means "little tongues". They are just as long as spaghetti, but not round; They are flattened (elliptical).
• Characteristics: Due to its flat shape, linguine has slightly more surface area than spaghetti, allowing sauces to cling to it better.
• Use: The king of fish dishes. The shape lends itself perfectly to seafood sauces, as the oil and cooking liquid form a beautiful emulsion that wraps around the flat strands. Classics: Linguine alle Vongole (with clams), or with a refined walnut or basil pesto.

The Short, Hollow Pastas (Tubes)

Penne Rigate

• Description: Short tubes that are cut diagonally at the ends (like a quill, hence penne). Rigate means that the outside is ribbed.
• Features: The slanted side acts as a kind of scoop that catches sauce, while the cavity fills up from the inside. The ridges on the outside provide extra grip for the sauce.
• Use: Very versatile. Excellent for sauces with a medium texture (not too coarse, not too runny) and for pasta salads or casseroles because they retain their shape well. Classics: Penne all'Arrabbiata (the ridges hold the spicy tomato sauce perfectly) or Penne alla Vodka.

Rigatoni

• Description: Larger, wider tubes than penne. They are cut straight (not diagonally) and have deep, vertical ridges on the outside.
• Characteristics: Rigatoni are sturdier and more robust than penne. Due to their larger diameter, this pasta can handle much heavier and coarser sauces.
• Use: Perfect for hearty, meaty sauces, coarser vegetable sauces, or rich sauces based on cream and cheese. Pieces of meat or vegetables love to creep inside the tubes. Classics: Rigatoni alla Carbonara (a popular Roman variant), Rigatoni with a rich game or beef stew (Ragù), or baked in the oven.

Pacchiri

• Description: Very large, wide, and smooth tubes, originating from Campania (Naples). They resemble giant, shorter pieces of garden hose.
• Characteristics: Often smooth (lisci), although ribbed varieties exist. Because they are large and relatively thin-walled, they often fall a bit "flat" during cooking and serving. They have a fantastic bite (al dente) and a luxurious appearance.
• Application: Ideal for rich, heavy sauces from Southern Italy. The sauce fills the large cavities effortlessly. They are also often paired with large pieces of fish or seafood, or filled and baked in the oven. Classics: Paccheri with a rich Neapolitan ragout, or with swordfish and cherry tomatoes.

You can recognize our quality pasta by the golden trinity: 100% Italian durum wheat, bronze-drawn (trafilata al bronzo), and slow-dried at low temperature. Where the mass industry opts for fast, hot production using Teflon molds (resulting in a smooth, tasteless pasta that is heavy on the stomach), the artisanal maker chooses time and tradition. The result? A pasta with a perfect al dente bite, a rich grain flavor, and a microscopically rough surface that acts like a sponge for sauces and high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

It is a gastronomic ingredient in itself. The wheat tastes more intense, the pasta retains its perfect structure, it is gentler on your digestive system, and it elevates the sauce and olive oil you pair it with to a much higher level.

Lees meer informatie over wat onze pasta onderscheidt van die uit de supermarkt.