Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/68592
The Allure of Artisanal Pasta Small-scale artisans mak- ing limited batches of higher-quality pasta are behind these emerging pasta cuts. The basic ingredient, durum wheat semolina, is the same as that which is used in larger commercial pro- duction, but two key differ- ences in the artisanal process create a better-tasting prod- uct. The pasta is first extruded through bronze dies (plates) that leave microstriations (ridg-
7KH2UJDQLF 0XVKURRP 3HRSOH All of the cuts used in
Eataly's restaurants are sold in the retail store. The market features special merchandising
displays of the unique cuts in the center of the retail area.
es, grooves) to capture and hold sauce. Second, the pasta is dried at lower temperatures for a longer period of time—some for more than 20 hours. The slower drying process preserves the flavor of the wheat. Artisanal pasta should always be cooked al dente. Colavita stresses the distinction from mass-produced pastas.
"It's not just about the quality," he says. "The process is entirely dif- ferent: different machines, often hand-cut, slower drying times and smaller quantities—all to create a better-tasting pasta." Andreas Ceriello, owner and president of Ceriello Fine Foods,
Williston Park, N.Y., agrees that the process makes all the differ- ence with artisanal pasta. "A lot of flavor is lost without the bronze die," he notes. "The slower cooking and drying processes helps the pasta retain more vegetable protein, which results in better flavor." Most of the artisanal pasta available in the U.S. is coming
from Gragnano or Naples in the Campagna region—where pasta- making and bronze dies were born, Ferrari says. Abruzzo, too, is exporting many of the new cuts. Popular artisanal brands for less- common cuts include Afeltra, Il Pastaio di Gragnano, Garofalo, Pasta Rummo, Las Casa del Grano, Bartolini, Dal Raccolto and Fusco. Many specialty retailers also feature private-label branded artisanal pasta. Dino Borri, head buyer at Eataly, the New York–based Italian
specialty retailer and eatery, shares that his emporium recently introduced new artisanal pasta cuts from Gragnano, the Afeltra brand, which is made with 100 percent Italian grains. "Most pasta has grains that come from a variety of countries, but this is one of the first to use all Italian grains." It is exclusive to Eataly in the United States.
Educating Consumers
"Twenty-five years ago, American tourists traveled to cities such as Rome, Florence and Venice," says Lou Di Palo, owner and president
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