Pennoni Rigati are a bigger variation of the classic Penne and thanks to their size, can hold a lot of sauce.
In Italian, the term "Penne" refers to the goose feather which was used historically to write with and was cut on a diagonal to achieve a really thin tip. The shape, obtained from a pasta tube, can be smooth or ridged, of varying length and has the typical diagonal cut of a quill.
Penne are one of the few types of pasta for which there is an exact date when it was created. Indeed, in 1865, a pasta-maker from San Martino d'Albaro (Genoa), Giovanni Battista Capurro, requested and obtained a patent for a diagonal cutting machine. The patent was important because it meant the fresh pasta could be cut like a quill without crushing it and in different lengths from 3 to 5 centimetres (mezze "half" penne or penne). The document preserved in the Central Archive of the State of Rome reads: "Up until now, a diagonal cut could only be made by hand with a pair of scissors which, in addition to being slow and time-consuming, also resulted in an irregular cut which flattened the pasta".
Pennoni Rigati are excellent for preparing oven-baked dishes and especially good served with meat sauces with vegetables or with pesto.
Available in 500g pack.s
Conchigliette Piccole are a whimsical shaped pasta for broths which are especially popular with small children thanks to the shape inspired by small, attractive seashells.
This pasta is often used to prepare vegetable broths or in hearty bean and vegetable minestrone soups and it is also excellent when served with creamy sauces.
Available in 500g packs.