Penne Piccole Lisce belong to the family of Penne, but differ in diameter as they are slightly smaller.
The lack of ridges is compensated for by a surprising softness which makes it exceptionally delicate on the palate. It is a delicate and sophisticated pasta which brings out the best in aromas, flavours and fragrance.
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".
Penne Piccole Lisce are excellent for preparing pasta dishes with meat ragù made from beef or pork. They also adapt perfectly to sauces made from vegetables such as aubergines, peppers, courgettes and artichokes or to more extravagant recipes with salmon or vodka.
Available in 500g pack.s
Tagliatelline, which originate from Liguria, are consumed all over Italy and are part of the long, flat pasta family.
You need to go a long way back to retrace the origins of Tagliatelline and beyond the confines of Italy. Tagliatelline were known as early as 700 BC in Japan where they were imported from China with many other cultural and religious elements. In Japan, they were called Udon, tagliatelline made from common wheat, and seem to have met with incredible success in the province of Osaka and in the southern part of the country in general.
Tagliatelline are just the right size to be served both with sauces and in broth. In the first case, the recommended condiments are those from Ligurian tradition, so with pesto as the undisputed winner, and fish and shellfish based sauces coming a close second. They are also excellent in vegetable or meat broths or, with a nod to Oriental traditions, in broths based on seaweed and mushrooms.
Available in 500g pack.s