Taglierini are originally from northern Italy - Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Tuscany and Lombardy - but above all from Piedmont and the Langhe hills around Alba whose culinary tradition has handed down the recipe of the "tajarin", old-fashioned handmade taglierini.
According to rural tradition, this type of pasta was created from the leftovers of filled pasta. An extract taken from the recipe book "Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating" by Pellegrino Artusi, printed for the first time in 1891 in Florence, testifies to the origins of Taglierini from "poor" country cooking: ".first of all a capon was used to make a good broth. Broth is an essential component in Tuscan cooking in which, if the cook in question was experienced enough, would have put tortellini or cappelletti or whatever they are called, otherwise he would have had to make do with the more humble taglierini."
The history of taglierini is not just exclusive to Italy. As a matter of fact, in Japan they eat extra-long taglierini at New Year where the length symbolises a long and happy life. There is a Korean tradition in December which is also linked to popular customs. The people living in the north of the country eat buckwheat taglierini called "naengmyon" to drive away evil spirits.
Taglierini are a very versatile type of pasta and there are a variety of recipes and condiments that go very well with it. They are excellent in broth for a light, nutritious first course. For those who prefer more marked flavours, you can try different tasty, strong sauces like those made with game or offal. For those who like the taste of the sea, Taglierini are also perfect for making delicious first courses based on fish and shellfish. They are especially good with just butter and truffles.
Available in 500g pack.s
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