Candele Lunghe are a traditional pasta shape from southern Italy which historically was very popular in the Naples area. The name and shape comes from the candles that were carried during religious processions.
Candele, like Ziti e Zitoni, need to be broken up by hand into irregular pieces before being put in the saucepan to cook.
Candele are excellent for making elaborate oven-baked dishes.
This pasta goes really well with vegetable sauces, prepared with tomato sauce with olives and capers or enhanced with courgettes, aubergines, peppers and other vegetables.
Available in 500g pack.s
Mezza Zita is a delicious, smaller variation of the classic Zita.
In the south of Italy, the term "Zita" means the bride and as a matter of fact, this type of pasta is traditionally associated with weddings and is always served at wedding receptions.
Tradition has it that Mezza Zita (mezza means "half"), which is quite thick with a fairly rough texture, is broken by hand into uneven pieces, before being put in the saucepan to cook.
Mezza Zita can be used to prepare oven-baked recipes or plates of pasta served with dense, colourful sauces of meat or fish, with green leaf vegetables or vegetables, or strong Italian cheeses such as pecorino, provolone or caciocavallo.
Available in 500g pack.s