Calamarata Pasta from Rustichella d'Abruzzo

Calamari-Shaped Pasta from Campania

This pasta resembling calamari rings is famous in Campania, southern Italy, where the diet is rich in pasta and seafood (and pasta with seafood). Unsurprisingly, calamarata is great with seafood sauces. For a playful dish, try the Neopolitan combination of calamarata and calamari with garlic, crushed red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Feel free to add shrimp and other frutti di mare as you like. Or simply toss calamarata with a hearty fish ragù.

About the Producer
In the town of Pianella in Italy's Abruzzo region, artisan pasta maker Gianluigi Peduzzi of Rustichella d'Abruzzo maintains a proud tradition started by his grandfather. He starts by choosing the best semolina from select durum wheat and mixing it with pure mountain spring water. The dough is then shaped using the same hand-carved bronze dies that Gianluigi’s grandfather used a century ago, giving the pasta just the right texture to capture all kinds of sauce. Lastly, slow drying in temperature controlled chambers for at least 56 hours imparts flavor and texture unlike any ordinary mass-produced pasta.

Featured in these recipes:

• Calamarata with Spicy Seafood Sauce