Rustichella d'Abruzzo Rigatoncini

This smaller version of rigatoni ("ridged" tubes) is one of the most popular southern Italian shapes. Similar to penne rigate, but cut straight across the ends rather than slanted, rigatoncini are excellent with thick, chunky or cheesy sauces. Grooves on the outside and a wide open tube through the middle mean that the entire noodle is working to hold onto that mouthwatering sauce. Serve it alla Gricia (with Pecorino Romano and pancetta) as they do in Rome, or for a Sicilian option, with tomato and sardine sauce, toppped with wild fennel pollen. Rigatoncini are also excellent in brothy seafood dishes or baked in casseroles.

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.