We Italians are passionate about good food, and pasta is something we hold sacred! The Pasta Gentile, a product of Italian excellence, is created in Gragnano and is now a must-have for experts and lovers of one of the best-selling products in Italy.
Gragnano: The Birthplace of Pasta Gentile
Gragnano is an ancient village at the foot of the Lattari Mountains, not far from the capital of Campania. This town was founded on a hilly territory made fertile by the presence of volcanic residues. Here, at the end of the 16th century, the first family-run pasta factories were born. Before then, pasta in Italy was not a widespread food, but following the famine that struck the Kingdom of Naples, it became a fundamental food thanks to its nutritional qualities and the invention that allowed pasta to be produced at a low cost by pressing the dough through the dies.
The Unique Characteristics of Pasta di Gragnano
This pasta is obtained by mixing durum wheat semolina with water from the local aquifer. The production area is limited to the municipality of Gragnano, where the water is less calcareous and the climate is perfect for natural drying, two factors that have contributed to its flavor and diffusion. Recently, it has also obtained the IGP (protected geographical indication), thus raising to 254 the Italian denominations recognized and protected in Europe.
A second typical characteristic is the rough surface, perfect for retaining sauces and condiments. Today the shapes multiply year after year but are recognized with eyes closed, simply by touching them between two fingertips. The secret of this porosity is to be found in the bronze drawing: the dies that work the Gragnano pasta are all in bronze, which makes the surface finish better, rough and whitish. These tactile characteristics allow a better assimilation of the seasoning and water during cooking, which is why Gragnano pasta must be cooked to the right point to have a good "bite".
The superior quality of this pasta, which many no longer even dare to call pasta, is linked to slow drying at low temperatures. Depending on the format, Gragnano pasta is dried at a temperature between 40° and 80°C, for a time ranging from 6 to 70 hours, in tunnels where hot air circulates or in static cells. Thanks to these measures, the pasta maintains an elastic and tenacious body even after stirring in the pan. For comparison, the drying of common pasta lasts 4-7 hours at 75°C.
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Today, Gragnano pasta represents 11.4 percent of the total Italian export of dry industrial pasta.
Pastificio Gentile: A Historical Institution
The Gentile pasta factory of the Zampino family in Gragnano is now an institution in the world of pasta. Perfumed, tenacious, callous and porous, the Gragnano pasta produced by the Gentile pasta factory is "The pasta", a symbol of Italian gastronomy in the world. Among all, the most famous format of the company is probably the Spaghettone di Gragnano.
The Zampino Family's Dedication to Quality
Here you will find the complete range of Gragnano pasta formats produced by the renowned Gentile pasta factory of the Zampino family. Each type of pasta is obtained with 100% Italian durum wheat semolina, spring water from the Lattari mountains, bronze drawing and slow drying at low temperature.
The Cirillo Method
*The Cirillo method is the drying method that reconstructs in modern pasta factories the ancient drying method of the past, when the pasta was exposed on the street to the warm winds of the Gulf of Naples.
Buying Pasta Gentile Online
La Bottega del Centro Casalinghi Dal Toscano, both in the store and in the online shop, allows you to buy various types of Gentile pasta, one of the excellences of Made in Italy.
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Pasta Gentile: Adapting to Changing Times
An historical brand that, from Campania, has brought the Italian "word" of pasta to the world.
Adapting to the Pandemic
And if in a surreal and unexpected climate the whole world has had to learn and reinvent itself, replacing what was office work with the now known "Smart Working", what has changed for the food and wine companies that collaborate daily with the catering sector, currently in black out?
"We are experiencing two completely opposite feelings - explains Zampino - on the one hand we are concentrated and full of work, given the important requests that the market is having, on the other hand we are experiencing this period with anxiety and concern. Our first objective is not sales, but the protection of our employees".
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Ensuring Quality During Increased Demand
But precisely in these days of "boarding the purchase" how can we distinguish a type of quality pasta compared to another?
"At first impact, it is necessary to verify that, on the package, it is written that the pasta has been dried at a low temperature and a 100% Italian grain has been used - underlines Zampino - From an optical point of view, however, it is necessary to compare the color of one pasta compared to another. The whiter and rougher it is, compared to a dark and smooth one, that denotes a higher quality.
E-commerce Growth
"We are fortunate to be able to work today because over the years, both in Italy and abroad, we have diversified the market, without dedicating ourselves only to catering, which still represents 60% of our turnover - continues Zampino - We also have an e-commerce site that has exploded in these days. Just think of all the consumers who normally went to the shopkeeper under the house to buy Pasta Gentile and who now prefer to receive our products at home".
Representing Gragnano
"We are from Gragnano, the city of pasta - specifies the CEO of Pasta Gentile - before selling a product, we sell a territory. We are a medium-small reality and, as I always like to say, we are smaller than how the market identifies us. Our production, although lower than that of an industrial reference company, is in fact favored by a very visible distribution. This for us is a source of pride for our land".
Despite, therefore, the blow inflicted on the catering sector, we are confident for the future.
"I am optimistic by nature and I am convinced that net of what will be the financial availability of people - concludes Zampino - we will start again quickly.
Pastificio Gentile: Commitment to Tradition
The Gentile pasta factory was founded in 1876 and is one of the historic artisan pasta factories in Gragnano (Naples), in Campania. Gragnano pasta is known throughout the world, and the Gentile pasta factory still produces it today respecting the artisanal production methods, carefully selecting the raw materials, and controlling every phase of the production process. All the pasta formats made by the Gentile pasta factory of Gragnano are bronze-drawn and produced with slow drying using only high quality Italian wheat. The flagship are the Gentile fusilli, worked completely by hand, but also other traditional pasta formats such as paccheri and spaghetti and also new formats are produced.
Pasta di Gragnano IGP
The Gragnano pasta produced by Pastificio Gentile is a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and meets all the requirements of the Gragnano Città della Pasta Consortium.