Historically, official mention of the term "spaghetto" can be traced back to the first dictionary of the Italian language by Nicolò Tommaseo and Bernardo Bellini (1819). The word "spaghetto" was included as the "masculine singular diminutive of spago (thread)" and mention is made of "Minestra di Spaghetti" (spaghetti soup) which is pasta the size of a long, thin thread such as sopracapellini (type of spaghetti)". An interesting fact: in 1957, the BBC aired the first documentary on the production of spaghetti and the day after, the television studios were inundated by phone calls from viewers asking for the name of the producers and distributors of spaghetti so they could buy some.
Spaghetti is so versatile that it can be served with any condiment, from fish to meat, from vegetables to cheese, but is also excellent served just with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan.
Available in 500g pack.
Ditali Rigati (ridged thimbles) are part of the very short, straight cut pasta family and originate from Campania.
The shape of this pasta is inspired by the sewing thimble, but is open at the top as well. The chunky shape and ridges of Ditali Rigati makes it very versatile for pasta dishes with tomato or in soups and vegetable broths.
Ditali Rigati are especially suited to preparing pasta dishes with a variety of sauces ranging from meat to fish and from vegetables to pulses. The secret of a perfect recipe is that the sauces have a sufficiently liquid consistency so they penetrate inside the pasta.
This pasta is also just as good for preparing broths and soups with vegetables or pulses.
Available in 500g packs.