Mafaldine are part of the long, curled, dried pasta family due to their ribbon shape with curled edges on both sides.
They are also known as "Reginette" or "Reginelle" and come from the Naples area where they were once called "Fettuccelle Ricce". They were dedicated by the people of Naples to Princess Mafalda of Savoy and renamed Reginette (from the Italian word "regina" meaning queen) or Mafaldine in her honour.
Once curled pasta, like Mafaldine, have been cooked, they have a distinctive, uneven consistency which differs on the smooth and curled parts.
Another characteristic of this type of pasta is that the curled part can retain more sauce that the smooth part.
It is a fairly versatile type of pasta, so the sauces recommended for Mafaldine are: Neapolitan ragù with ricotta, game sauces, fish sauces made from shellfish and seafood or white sauces made from soft cheeses with the addition of curry, saffron, horseradish or ginger.
Available in 500g pack.s
Pasta shapes that resemble small animals found in the garden or in fields are not uncommon.
Some people claim that Lumache (snails) can be traced back to the times of Roman cooking while others maintain that this type of pasta originated more generically from the central-southern part of Italy.
Lumache Rigate (grooved snails) are a delicious variation of the classic Pipe and have a whimsical shape which, thanks to the double-ended opening and the distinctive ridges, is perfect for mixing up with and capturing less dense, more liquid sauces.
Lumache Rigate are especially good with ragù sauces made from pork or beef, sausages or mushrooms. This pasta is also perfect for summer dishes with light sauces made from fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, or oven-baked dishes.
Available in 500g pack.s