Unless you are into the fine art of flavored pastas, you could very easily walk by this cubby hole in the farmer's market, no glitz or glamour here, just bags and bags of exquisite artisanal pastas.
You've all probably sampled this pasta at one point or another as they are this nation's supplier for fine restaurants, hotels and resorts since 1984. The only way to purchase it for your own home use is to visit them on line or to find a location inside of a farmer's market or a gourmet specialty food shop.
They have over one hundred different dried pastas, raviolis, pesto, sauces, oils all made the traditional way that Italy has been doing for years. The flavors conjure up images of the best pasta salads you will ever make with flavors like basil garlic, lemon parsley, southwestern, calypso and tomato basil. So many more, even chocolate and fruit flavors, hello kids of all ages!
The lasagna sheets, I have never seen this before, flavored sheets of trio peppercorn, spinach garlic and roasted red pepper, now that has to be good! The flat cut noodles are too numerous to mention, but there has to be thirty different flavors, a few of them are basil tangerine, chipolte pepper, dark chocolate, curry, orange Szechwan, spicy red hot Thai curry and Venetian calamari, okay that was more than a few, but I get so excited.
They have healthy pastas of whole wheat and more, even gluten free pastas. The selection of orzo is amazing and I did go a bit over board in buying, but hey my pantry is well stocked. Did you know that the lasagna noodle was the first noodle to ever be made, according to food historians. The thick noodle was laid out in the hot Mediterranean sun to dry and the edges would curl while drying.
From what I have found so far, the flavors do come out in your dish of the pasta you have made, although a contradicting sauce can enhance or completely take away from it. I need to remember to balance the flavors as I make more. Their website also offers recipes, as I have just found out, so this could be great fun... As hubby is running away.
For the orzo, which is delicate anyway even though these flavors scream at you like the sweet potato or the supreme which is porcini mushrooms, roasted pepper and saffron. I am anxious to try the autumn orzo which is sage, pumpkin and chestnut, hubby says yuck, blah, blah, blah.
Anyway I am making the lime cilantro linguine tonight and tossing it with tomatoes, peppers, onions, red pepper flakes, olive oil and sauteed shrimp, then tossing in some feta. If he doesn't like it, he can have a grilled cheese or go to bed hungry. read more