Rustichella d'Abruzzo Egg Pappardella Pasta, 250g

Rustichella d'Abruzzo has been making pasta in Abruzzo since 1924, when the Sergiacomo family, millers from the hill town of Penne, opened their pasta workshop. Their grandchildren, Gianluigi and Stefania Peduzzi, still run it. The egg pasta is made at their workshop in Pianella with the same attention to detail as the rest of the range. Selected durum wheat semolina is mixed with a generous amount of egg, nearly a third of the dough by weight. That's well above the minimum Italian law sets for egg pasta. The dough is drawn through traditional bronze dies into wide ribbons, which gives them a rough surface that holds sauce. They're then dried slowly at low temperature for up to two days, far longer than industrial drying, but it protects the flavour of the egg and wheat and gives the pasta a firm, silky texture once cooked.

Pappardelle comes from the cooking of Tuscany and central Italy, where the wide ribbons are traditionally served with rich sauces of wild boar, hare or duck. The high egg content gives them a deep golden colour and a rich flavour, and they stay supple and silky without turning soft. Toss them through a slow-cooked beef or venison ragù, wild mushrooms with butter and thyme, or sausage and cream. For a quick supper, simply add good butter, Parmigiano Reggiano and plenty of black pepper.

Why We Love It

• Made with 31.7% egg for a rich flavour and deep golden colour
  
• Bronze-die extruded for a rough surface that holds on to sauce
  
• Dried slowly at low temperature for up to two days, so it cooks up silky but firm
  
• Made by the same family in Abruzzo for over 100 years
  

How to Use

Cook in plenty of well-salted boiling water for 5–7 minutes, stirring gently at the start to separate the ribbons. Start tasting at 5 minutes. Egg pasta cooks quickly and is best just tender. Save some of the cooking water, then toss the pappardelle with the sauce in the pan, adding a splash of water to loosen it. A 250g pack serves two to three.

More Information

• Size: 250g
  
• Origin: Made in Pianella, Abruzzo, Italy
  
• Ingredients: Durum wheat semolina, eggs (31.7%)
  
• Allergens: Contains wheat (gluten) and eggs.
  
• Cooking time: 5–7 minutes
  
• Storage: Store in a cool, dry place. Handle gently, as the ribbons are delicate. Reseal or transfer to an airtight container once opened.