Otherwise known as “little waterfalls” in Italian, cascatelli was created to be an accessible pasta option that enhances the eating experience with maximized “forkability,” “sauceability” and “toothsinkability.” Made from high-quality North American wheats and slow-dried for over nine hours, Pashman’s succeeds in hitting all three categories. We love that it has a good toothsomeness and clean pasta flavor, plus there are no eggs in the dough which keeps it from being too rich and tender. The thing that really sets apart this experimental pasta shape though is the texture. Not only do the ruffles, frills, right turns and curved shape keep sauce clinging on, but each bite becomes a sensory experience for your mouth too. This pasta is the perfect form to serve with a chunky sauce, Rather than finding bits of sauce at the bottom of your bowl like you would with other kinds of pasta, cascatelli will hold on effortlessly.

​

Closer to couscous than extruded pasta, fregola from Sardinia, Italy, has an irregular, pebble-like shape with a coarse exterior that grips sauces. Historic producer Rustichella d'Abruzzo—a family company that traces its roots back to 1924 in Penne, Italy—makes its pasta using traditional methods, including slow-drying at low temperatures over the course of days. Fregola's pronounced wheaty flavor can be further enhanced through toasting in a dry skillet for a few minutes. Cook it like you would conventional pasta, in roiling salted water, or simmer like risotto for a creamy texture, adding small amounts of hot water or broth and stirring frequently; we also like to simmer it in soups and stews. Fregola cooks quickly, making it perfect for weeknight cooking.

North African couscous often appears in Sicilian cooking because of their geographic proximity—take, for instance, couscous alla Trapanese, which pairs fresh seafood with the tiny pasta shape. This satisfyingly chewy couscous is made with farro, an ancient grain with a light nutty flavor reminiscent of oats or barley. Historic Italian producer Rustichella d'Abruzzo—a family company that traces its roots back to 1924 in Penne, Italy—makes its pasta using traditional methods, including slow-drying at low temperatures over the course of days. Try Rustichella d'Abruzzo Farro Couscous with our North African Chicken Couscous.

Orecchiette—a small, round, dimpled pasta from Puglia—is one of our favorite pasta shapes because of its unique balancing of chewy and tender textures. The delicate edges cook more thoroughly than the dense, chewy center, providing textural contrast, and the cupped shape holds onto sauce. Rustichella d'Abruzzo's handmade version is made with Senatore Cappelli heirloom wheat, a native Italian varietal. The historic family company traces its roots back to 1924 in Penne, Italy, and still makes its pasta using traditional methods, including slow-drying at low temperatures over the course of days; this dedication and attention to detail result in high-quality, delicious orecchiette. Feel free to use it in any recipe where a chunky pasta is specified. Try one of our Tuesday Night favorites, Orecchiette with Sausage and Chard.

These premium dried chickpeas from Italian artisanal producer Casa Corneli are creamy when rehydrated but keep their shape well and are never mushy. Casa Corneli's Ceci Chickpeas are also slightly denser and more petite than the bloated canned chickpeas from other brands, with a buttery, earthy-sweet and aromatic flavor profile that tastes great even without salt. We also appreciate that the producer vacuum-seals the chickpeas to preserve freshness.

Traditionally made by pressing pasta dough through wires stretched over a frame, Spaghetti all Chitarra is a classic Italian favorite. Italian artisanal producer Pasta Mancini extrudes its version of Spaghetti alla Chitarra through unique bronze dies, based on traditional knowledge that bronze equipment yields porous, rough-surfaced pasta that helps sauce cling to the noodles. This chitarra pasta has a satisfying chewy texture that falls somewhere between spaghetti and bucatini; its square cross-section has slightly more surface area than cylindrical noodles, so it holds onto sauce amazingly well. Made from local, freshly milled semolina flour, the pasta is slow-dried over the course of days to better preserve its robust flavor and texture.

Italian producer Casa Corneli's Castelluccio lentils are a delicate, complexly flavored local varietal from Umbria that cook up plump and tender, with an earthy, sweet and light woodsy taste that's far superior to supermarket varieties. We love how they have just enough bite to them and retain their shape when properly cooked: They're not as mushy as regular brown lentils but also less papery than most green lentils. Try these exceptional lentils in salads or brothy soups to take advantage of their texture.

Italian artisanal producer Pasta Mancini extrudes its Fusilli Lunghi (“long fusilli”) through unique bronze dies, based on traditional knowledge that bronze equipment yields porous, rough-surfaced pasta that helps sauce cling better to the noodle. We like how this twirly pasta cooks more evenly than grocery-store fusilli and has a tighter spiral for a more satisfying bite. Made from local, freshly milled semolina flour, the pasta is slow-dried over the course of days to better preserve its robust flavor and texture.

Otello black rice is an heirloom Italian varietal with a nutty flavor that's slightly sweeter than regular brown rice, balanced by a complex subtle bitterness. When cooked, the luminous purple-black hulls remain intact, so you can fully appreciate their high shine and satisfying chew. We especially like them in soups and mixed with sauces, since the grains remain separate and won't clump together. Third-generation family company Riso Zaccaria oversees all aspects of its heirloom rice production, from cultivation to packaging. The Zaccaria farm is located in the Baraggia, an area of Italy's Piedmont region historically dedicated to the cultivation of rice, where the hardy foothills soil yields complex and concentrated flavors.

Zaccaria's heirloom rice can be cooked in just 25 minutes by boiling in water. You can also use Milk Street's method of cooking 1 cup rice with 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt: Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes depending on your pot and how low your simmer is. Let rest 5 minutes.

• Net Weight: 500 grams
• Ingredients: Otello rice
• Place of Origin: Baraggia, Italy

Italian artisanal producer Pasta Mancini extrudes its Mezze Maniche through unique bronze dies, based on traditional knowledge that bronze equipment yields porous, rough-surfaced pasta that helps sauce cling better to the noodle. This tube pasta is slightly shorter and wider than rigatoni, which makes for easy sauce distribution; its versatile shape is great for everything from rustic soups and hearty ragu to casseroles and pasta salad. Made from local, freshly milled semolina flour, the pasta is slow-dried over the course of days to better preserve its robust flavor and texture.

Ris Rus is a type of Italian red rice with a nutty, toasty flavor and richness that brings to mind buttered bread, even without the addition of butter or fat. When cooked, the rice has a tender, fluffy interior with a toothsome quality from the tenderized hulls for an overall satisfying feel. The hulls also retain their red hue, providing a beautiful and appetizing visual contrast to the pale starches. Third-generation family company Riso Zaccaria oversees all aspects of its heirloom rice production, from cultivation to packaging. The Zaccaria farm is located in the Baraggia, an area of Italy's Piedmont region historically dedicated to the cultivation of rice, where the hardy foothills soil yields complex and concentrated flavors.

Zaccaria's heirloom rice can be cooked in just 25 minutes by boiling in water. You can also use Milk Street's method of cooking 1 cup rice with 1 ½ cups water and 1 teaspoon salt: Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook until water is absorbed, rice is tender and inner starches have burst through the hull, 25 to 35 minutes depending on your pot and how low your simmer is. Let rest 5 minutes.

• Net Weight: 500 grams
• Ingredients: Ris Rus rice
• Place of Origin: Baraggia, Italy

For Italian cooks, the rice of choice for risotto is always going to be carnaroli. Easier-to-find Arborio is also commonly used—but it will often render your dish gloopy and gummy. Medium-grained carnaroli, however, is prized for its ability to achieve the perfect, creamy risotto texture without the individual grains turning into mush. Like pasta, the grains should be just a touch al dente—no longer crunchy in the center, but just soft enough that each grain is tender, with a dense, chewy center. This Italian producer’s carnaroli achieves that flawlessly, with tender grains giving way to a creamy, luxurious sauce. When steamed, it’s fluffy with a lovely creamy-dense texture. And it easily absorbs the flavor of whatever liquid you use to cook it.

​

With a name referencing the ornate collars worn by young women of noble families in historic times, this ruffle-edged pasta gets a rich nuttiness from flour made from chestnuts—a popular crop in the mountains of Liguria. It’s tender, toothsome texture stands up to hearty cheese and meat-based sauces, while its unique smokey-savoriness adds more depth than standard pastas when served simply with fresh herbs and olive oil or melted butter. Other alternative pastas like whole wheat or those made from quinoa flour can lack complexity and become too mushy while cooking, but the chestnut flour in these uncommon noodles add a depth of flavor and sense of Italian tradition that can’t be replicated.

This Ligurian style of pasta has been topping tables since ancient times—embossed using coins and later with specialized wooden stamps adorned with seals of noble families. This modern iteration has a pale, creamy color and tender chewiness that maintains a springy bite throughout (we often find that dense pasta shapes sometimes become mushy on the outside as their interiors cook). With an almost eggy quality akin to fresh pasta or dumplings, this unique shape doesn’t often find its way on supermarket shelves and—with its rich history—can’t compare to standard varieties.

Emmer, also commonly known as farro, is an ancient type of grain, triticum dicoccum, that is similar but different from wheat. This sustainably sourced variety comes from Cascina Oschiena in Italy, and has a mild, nutty flavor. Similar to light brown rice, it’s used frequently to make risottos, but can also be ground to make pasta and bread. We liked this farro best because it displayed a toothy chewiness expected with farro, while still being tender. Plus we found the flavor more pronounced than other brands. The pearled farro cooks up into large individual grains, with a smooth texture, fluffy without being mushy. Ideal for grain salads, risottos or soups.

​