Rustichella d'Abruzzo Fregola Sarda
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.
Rustichella d'Abruzzo Farro Couscous
Rustichella d'Abruzzo Senatore Cappelli Orecchiette
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.
Casa Corneli Ceci Chickpeas
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.
Casa Corneli Organic Castelluccio Lentils
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.
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