This little-known pasta was traditionally prepared at homes in Southern Italy, in the regions of Puglia and Basalicata. It was literally knitted using knitting needles, which makes this long, swirled pasta so much more interesting. The area of Basilicata is famous for it’s long tradition of wheat flour production, going back as far as the 14th century, and our Ferricelli from Vero Lucano is made with locally-sourced durum wheat, using bronze dyes to make the shapes, for a pasta that’s richer, coarse, and more ridged, which means it hold sauces better.
Ferricelli is a very versatile pasta shape, and there’s really no right or wrong pairing for it. It lends itself to hearty meat sauces like ragouts and Bolognese but is also amazing when served with tomato sauces like arrabiata. You can use it as you would say a fusilli shape, ricci, or even spaghetti. Serve it with roasted seasonal vegetables, or with a creamy cream-based sauce. It’s a great pasta to keep around to give your weeknight meals variety and a unique look!
In Italian, “vero” is the word for “real”, and in the case of Vero Lugano, the name suits the brand perfectly. This artisan pasta company from Matera Basilicata produces small-batch pasta in authentic and classic Italian shapes. The region of Matera is famous for producing high quality durum wheat since the 14th century, and at Vero Lucano pasta, a consortium of artisan bakers makes each batch by hand, using bronze dyes. This process of extruding the pasta through the bronze dye or mold makes for a pasta that’s coarser, more ridged and more porous, which means the sauces cling rather than slide off – perfecto!