In Italy, dried pasta is part of the daily diet, from the Italian Alps to Sicily. Sure, Italians use fresh pasta for special occasion dishes here and there, but most, whether in a restaurant or home kitchen, use dried pasta—not just because it stores easily, but because it’s as desirable as fresh pasta for most dishes.

But they don’t use just any dried pasta.

Industrial brands like Barilla, which dominates shelf space in many American supermarkets, are spurned by discerning cooks in Italy, many of whom prefer pasta from artisan producers. They know a great pasta dish is equally reliant on the noodle as it is on the sauce. A high-quality noodle elevates a pasta dish by adding texture and flavor.

Industrial producers extrude their pasta through Teflon-coated dies and dry it quickly with high heat. By contrast, Rustichella d’Abruzzo mixes the best durum wheat semolina with mountain water and extrudes it through bronze dies. The handcrafted-bronze dies give the pasta a subtle coarseness that allows the sauce to better cling to the noodle. Drying the pasta at low temperatures, a process that takes 40–60 hours, preserves the flavor of the wheat and retains its nutritional value.

A family business founded in 1924, Rustichella d’Abruzzo was founded in Penne, a historic town located between the Adriatic and Gran Sasso National Park in the Apennine Mountains. The company’s artisan production methods and focus on regional shapes have earned it a worldwide following among chefs specializing in Italian food.

At DeLaurenti, we carry one of the largest selections of Rustichella d’Abruzzo products in the country. You’ll find traditional shapes like spaghetti, fettuccine, bucatini, and penne, as well as unusual shapes like strozzapreti, trofie, and cannolicchi.

Whatever sauce you’re using, be sure to cook your pasta in plenty of heavily salted water at a rolling boil and drain it when it’s al dente, save a little of the pasta water to mix back in as you are saucing the noodles, and don’t skimp on the quality of your dried pasta. Our favorite is Rustichella d’Abruzzo. Try the pasta with your favorite sauce and discover for yourself what distinguishes it from the others.

Linguine with Anchovies

Serves 4

This Sicilian-style pasta is quick to prepare and full of flavor. Use a good-quality dried linguine (hint: Rustichella d’Abruzzo) that has a little texture so that the sauce clings to it. Some scorn cheese with fish, but not us- at least not with this pasta. Add as much Parmigiano Reggiano as you please. The tender anchovies by Agostino Recca are preserved in Sicilian olive oil. They dissolve into the sauce as you cook them and, if you’re serving this dish to someone who doesn’t think they like anchovies, call it Sicilian seafood linguine. You’ll be surprised how many people who claim to dislike anchovies love this pasta!

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

50 grams (½ jar) Agostino Recca Anchovies in Olive Oil

½ cup chicken stock

4 Tbsp butter

1 package Rustichella d’Abruzzo Linguine

2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

Parmigiano Reggiano (for a real treat, try the Vacche Rosse)

4 Tbsp toasted bread crumbs for garnish

Directions

Bring 5 quarts of heavily salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a wide frying pan, sauté the onions in olive oil over medium heat until they are just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the anchovies and lower the heat to low. Cook another 6 to 8 minutes or so until the anchovies have melted and the onions are starting to caramelize. Add the chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half.

Drop the linguine, stir gently at the outset to separate the noodles, and be careful not to overcook the pasta. Drain the pasta when it’s al dente, saving a bit of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce and add the butter. Over low heat, sauté quickly, tossing or stirring constantly, to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce. If the pasta feels too dry add a splash or two of the retained cooking water to taste. Serve the pasta sprinkled with the fresh minced parsley, bread crumbs and plenty of freshly grated parmesan .

Enjoy!

(For a favorite variation, add fresh, chopped Tuscan kale at the same time you add the chicken stock.)