1.1 pounds (1/2 kilo) - Naples, Italy

This fun shape hails from southern Italy and is similar to strozzapreti - priest stranglers - but a bit longer. Traditional production methods ensure superior flavor, and Filei Vaticani have a marvelous dense texture, which goes well with tomato-based sauces popular in the region. Filei Vaticani is our favorite variety to use for homemade macaroni and cheese.

About the Producer: Sapori di Napoli
In Italy's Campania region, pasta is considered art, ritual, culture, and history - especially in Naples and the towns and villages that surround it. The craftsmen at the Pastificio Artigianale Romita - located in the village of Borgo Reale di S. Leucio about 15 miles due north of Naples - produce their pasta Sapori di Napoli with the love and devotion of connoisseurs.

The skill and experience of the Master Pasta Makers are paramount; they employ traditional production methods now abandoned by industrial pasta makers. Starting with just the purest water and semolina from hand-selected durum wheat - whose low ash and high gluten content create superior texture and flavor - they work the dough by hand before extruding it through bronze dies in the traditional manner. The pasta is then dried slowly under controlled low-temperature conditions from 24 to 92 hours depending on the shape. This slow drying leads to uniform absorption of water during cooking and a perfect "al dente" on your plate.