Gragnano. Located on the coast of Italy near the famous Naples and even more famous Pompeii, the city has more than enough history of its own. The town has a history of drying pasta that goes back more than 500 years.
While northern Italy is famous for fresh pasta such as tortellini, southern Italy is unrivalled in the production of dried pasta. And which pasta is rightly described as the best in the world? Definitely those sold under the Pasta di Gragnano brand.
The success of the brand is due above all to the traditional artisanal processes by which the pasta is made. They use only exclusive wheat with a clear and traceable origin - that is, grown by local farmers. This durum wheat is rich in protein, which helps the pasta to remain al-dente during cooking. Even the water must be locally sourced - it has a small amount of calcium and other minerals, so it does not change the texture of the semolina. You'll notice the difference in the taste and texture of the pasta immediately. It has no starchy aftertaste and is pleasantly dense and full of flavour.
The designation "Trafilata al bronzo" means that they were extruded through a bronze die, which gives the pasta a coarse texture that makes it absorb the sauce better. The pasta is then slowly dried at low temperatures for up to 52 hours.