Lumaconi Pasta
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Regular Price
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$12.50
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Unit Price
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- Regular Price
- $12.50
- Unit Price
- per
This lumaconi from Setaro is proof that there’s still plenty of room for creativity in the pasta profession. With all the rich history that surrounds much Italian cuisine, you might have thought pasta making was purely a matter of tradition, with artisans molding the same shapes that have been around for centuries. But these are a relatively new addition to the pasta pantheon, with a name taken from the Italian for snail. Like their namesake garden dweller, lumaconi are coiled, with a large open pocket that ends in a curled, pinched end. More complex than a simple shell, this adorable shape has become an instant classic thanks to its versatility.
Since 1939, the Setaro family have been making pasta on a winding street in Torre Annunziata in Naples, known as the pasta capital of Italy. Their factory is on the same street, in fact, where Giada's grandfather once made his own pasta! The semolina flour they use is minimally processed, creating a more flavorful pasta than those found in the U.S. Setaro employs the traditional method of air-drying pasta in the cool, salt-tinged breezes that blow in through wild rosemary bushes from the Mediterranean coast, a practice that makes for a delightfully chewy finished product.
Setaro does not include a cooking time on their pasta bags; they recommend that savvy cooks should start tasting the pasta after about 10 minutes of boiling to catch it at the perfect al dente texture. For baked dishes, take a couple of minutes off the cook time and drain the pasta when extremely al dente, since it will finish cooking in the oven.
Because of its large pocket, lumaconi is beloved for baked dishes, similar to cannelloni or conchiglioni. Stuff them with cheese, meats, or veggies, then layer with sauce and lots of melty cheese for a hearty, customizable dinner.
