Blog: Antica-Pasta from Campofilone | 1/2

In Campofilone - a small village in the Marche region with a population of about 1,800 - people started making egg pasta from durum wheat semolina many years ago. No water is added during the kneading process and the pasta is dried at a low temperature. The result is an extremely tasty pasta that is also rich in nutrients. Not an easy task in today's fast-paced world.

FRESHNESS & NATURALNESS
The inhabitants of the Marche, the Marchegiani, are predominantly peasant and lead a life in which frugality is considered a great value. High flights are alien to the people here, they prefer the healthy mediocrity. Therefore, the cuisine of the Marches cannot be considered overdone, it is rather characterized by underdone. It is not surprising that the highest culinary rule is: the freshest ingredients must be prepared in the most natural way.

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE MARCHEGIANI
The mountain village of Campofilone is located in the southern Marche, it is 350 meters above sea level and has only about 1,800 inhabitants. Many people of the village have been engaged for a long time in the production of pasta, which goes back to ancestral grandmother and peasant traditions. Even today, in the houses of the village you can find small rooms, similar to the baker's workshops, where pasta is handmade and gently dried.

The secret of Campofilone's pasta is patience, and the Marchegiani have patience in every aspect of their lives. Thus, the dough for the pasta is processed in its most strenuous form, that is, kneaded only with durum wheat semolina and egg yolk, without adding any water at all. Anyone who has tried this for themselves knows how exhausting and time-consuming this process is until a homogeneous dough mass is formed.

The dough is rolled out until a very thin layer of dough is obtained, which can then be cut into various shapes and finally spread out on sheets of paper with the typical skill of housewives.

RECIPE: TAGLIATELLE WITH HERBS
Ingredients: 250g of Antica Pasta tagliatelle, 200g of sliced Robiola cheese, 2 tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, 1 small onion chopped, 3 tablespoons of chopped herbs.

Skin the tomatoes, remove the seeds and cut them into small cubes. Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic and onions. Gradually add the diced tomatoes. Just before serving, stir the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Now add the chopped herbs (consisting of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme). Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and finally arrange on the plates with the cheese slices. - Gerardo