Among the many vendors represented was Sfoglini. We had never heard of this gourmet dried pasta brand before, but the homespun yet trendy packaging combined with the unique pasta shapes and flavors had us hooked from the get go.
Being super accommodating, hubby snapped up a few shapes that he knew would appeal to me: Porcini Trumpet, Emmer Reginetti, and Cuttlefish Ink Spacatelli. Note that these are all seasonal offerings, and that they'll be replaced eventually with newer shapes. So snap them up while you can if they interests you!
Recently we tried the Emmer (or farro) Reginetti, and I made a tomato cream sauce to go with it. Figured that the reginetti's texture (thick, grooved) would go well with a cream sauce. Supposedly it actually goes well with delicate sauces.
So these were my impressions of the pasta:
Pros:
- Love the shape, really catches all the sauce
- Nice texture
- Very filling thanks to the emmer
- Higher in protein than regular pasta
Cons:
- A bit chalky-tasting (not sure about this "nutty" flavor that they describe on their website)
- Pretty dense, may detract from very delicate sauces (despite the suggested pairing)
Cooking and serving suggestions:
- Salt generously.
- Toss with a more aggressively seasoned sauce
- Remove from heat a little shy of al dente and finish in pasta sauce for best flavor and texture.
Here's the pasta sauce I made to go with it:
Would I buy this product again? Probably not anytime soon. Still, I'm looking forward to trying the other two varieties that we purchased. I still think Sfoglini is doing great things. And maybe the seasonal ones aren't as rewarding as the regulars. To sample in the near future...
One thing to note: These pastas aren't exactly cheap. They retail for about $8, minimum. So maybe save them for a special occasion or when you want to prepare a killer pasta sauce from scratch.
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