Linguine – Egg Pasta

Linguine, little tongues of egg and durum wheat

La Campofilone Linguine are flat, long egg noodles made from durum wheat semolina and fresh free-range eggs, handcrafted in the heart of Italy. Not a round shape like spaghetti, but pressed flat – ideal for light sauces that should cling to the surface.

Linguine translates to "little tongues," from the word lingua for tongue – a name that aptly describes their flat, elongated shape. At La Campofilone, they are made from the same recipe as the brand's other egg noodles: just durum wheat semolina and egg, no water, produced in the central Italian region of Le Marche with a view of the Adriatic Sea.

Flat instead of round, delicate instead of coarse

Unlike spaghetti, linguine are not round, but pressed flat; they are almost as long, but have a surface that allows oil and fine sauces to adhere better. The little "i" at the end of their name is the diminutive form of "lingua," the tongue – as if someone had cut a handful of little tongues out of egg dough.

They originally hail from Campania, where they are traditionally served with seafood. At La Campofilone, the brand's artisanal tradition brings its own unique egg-based character to the table: flavorful, hearty, and delicate. You can recognize them by their bite: firm, never soggy – they hold a sauce rather than disappearing into it, and they are cooked in 1 to 2 minutes.

Pesto, Aglio e Olio, or Sugo Alfredo

Linguine like things light: a good Pesto Genovese, simply garlic sautéed in olive oil, or the Roman classic Sugo Alfredo made from butter, Parmesan, and a little lemon zest.

If you like them classic, cook them al dente, lift them directly from the water into the pan with the sauce, and let both meld together for a moment; this creates a better emulsion than any recipe could describe. Plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, aged 30 months, and black pepper are more than enough; a plate of linguine needs nothing more on a weekday. For Sunday, you can feel free to add a handful of shrimp or clams.

Enzo Rossi and the workshop in the village square

La Campofilone bears the name of the small medieval village where the pasta workshop has stood since 1912. Since 1998, it has been under the direction of Enzo Rossi, now managed together with his wife and their daughters, Maria Vittoria and Federica. First the farm is tended to, then the pasta is made, just as has been the custom here for generations.

The durum wheat grows in their own fields in the provinces of Ascoli Piceno and Macerata, milled at a local facility and free from genetically modified organisms. The eggs come from free-range hens with plenty of space and a low density of animals per square meter, for which La Campofilone received the 2009 Good Egg Award from Compassion in World Farming, the leading international organization for animal welfare in agriculture. Hats off.

They are still dried by hand: laid on folded sheets of paper and dried slowly for 20 to 48 hours at temperatures below 36 degrees Celsius, which preserves color, bite, and egg aroma in equal measure. If you would like to browse further, you can find other shapes from the same workshop, from tagliatelle to rigatoni, in the entire La Campofilone collection.

Garlic, chili flakes, a squeeze at the end

Bring plenty of salted water to a boil, add the linguine, and test after 1 to 2 minutes; they should still have some bite. Toss in a pan with warm olive oil, minced garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and a squeeze of lemon rounds it all off. That is how Campania tastes, even if the noodle itself comes from Le Marche.