Mezze Maniche – Durum Wheat Pasta

Mezze Maniche, the "half sleeve" for creamy sauces

La Campofilone's Mezze Maniche are short, thick-walled tube pasta made from durum wheat semolina and water, half the length of rigatoni. Bronze-drawn with a large surface area, they hold creamy sauces exceptionally well.

Mezze Maniche translates to "half sleeves," a name that describes the shape quite accurately: the same tubular form as rigatoni, just cut to a length of about 3 centimeters with a diameter of around 2 centimeters. At La Campofilone, they are made from only two ingredients—durum wheat semolina and water—bronze-drawn, and dried slowly.

Lazio or Emilia-Romagna—unclear, but delicious

Lazio and Emilia-Romagna still argue over exactly where Mezze Maniche were invented, with both claiming the origins of this pasta without any definitive historical evidence. There is at least consensus on the name: Mezze Maniche, the half sleeve, because the shape looks exactly like that—short, wide, and open at both ends.

In Germany, this "half sleeve" is still one of the lesser-known pasta varieties, yet it is well worth trying: the large, rough-drawn surface captures noticeably more sauce than smooth tubular shapes, and when baked, the ends become crispy while the inside remains succulent. You will notice the difference from the very first bite when the sauce doesn't just drip off, but clings to the pasta.

Carbonara, Amatriciana, or ragù

This tubular pasta loves creamy sauces: classic carbonara with egg and guanciale, spicy amatriciana, or a rich ragù that gathers particularly well inside the wide tube.

The Sugo al Ragù from Filotea settles richly, meaty and savory, into the wide tube once briefly heated and tossed with the hot pasta. It also makes for a great baked dish with béchamel and cheese: simply mix with the sauce, place in a dish, and let it turn golden brown in the oven at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes. For those who prefer it classic, opt for the Rigatoni from La Campofilone—same workshop, double the length.

Enzo Rossi and durum wheat from his own fields

Since 1998, Enzo Rossi has been running the family business, which was founded in 1912 in the small coastal town of Campofilone, together with his wife and their daughters, Maria Vittoria and Federica. For this tubular shape, the same rule applies as for all the manufactory's durum wheat varieties, as Enzo Rossi himself emphasizes: only their own durum wheat from the provinces of Ascoli Piceno and Macerata, non-GMO, harvested in summer and ground into semolina in their own mill.

The semolina is kneaded into dough with cold spring water, left to rest, bronze-drawn, and then dried for 20 to 36 hours at a low, controlled temperature—slowly enough to ensure the pasta retains its "al dente" bite. In the entire La Campofilone range, you will find other durum wheat varieties from the same workshop, including the slightly longer rigatoni.

Baked until the ends are crispy

Boil the Mezze Maniche in plenty of salted water for about 12 minutes until they still have a bite. Toss with a creamy sauce, place in a casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese, and bake briefly until the ends are crispy. If you like, fold in some freshly grated Parmesan before serving; it rounds out the sauce without overpowering it, and a knob of butter makes the whole dish even smoother.