Penne Rigate Durum Wheat Semolina

Penne Rigate with ridges for Arrabbiata and Ragù

Penne Rigate from Rustichella d'Abruzzo are ridged durum wheat tube pasta from Penne in the Abruzzo region, made according to a family recipe since 1924. The ridges hold on to hearty sauces instead of letting them slide off, all without any artificial additives.

Penne Rigate from Rustichella d'Abruzzo are the classic ridged tube pasta from the province of Pescara, crafted from pure durum wheat semolina and the soft spring water of the Abruzzo mountains. Their name translates to "striped quill pens," and that is exactly what these diagonally cut tubes have remained ever since Gaetano Sergiacomo founded his first pastificio in Penne in 1924.

Tubes, ridges, faithful to the sauce

The diagonally cut tubular shape with its fine longitudinal ridges is not a coincidence, but functional: it captures ragù, minced meat, and vegetable pieces inside, instead of leaving them behind on the edge of the plate.

On the palate, the Penne Rigate are al dente, firm, and have a slightly nutty finish – they like things hearty: spicy Arrabbiata with chili and tomato, creamy ragù sauces, or tuna with capers. They are just as hospitable to oil and butter sauces as they are to coarsely chopped sautéed vegetables.

The name Arrabbiata, "the angry one," comes from this very region of central Italy, where the cuisine in the hilly hinterland is hearty and fiery, while on the coast it is light and defined by fish. These Penne Rigate are familiar with both sides of the Abruzzo region.

11 to 13 minutes for that firm bite

In plenty of salted water, the Penne Rigate need 11 to 13 minutes, slightly longer than thinner pasta, so that the inside of the tubes also cooks evenly. Only add the salt once the water is boiling properly; that way, the surface remains beautifully textured.

Serve them with the classic Sugo Peperoncino, spicy and tomato-based, or simply with a good extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil. If you are looking for a thinner, long variety, you will find their counterpart for lighter sauces in the sister Linguine from our pasta range.

A white lie saves whole-wheat pasta

In 1967, Italian Law Number 580 prohibited calling anything other than pure durum wheat pasta "pasta" – this meant whole-wheat pasta with its dietary fibers fell out of the definition, even though it had long been milled and produced.

When Piero Peduzzi took over his father-in-law's business in 1978, his first thought, as Piero himself described it, was "I must make the black pasta again, the one from the war years" – a memory the family still holds today. Since the law forbade the term "pasta," he and his team promptly named the tube pasta after the dish: Penne Arrabbiata instead of whole-wheat pasta. A trick born of necessity that became a tradition and which you can still find in the name of some Rustichella varieties today.

In 1981, the Pastificio Sergiacomo officially became Rustichella d'Abruzzo, and since 2001, the family business has operated as an S.p.A. To this day, the pasta is dried for 56 hours at a gentle 35 degrees and drawn through the same bronze dies that Gaetano Sergiacomo used – ridge by ridge, batch by batch, without taking any shortcuts.

The company is headed today by Gianluigi Peduzzi, the founder's grandson, together with his sister Stefania, while the fourth generation, represented by Carolina, Stefano, and Piero, is already following in their footsteps. The small pastificio from Penne now supplies more than 70 countries without ever having changed its process. We must admire such persistence.