Description
Mezze Penne Rigate belong to the Penne family and differ from them in that they are shorter.
The term "Penne" in Italian refers to the quill pen, once used for writing, which was cut on an angle to create a fine point. The pen, made from a smooth or ridged tube of pasta of varying lengths, features the characteristic diagonal cut of a writing pen.
Penne are one of the few pasta shapes with a certain birth date: in 1865, a pasta maker from San Martino d'Albaro (Genoa), Giovanni Battista Capurro, applied for and obtained a patent for a diagonal cutting machine. The patent was important because it allowed fresh pasta to be cut into pen-shaped shapes without flattening it, in lengths ranging from 3 to 5 centimeters (mezze penne or penne). The document preserved in the Central State Archives in Rome states: " Until now, the diagonal cut could only be achieved with hand scissors, a method that, in addition to being slow and expensive, had the disadvantage of producing an irregular cut and flattening the pasta ."
Mezze Penne Rigate, thanks to their small size, are perfect for mixing with sauces, especially creamier ones, whether red with tomato or white with cheese, or with classic soups to be enjoyed with a spoon.
Available in 500g packs.