Pasta d'Alba: the gluten-free pasta masters of Langhe.

There is a beautiful black and white photo depicting workers at the wheat harvesting during the early years after the war: a poetic testament to hard work, in essential conditions. Today we talk about a reality that is born right here in this Langhe Piemonte, in Diano d’Alba, in the province of Cuneo, a magical land both for its high-quality wines and for the cultivation of wheat fields for the production of pasta and bread.

The Pasta d’Alba factory is a jewel of contemporary pasta production in Italy. Why do we say contemporary? The rise in allergies and intolerances and especially a greater critical awareness about food have led to a growing demand for pasta made from particular grains or legumes. The increase of “free from” foods has certainly accelerated sales of this type of pasta. Moreover, Pasta d’Alba is a brand certified BIO and Gluten free for a particularly demanding audience.

This beautiful adventure among the Langhe hills was born from the intuition of Dario Mainardi and his wife Rosangela, a naturopath. A family united in developing this big food project that combines healthiness, enjoyment, and innovation. Dario is the creative one in the family who closely follows the production and is constantly “inventing” new recipes that can delight the palates of customers and his family first and foremost. Rosangela is what we might call the “intellectual” of the family. We say this jokingly, but not too much, in the sense that her studies are very important for helping in the production of recipes, especially those gluten-free and innovative ones that always benefit from natural and healthy ingredients. Then there are the children: Luisa, who mainly handles sales and customer relations; Marco, the globetrotter who particularly follows sales abroad; and finally, the social media strategist, Laura, the youngest and probably the most digital.

Producing BIO has always been a shared belief within the family: “We believe in natural nutrition and in agriculture that does not consider the land as our property, but as a precious asset to live in prosperity and abundance with awareness and gratitude, and to preserve with a sense of responsibility.”

A cornerstone of production is definitely the search for high-quality raw materials, fresh and sourced from equally small chosen producers. These are relationships that Dario and Rosangela have established over the years with the organic production world. A heritage that comes only from their ability to dialogue and collaborate. Hence the choice of BIO flours, local cereals, and ancient grains that are now in strong demand from consumers and restaurateurs. Dry but fresh, is a motto coined in the company regarding the choice of raw materials.

The processing of flours and pasta, in particular, is done immediately after milling. The drying process is very long, occurring at a low temperature for about 20 hours: a system that limits the loss of aromas from flours and pasta and especially maintains a greater compactness of the dough, does not cause cracks, and eliminates the problem of pasta shapes breaking once placed in boiling water to cook.

Among the ancient grains, Senatore Cappelli quality is preferred. All ancient grains are stone-milled because they maintain a much more intense flavor. They are grains that have a much lower gluten content compared to more refined grains. This implies greater digestibility and lightness.

Spelt, Buckwheat, Turmeric, Chestnut, Hemp, Oats, Corn, Amaranth, Quinoa, Millet, are the other ingredients from which packaged pasta is obtained. Pastas like turmeric gnocchi, purple carrot sorghum penne, red lentil fusilli, pea penne, rice and quinoa fusilli, amaranth fusilli: these are such sought-after and unique products that make Pasta d’Alba a resource that cannot be missed among the shelves of a kitchen of a passionate lover of Italian cuisine. They are pastas that can also be enjoyed on their own with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, as they are already delicious and rich in flavor. An excellent alternative for our first courses, to live with a smile the satisfaction of enjoyment and the awareness of having done good to ourselves.

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M