Gambero Rosso dedicated a blind test to the smooth penne of artisanal pasta factories, those that work with bronze dies, slow drying below 55 degrees and production rates light years away from industry: the quantity that a large plant churns out in a few hours, here takes an entire year. Out of sixteen samples tasted blind, twelve entered the rankings. Campania dominates, with a large representation of producers of Gragnano PGI. The exceptions are the Tuscan Martelli and the Marche Mancini, the only ones to break the monopoly of the South. The choice of the smooth format is not accidental, because the grooves hold the sauce better but can lend themselves to the side on the cooking surface: the step of the groove tends to overcook, releases starch and creates a cream which, according to some chefs, such as Gennaro Esposito, it makes chewing difficult and disturbs the seasoning. A well-made smooth pasta, on the other hand, remains rough thanks to the bronze drawing and holds the sauce without the need for grooves.
How the evaluation works
The judging follows the Gamberi system, from one to three, based on organoleptic cards in cents. We start from Good (1 Shrimp) for scores between 70 and 79, go up to Very good (2 Shrimps) between 80 and 89, up to Excellent (3 Shrimps) from 90 and above. All products were tasted anonymously, without visible packaging or brands.
The complete ranking
Here are the best 12 from the test performed by Gambero Rosso:
