PASTIFICIO DUCATO DI AMALFI GRAGNANO


Different but complementary. Lived and parallel paths that suddenly intertwine at the dawn of a difficult challenge, but also extremely exciting.


Behind this project there is only us and our stories: which are Chiara, Tullia, Anna, Antonella e Daniela. Five women, some friends forever, others only from a short while, but united by a common bond: love for our roots


Tullia is a psychologist and deals with human resources, Anna is an accountant and we have entrusted her with accounting. Antonella has a long experience in the import-export sector and therefore takes care of relationships with suppliers and customers.


Daniela worked in the restaurant business and is responsible for our tasting room. And finally there is Chiara, a university councilor and student.


She was the one who brought us together and proposed this challenge: create a pasta factory that is different from the others, that combines the new with the old, that recalled the old traditions, but who also knew how to take advantage of the opportunities offered by technology to give visitors a unique sensory journey between the museum, the tasting room and the open kitchen.


Easier said than done. But we didn’t think twice: we threw ourselves into the fire to realize our dream.


We already said this before: we are five women and we express as many professions, but diversity is our strength.


Yes, none of us knows how to do pasta. However this is not a problem, because we have our trump card: Don Vincenzo Massa.


He is not just a pasta maker. Don Vincenzo he is a artisan with the powers of a magician. He started working with pasta since he was 14 years old. He is the historical memory of Gragnano, and also the guardian of an ancient art handed down from father to son up to the present day.


And he added: ”In you I see the desire to do and the new that is advancing. For me it is an honor to pass the baton to the girls. and then pasta is like a woman: the more you caress it, the more it loves you”.


His fine words led us to go all the way. And not only that. They also suggested our slogan: pasta is woman. Just like us.


PRODUCTION







The fundamentals underlying the processing of Ducato D'Amalfi pasta are: high quality raw material, therefore 100% Italian durum wheat semolina and compliance with the production regulations of Pasta di Gragnano PGI. The production and packaging of Ducato D'Amalfi pasta, sure enough, take place within the territory of Gragnano, according to established schemes over time and conditions that satisfy the marking of protected geographical identity.


The first phase is the mixture, that is when the durum wheat semolina embraces the water. It is a simple operation but it has a non-derogable parameter: the water used is that of the sources of the Lattari Mountains, due to its unique chemical-physical and organoleptic characteristics.







The second stage is the kneading which allows the dough to become homogeneous and elastic and then pass through the drawing. This is an important and also very exciting phase, because we are witnessing a show: from the shapeless chaos, pasta becomes a rational geometric form, with a variable length.


In the industrial world molds can be in Teflon, but in this pasta factory they use only bronze dies. It is no small difference, it is a precision work that prevents the pasta from being damaged to give it a porous and rough surface, ideal for capturing the taste of seasonings, sauces and sauces.


Of course, the process is slower and requires a longer drying period, but the time expenditure is synonymous with quality because the pasta retains all the nutrients that make it special.


The product goes to the final stage through drying and cooling. The first is a very delicate moment, because it must comply with certain parameters: temperature between 40 ° and 80 ° and a period of time between 6 and 60 hours.


Subsequently the paste is subjected to ventilation cycles to stabilize it and bring it back to room temperature. Then, within 24 hours, it is inserted by hand into our packaging in recyclable material.







 

 







 



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