“The pasta in Italy doesn’t bother my stomach” this is something we hear all the time… and after visiting the Martelli pasta factory, it finally makes sense.
For nearly 100 years, the Martelli family has been doing things the slow way. And it shows.
In Italy, real dried pasta is just three ingredients. Durum wheat, semolina, and water. But the difference comes in how it’s made. Bronze dies create that rough texture so sauce actually sticks. Slow drying, up to 50 hours, preserves the structure of the pasta instead of breaking it down.
Most industrial pasta uses faster methods, higher heat, and smoother molds. The result is a completely different product.
What blew my mind is they only make one shape per day, with a team of just eight family members. Meanwhile, large scale factories produce in hours what takes them an entire year.
Same product, completely different philosophy.
And you can actually see it. One is pale, rough, and porous. The other is bright yellow, smooth, and shiny.
So maybe it’s not just in your head.
Have you noticed a difference eating pasta in Italy vs back home? Tell me below 🇮🇹🍝
3 Comments
The drying part is critical! High temperature drying creates a chemical called furosine. Multiple studies point to the dangers of this chemical.
Definitely a notable difference! Quality lacking in the U.S.
Big difference indeed also in terms of satiety.