Description
Maccheroncini di Campofilone PGI are dry pasta obtained from the processing of eggs and wheat flour or durum wheat flour.
Production Area
The production area of Maccheroncini di Campofilone PGI is within the territory of the Municipality of Campofilone in the Province of Fermo, in the Marche region.
Production Method
The production method for Maccheroncini di Campofilone PGI is divided into four stages: kneading, stripping, cutting and drying, all of which must take place in the geographical reference area. The percentage of eggs used for the dough varies from 7 to 10 eggs per kg of durum wheat flour or wheat flour. The dough is first stripped by hand or bronze-extruded and then cut on rollers to obtain the correct thickness. After cutting, the maccheroncini are dried by placing them on rectangular sheets of white parchment paper, with a length of between 32 and 35 cm and a width of 22-26 cm. Once closed, the sheets are put on special racks to dry at a temperature ranging between 28-40° C, for 24 - 36 hours, after which they are packaged in the production plant.
Appearance and Flavour
Maccheroncini di Campofilone PGI are between 35 and 60 cm long, with a width of 0,80 to 1,20 mm and a thickness ranging between 0,3 and 0,7 mm. These proportions, together with the slow drying process, produce a high-yielding product, which determines the absorption capacity of the pasta; it retains a higher quantity of sauce compared to other types of pasta.
History
The artisan production of Maccheroncini di Campofilone PGI is the legacy of folk tradition of the homonymous medieval village, which has been handed down from generation to generation. The skill and imagination of the Campofilone women were stimulated by the need to make up for the lack of certain foods, such as eggs, which were not always available throughout the year. Dried pasta was in fact cheaper than fresh pasta because it kept in the madie (bread chests) and could be consumed throughout the year. However, the coarseness of the cut had a drawback: during the drying process, the air caused the pasta to curl and it would break in several places. They therefore began to cut the dough into very thin strips so that it didn’t break. As early as 1400, Maccheroncini pasta was considered a delectable dish, and was cited in a letter from Campofilone Abbey, in a few documents of the Trento Council and in the recipes books of several noble houses. But it wasn’t until the beginning of the 1900s that housewives and innkeepers in Campofilone began serving the characteristic long, thin Maccheroncini.
Gastronomy
Maccheroncini di Campofilone PGI should be kept in a cool, dry place. The traditional recipe serves the pasta with meat sauce and a generous amount of pecorino cheese, but the production area’s close proximity to the sea has led the dish to be served with fish sauce along the coast.
Marketing
Maccheroncini di Campofilone PGI are sold in cardboard food packets, which also contain the sheets of white parchment paper that they are wrapped in. There are packets containing 250 g (equal to 2 sheets), 500 g (equal to 4 sheets) or 1000 g (equal to 8 sheets) of net product. Cardboard boxes of higher weights are permitted within the catering industry, as well as special 500 g and 1 kg straw paper packets, closed with knotted twine and sealed with sealing wax, on which there is the company logo.
Distinctive Features
Maccheroncini di Campofilone PGI are distinguished from other pastas by the thinness of the pasta sheets and the extremely fine cut: these characteristics allow for a limited cooking time, one minute in boiling water, but it is also possible to cook it directly in the sauce without boiling it beforehand.
