We recommend using 1 TB of Kosher salt or 1 ½ tsp sea salt for 4 quarts of water. This will result in a solution that’s about a 1% solution. A bit more or less can be added according to taste and depending on the saltiness of the sauce.

This term in Italian means “to the tooth” and relates to a pasta that has the right texture which is firm but not too hard or chalky. We like to test pasta as it approaches the lower end of cooking time and if it sticks to your teeth it needs a bit more time.

Some parts of Italy eats their pasta quite al dente and a little crunchy, which can be strange for someone not used to it. Cooking pasta al dente is believed to be better for health.

Kids love our dog shaped Fido pasta with an addition of good quality butter and parmigiano reggiano. Another great option is our cat shaped Figaro pasta with a simple but flavorful pomodoro sauce using high quality canned tomatoes. 

While we have rigorously tested the recommended cook times that we’ve listed on the package, everyone’s cooktop at home is different. Some stoves will be able to pump more heat more quickly into the boiling water, while others may not be as powerful. We always suggest tasting throughout the cooking process to make sure that you are able to achieve the perfect al dente bite!

1 serving is 56g of dried pasta

200 Calories

8g Protein

40g Carbohydrates

1g Fat

There really isn’t such a thing as a single “healthy food”, rather a healthy diet. A healthy diet is generally considered to be one filled with variety of minimally processed foods that encompass a range of food groups. Etto Pasta is an excellent way to get an organic, minimally processed, complex carbohydrate component into your diet and when prepared with fresh local produce, meats, and dairy, it is a great and delicious healthy meal! The mediterranean diet was ranked as the best overall diet U.S. News and World Report and pasta fits perfectly into this diet.

There is a bit of research that suggests that dried pasta is lower glycemic (sugar) than fresh pasta due to the simple fact that dried pasta will break down slower in the body (estimated at 36 hours). Our pasta is a complex carbohydrate and a great option for sustained energy for active people.

Some of this could be due to the fact that we use coarse ground semolina flour that digests more slowly than some other pastas that use more refined flours. There is a bit of research that suggests that dried pasta is lower glycemic (sugar) than fresh pasta due to the simple fact that dried pasta will break down slower in the body (estimated at 36 hours). Our pasta is a complex carbohydrate and a great option for sustained energy for active people.

Our pasta is a complex carbohydrate and a great option for sustained energy for active people.

Registered Dietitian Diane Welland says it’s important to eat the right kind of carbohydrates no matter what diet you follow.  Pasta, a staple of the Mediterranean Diet, is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates require more work to break down, so energy is released slowly and steadily through the day. Complex carbohydrates can easily be combined with other nutritious food components, such as olive oil, cheese, lean meat, chicken and fish as well as vegetables, beans and legumes — all healthy macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates and proteins).

In fact, both children and adults who consume pasta also tend to consume more vegetables and have healthier diets overall

Eating a diet composed of a wide variety of foods that encompass a range of food groups is generally considered to be a healthy diet. Most people need a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates and while carbs get a bad rap when consumed in large quantities, a balanced diet is all about moderation and eating pasta can definitely fit into a diet focused on losing weight as long as you don’t overdo it!

We have done some whole wheat pasta in the past, but generally people still prefer our 100% Organic semolina pasta. We do sell some whole wheat versions of our pasta to the local school districts in order to meet USDA requirements.

We use traditional ingredients and methods for our pasta which does not make it necessarily low carbohydrate. But we use the best quality durum wheat semolina which makes it a great option for a healthy balanced diet. 

We use 100% Organic Durum Semolina flour milled from wheat grown in the U.S. Many other pastas use less expensive flour that is not organic, durum and semolina. While we do spend considerably more money for our flour than other options we know our choice to do so makes a superior pasta.

Our durum wheat is all grown in the U.S., most of it comes from Montana; a region known for producing high quality dry farmed durum wheat. 

Yes, our pasta is 100% USDA certified organic which also means that it is free of GMOs

Yes, we use reverse osmosis to completely purify our water before using it in our dough. Great pasta starts with great pure water!

2 years is the industry standard so that’s what we use too. If our pasta is stored well it could last much longer than that though.

Our pasta is fine in the typical pantry. As long as it is stored in a cool, dry, dark place, our pasta will last quite a while and retain its texture and aromatics

Our pasta doesn’t spoil faster than other pastas. In fact, we go through great lengths and quality checks to make sure it has the best shelf life possible. 

We produce and dry 12 uniquely distinct shapes to complement a whole range of sauces.

Fido and Figaro our dog and cat shaped pasta are very popular as well as Trombe and Casarecce.

The best rule of thumb to use is to follow your heart and do what sounds best to you for your meal! However, if you’d like some more guidelines and traditional pairings, we have many great recipes for each of our shapes listed on our website to help you decide which pasta and sauce pairing to go with. 

We make these pasta only fresh available in our physical store. Contrary to what many people might think, long shapes are actually quite complicated to produce.

To make and dry long shapes, an entirely different set of equipment is needed. We hope to someday be able to make these shapes as they are very popular! But for now, we are focused on perfecting the wide range of short cut shapes that we currently produce.

Some of our shapes have strong regionality for example casarecce is traditionally Sicilian, while others like Mezzi Rigatoni and Trombe are eaten throughout the country. What is more regional than even the shapes themselves are the dishes prepared with them.

Each region and sometimes even each city has its own unique pastas that have come about based on local ingredients, tools available, climate, and wealth. Italy’s geography in particular with its various coastlines, mountains, islands, and rivers have naturally maintained a strong sense of regionality in the cuisine and culture.

Pasta shapes have evolved over time and region within Italy. There are probably just as many different shapes as there are Nonnas in Italy. Each region and sometimes even each city has its own unique pastas that have come about based on local ingredients, tools available, climate, and wealth.

Italy’s geography in particular with its various coastlines, mountains, islands, and rivers have naturally maintained a strong sense of regionality in the cuisine and culture.  

It is always a possibility! Right now we are focused on making sure the 12 dried shapes that we currently offer are perfect, but down the line we would love to explore some new and exciting options!

Our pasta shapes are formed through a process of high pressure extrusion through bronze dies. As the pasta gets pushed through the plate the pattern determines the shape and a cutter cuts the pasta to the length that we desire.

Bronze dies give the pasta a rough texture on the outside which is essential for helping sauce cling to the pasta. Other companies use dies coated with teflon which is a faster production method, but the resulting pasta is smooth and the sauce does not stick as well. The teflon coating can also release trace chemicals or micro plastics into the pasta.

Bronze is not as smooth as the alternative industrial option (Teflon coated), so as the dough gets extruded through the die, the surface becomes rough. Industrial pasta factories use teflon coated dies which allows a faster production method, but the resulting pasta is smooth and the sauce does not stick as well. 

We dry our pasta low and slow for more than 19 hours. In comparison, many industrial pastas are dried hot and fast in just a couple of hours which destroys texture, nutrients, and aromatics. Slow drying is a critical component of high quality artisanal pasta.

We dry all of our pasta to below 12.5% moisture. This ensures that our pasta remains fresh and had a long shelf life.

Since it requires very specific equipment and controls, we do not offer gluten free pasta at this time, although many people who suffer from wheat intolerance are able to eat our pasta with no problem since it is 100% organic.

There is more and more research coming out about how modern farming practices affect people that have historically had wheat or other grain sensitivities. Some findings suggest that it is the Glyphosates (roundup) used in conventional farming practices that are the issue rather than the gluten itself.

Glyphosates are potentially responsible for disrupting the microbiome in the gut which makes digesting the grains difficult. Since our pasta is made with 100% certified organic durum wheat, glyphosates are free from the wheat itself and the organic supply chain.  

For starters, pineapple as well (Although we have done an al Pastor ravioli which included pineapple inside). Others might be chicken, ketchup, mayonnaise