Ingredients for 4 people:

• 400 g of Rustichella d'Abruzzo Stelline
• 1 L of vegetable broth
• 500 g of green beans
• 500 g of potatoes
• 250 g of carrots
• 2 small onions
• 1 leek
• Parsley
• Tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Preparation: Trim the green beans and cut them into pieces about 3 cm long; clean the onions, leek, carrots, and potatoes, and cut everything into cubes. Sauté the onion and leek in a saucepan with a tablespoon of oil, then add the green beans and carrots, cover with broth, bring to a boil, and then add the potatoes. Cook for about ten minutes, then add a tablespoon of tomato paste and the stelline. Season with salt and continue cooking until fully done. Serve hot.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 320 g of PrimoGrano Virtù
• 400 g of beans
• ½ onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
• 1 liter of vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Grated cheese (Parmesan)
• 1 packet of Mistichelle PrimoGrano
• Salt

Preparation: Soak the beans overnight. Prepare the sauté by dicing the celery, carrot, and onion. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pot and sauté the chopped vegetables over medium heat. As soon as they start to brown, add the cooked beans and let them flavor for a few minutes. Season with the Mistichelle. Add the previously prepared vegetable broth, enough to cover the beans by a few fingers. Cover with a lid and let it cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Once it reaches a boil, add the tomato purée (to add some color) and the Virtù, adjusting with salt. Turn off the heat a few minutes before the pasta is fully cooked and let your simple Pasta e Fagioli rest in the pot for about 5 minutes. Serve the Virtù and beans with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of grated cheese.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 400 g of Rustichella d’Abruzzo fusilli
• 2 red bell peppers
• 200 ml of cream
• 1 clove of garlic
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano to taste
• 4 tablespoons of Rustichella d’Abruzzo extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sage leaf
• Salt to taste

Preparation: Clean, wash, and slice the bell pepper halves. Heat plenty of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan with a clove of garlic and sauté. When the oil starts to sizzle, add the bell peppers and let them cook. Season with salt. Once the bell peppers are cooked, transfer them to a bowl and blend. Incorporate the cream while continuing to blend. Return the cream to the pan and let it reduce a bit more. Meanwhile, cook the fusilli in plenty of salted water, drain them when al dente, and transfer them to the pan with the bell pepper cream. Mix everything together and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Continue to combine over low heat and serve, garnishing with a sage leaf.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 400 g of Rustichella d’Abruzzo Casareccia
• 500 g of Rustichella d’Abruzzo Organic Tomato Pulp
• 150 g of fresh sausage
• 1 shallot
• Black pepper to taste
• Rustichella d’Abruzzo extra virgin olive oil
• White wine to taste
• Thyme to taste

Preparation: Remove the casing from the sausage and crumble it with the help of a fork. In a skillet, add a tablespoon of oil and sauté the finely chopped shallot over low heat. When it turns golden, add the sausage, increase the heat, and cook it while sprinkling with a generous amount of black pepper. Deglaze with the wine, allowing it to evaporate completely, then add the tomato pulp, a pinch of thyme, and let everything simmer for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat to the minimum and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, and once it is al dente, drain it and add it to the skillet with the sauce. Mix over high heat, stirring frequently, and serve hot.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 320 g of Rustichella d’Abruzzo Penne Rigate
• 270 g of Rustichella d’Abruzzo Bolognese Sauce
• Shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano to taste
• Basil leaves to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparation: In a non-stick skillet, heat the Bolognese sauce over low heat. Meanwhile, cook the penne rigate in plenty of salted water, and once they are al dente, drain them and add them to the skillet with the sauce. Mix everything well for 1 minute and plate, garnishing with a few fresh basil leaves and shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Ingredients:

• 320 g of Rustichella d’Abruzzo Torchietti
• 150 g of smoked pancetta, diced
• 100 g of walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 packet of saffron
• 200 ml of fresh cream
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Rustichella d’Abruzzo extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Preparation:

1. Cook the pasta: In a large pot, bring plenty of salted water to a boil. Add the Torchietti and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
2. Prepare the saffron cream: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over low heat. Add the saffron and stir well. Continue to cook for a few minutes until the cream slightly thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Cook the bacon and walnuts: In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it becomes translucent. Add the pancetta and cook until it becomes crispy. Finally, add the chopped walnuts and stir for a couple of minutes.
4. Combine the pasta: Drain the Torchietti and add them to the skillet with the pancetta and walnuts. Mix well to combine the ingredients.
5. Add the saffron cream: Pour the saffron cream over the Torchietti and gently stir to evenly distribute the sauce.
6. Serve: Plate the Torchietti and, if desired, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!

Bon appétit!

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 320 g of Rustichella d’Abruzzo Cestini
• 500 g of Rustichella d’Abruzzo tomato purée
• ½ red onion
• Rustichella d’Abruzzo extra virgin olive oil
• Basil leaves to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparation: Heat a drizzle of oil in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and 50 g of water. Sauté the onions over medium heat for about ten minutes, then add the tomatoes, basil leaves, and adjust with salt. Add 200 g of water and cook for about 15 minutes. Then pour in another 500 g of water and bring to a boil, then add the pasta directly into the tomato soup and finish cooking the "Cestini." Adjust with salt, stir, and serve, garnishing with a few basil leaves.

• 300 g of ruote di carro
• 250 g of porcini mushrooms
• 100 g of Grana cheese
• 100 g of Pecorino cheese
• Parsley
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water and drain it al dente. Place it on a large plate and dress it with a little olive oil. Slice the mushrooms thinly. Sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt. Put the pasta in a serving bowl, dress it with olive oil, pepper, and plenty of finely chopped fresh parsley. Incorporate the mushrooms, add Grana and Pecorino cheese: mix gently and serve.

I always considered fusilli a funny shape and now that my daughter is a big fan, I cook them every week. This new relationship I have with fusilli has opened new possibilities

Only now I realize that not only fusilli are funny and easy to eat (that’s why kids love them) but they’re amongst the best pasta shapes to collect brilliantly your sauce, and that’s a very big plus when you are a pasta lover like I am.

For this recipe, I paired the beautiful fusilli from Rustichella d’Abruzzo with a cavolo nero (Italian Cabbage similar to curly kale) pesto, definitely a more grown up variation to the famous basil pesto, and also a good way to get your daily quota of vegetables in. This hearty pesto is topped with a smoked ricotta sauce that gives a brilliant depth to the dish and plays well with the grassy notes of the cavolo nero and toasted almonds for the crunch and optional chili too.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients

400 g of Fusilli  ‘Rustichella d’Abruzzo’

150 ml of cream

150 gr of smoked ricotta (works with other smoked cheeses too)

Dried chili to garnish

Chopped almonds to garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto

200 gr of cavolo nero

50 ml of extra virgin olive oil

40 gr of grated Grana Padano cheese

15 gr of almonds

1 garlic clove

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Start by preparing the pesto and remember any leftover can be kept for up to 3/4 days in the fridge well covered.

Trim the cavolo nero and remove the woody stalks. You only need the leaves and the tender parts of the stem. Rinse well and cook in salted boiling water for about 2/3 minutes until soft. Cool immediately in iced water to retain the color then drain well but do not over-squeeze.

To prepare the pesto blend the cooked leaves with the oil and all the other ingredients using a processor or blender until you have a grainy paste. If necessary, add a little of the cooking water to make it smoother. Check the seasoning and place it aside.

Now prepare the smoked ricotta sauce.

Gently heat the cream until just reaching the boiling point. Now crumble the ricotta into it, turn off the stove and mix to let the remaining heat melt the cheese gently. If necessary, you can of course blend the sauce until smooth. Check the seasoning and keep warm.

Drop the Fusilli in salted boiling water and cook until al dente following the packet instructions. When ready, drain the pasta but retain some of the cooking water.

Now in a bowl away from the heat toss the pasta with the cavolo nero pesto, add a splash of pasta water to losing it up and mix well until the fusilli are creamy and well coated with the pesto. Season to taste and plate in shallow bowls. You have to do this step away from the stove as the pesto is meant to stay fresh and vibrant in color and the excessive heat will prevent that.

Top the fusilli with drizzles of warm smoked ricotta sauce, a touch of dried chili (flakes or powdered) and toasted chopped almonds and enjoy straight away.

Recipe by Danilo Cortellini