The Art of Artisanal Pasta: Why Rustichella d'Abruzzo Is Worth Every Penny

We had a chance to chat with Carlo Cench, Export Manager at Rustichella D'Abruzzo. This is a summary of our chat with him. If you're interested in watching this, head to https://youtu.be/MfdKE5N6d8s to watch the interview in its entirety.

If you've ever wondered why some pasta commands a premium price—and whether it's actually worth it—this deep dive into Rustichella d'Abruzzo's traditional pasta-making process will answer those questions. As Carlo from Rustichella explains, once you try truly artisanal pasta, "you cannot go backwards."

How to Spot Quality Pasta at a Glance

Before diving into the production process, Carlo shared some quick visual cues to identify quality pasta:

• Color: The lighter the yellow, the better the quality. Dark yellow pasta indicates industrial production with high-temperature drying that caramelizes the sugars.

• Texture: Artisanal pasta has a rough, textured surface, while industrial pasta is smooth.

These simple observations can help you identify quality pasta in seconds.

What Makes Rustichella Different

1. Superior Ingredients

Rustichella carefully selects the best durum wheat varieties, using 90% Italian wheat and—surprisingly—10% Canadian wheat. Why Canadian? Because it's recognized worldwide as the strongest wheat available, providing structural integrity to the pasta. As Carlo explained: "Think about Ferrari—it's not built using only Italian parts. They use the best parts from around the world to build the best car." Similarly, Rustichella combines the best ingredients to create superior pasta.

2. Pure Mountain Water

Located in Abruzzo, Italy's "wildest region" where 70% of the territory is natural reserve, Rustichella uses water directly from the Apennino mountains. This naturally pure water requires minimal filtration and contributes significantly to the pasta's quality.

3. Extended Kneading Time

While industrial producers knead their dough for only 20-30 minutes, Rustichella kneads for a minimum of three hours under vacuum pressure. The tanks are warmed to approximately 35°C (95°F)—simulating the temperature of human hands—to create a perfect gluten network.

4. Authentic Bronze Dies

Rustichella uses 100% pure bronze dies for extruding pasta, which creates the characteristic rough texture that allows sauce to cling to the pasta. These dies cost approximately €4,000 each and must be replaced after just two maintenance cycles. Industrial producers typically use Teflon or plastic dies, resulting in smoother pasta that doesn't hold sauce as well.

5. Human Expertise

Unlike industrial operations where machines run on preset formulas, Rustichella employs pasta masters who oversee production daily. Each morning, the pasta master adjusts recipes based on humidity, temperature, and other factors to ensure consistent quality. The company even discards approximately 100kg of pasta at the start of each production day while perfecting the formula.

6. The Game-Changing Drying Process

This is where the most significant difference occurs:

• Industrial drying: 90-95°C (194-203°F) for just 6 hours in long tunnels

• Rustichella's method: 40-50°C (104-122°F) for 36-56 hours in static drying rooms with controlled humidity

Industrial pasta dries from the outside in, trapping approximately 12% residual water inside (the maximum allowed by Italian regulations). Rustichella's pasta dries from the inside out, resulting in only 7% residual moisture. Carlo describes the process as similar to a sauna—the humidity allows proper moisture release rather than just surface drying.

The Surprising Benefit: More Pasta Per Package

One of the most remarkable revelations is that with the same weight of dry pasta, Rustichella yields approximately three more portions than industrial pasta. Because of its lower moisture content and proper drying, it absorbs significantly more water during cooking, expanding more than industrial pasta.

This expansion factor helps offset the higher cost. While a package might cost twice as much on the shelf, you're getting substantially more cooked pasta per package.

Nutritional Differences

The differences extend to nutrition as well. The nutrition labels reveal:

• Higher protein content in artisanal pasta

• Different carbohydrate structure

• Lower levels of caramelized sugars

• No added salt (which some industrial producers include)

  
  

Cooking Tips from Carlo

• Use 1 liter of water per 100 grams of pasta

• Add salt only after the water is boiling

• Adjust salt based on your sauce (if using salty ingredients like salmon, use less salt in the water)

• Rustichella pasta is more forgiving if slightly overcooked than industrial pasta

  
  

The Final Verdict

What started as a conversation about a premium product revealed that Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta isn't just expensive for the sake of being expensive—there's a tangible difference in production methods, quality, yield, and nutritional profile.

The company's commitment to traditional methods, quality ingredients, and expert craftsmanship results in a product that's distinctly superior to mass-produced alternatives. And while it commands a premium price, the increased yield and exceptional quality make it worth every penny for those who appreciate the difference.

So if you're ready to elevate your pasta experience, remember—you've been warned. Once you try Rustichella d'Abruzzo, ordinary pasta will never taste the same again.

Want to order Rustichella for your store? Head here to to check out our catalog.

Need to learn a little more about pasta first? Check out our pasta guide here.