3 ideas for a quick and light cold pasta

3 ideas for a quick and light cold pasta

Summer yes, but with taste. Pasta is Mediterranean food by excellence and you can't give up a nice plate of spaghetti even when it's hot. But then how to combine taste, freshness and lightness even when temperatures rise? There are many recipes based on pasta, light and tasty, which can be prepared quickly and with a few simple ingredients.

In this article we want to propose you 3 ideas for cold pasta perfect for every occasion.

August is the month of holidays and the sea, so it is best to stay light, especially when you are on the beach. For a quick and nutritious lunch, you could opt for the indispensable pasta salad. We recommend the Mediterranean one, based on fresh and easily available ingredients such as tuna, cherry tomatoes, basil, olives and mozzarella. Obviously you can use the elements you prefer, perhaps adding grilled vegetables. For this dish we recommend our Fusilli n. 31 integral.

Maybe you are not a sea type, but prefer the mountains, fresh air and day trips. In this case, with Spaghetti n.3 of organic grain, you could opt for a genuine and tasty spaghetti omelette. It is a typically Neapolitan dish that comes from the need to empty the fridge from food scraps. The basic ingredient, of course, is the egg but you can decide to fill it as you see fit according to your tastes and what you have in the pantry. Excellent as a main dish, you can eat it whenever and however you want, full and at the same time provide energy without weighing it down too much.

The summer dinners are the best: excellent company, fresh wine and delicious dishes. If you want to impress your guests you could offer them a delicious timbale of cold pasta with vegetables. You can use our Ditalini n.84 or Chifferini n.81, the important thing is that it is a small format that you can easily compact in the pan together with the rest of the ingredients. We advise you to serve mainly grilled vegetables, such as aubergines or courgettes, to create the wrapper and stuff it with cold items such as tuna, feta, mozzarella and dried tomatoes. A real delicacy that will leave everyone mouth...full!


The new eco pack

The new eco pack

Pastificio Liguori changes its look, not only with a focus on restyling and repositioning the brand, but above all by virtue of its commitment to sustainability and eco-compatibility.

At a time when respect for nature is a burning issue, the priority of any large company is to create recyclable, compostable and environmentally friendly products and develop production systems that reduce the impact on the environment.

Liguori expresses its attention to environmental issues first of all respecting the production and processing cycles of Italian durum wheat that it uses for the production of pasta. The company's commitment is also reflected in an eco-sustainable development that reduces CO2 emissions and, above all, in the creation of a recyclable paper pack with the Aticelca 501 certification and recyclable packaging with the FSC certification.

Pasta Liguori: nice, good and nature friendly.


The reason we're "the first" since two centuries

The reason we're "the first" since two centuries

The history of the city of Gragnano has always been closely linked to that of pasta. In this relationship that has lasted for centuries, at the end of the 18th century, we meet the Pastificio Liguori which almost becomes the symbol of the good pasta produced in Gragnano and its rich and fascinating tradition.

On August 16, 1795, the Council of the Municipality of Gragnano granted Gaetano Liguori the right to manufacture and sell good quality macaroni with the obligation of keeping a shop open for the convenience of the citizens. It was an artisan production not yet mechanized. The concession was for a consideration of 60 ducats, to be paid into the municipal funds, but it gave the right to directly fine those who abusively practiced the art of the macaroni maker.

IIn the early 1800s, the Council of the Municipality liberalised the possibility of making pasta for all citizens of Gragnano, given the crisis in other production sectors such as the manufacture of cloths and the destruction of silk activities, following an epidemic that hit the worms. Another pillar of Gragnano's economy was represented since the 13th century by the milling of cereals, with numerous mills using the power of the spring water of the Monti Lattari basin. The people of Gragnano were therefore well acquainted with the various semolina and flours, and chose the most suitable ones to offer a high quality pasta..

Documents handed down by the Liguori family identify the foundation of a macaroni factory in 1820. In the 1900's, Pastificio Liguori combined its name with this year of foundation. On July 12, 1845, among the personalities who welcomed the Bourbon king Ferdinand II on a visit to the city, we find Giuseppe Liguori. After visiting Gragnano and listening to a solemn mass in the monumental church of del Corpus Domini, the king visited the pasta factories and tasted the pasta. He was enthusiastic about it and granted the Liguori pasta factory in Gragnano the privilege of supplying pasta for the royal residence of Quisisana,where he spent his summer holidays with his entire court. During that day, the king walked accompanied by 40 knights along Corso Sancho, now Via Roma, which had just been transformed to allow the pasta to be dried outdoors. The Liguori long pasta factory was right in the middle of that road, perfectly aligned with the East-West axis to take full advantage of the breezes that came from the sea (located just 3 kilometers) and the Lattari mountains, breezes that alternated during the day, allowing the pasta to dry slowly.


Rigatoni alla siciliana

Rigatoni alla siciliana

Rigatoni alla siciliana is one of the most famous dishes of the Italian culinary tradition, rich in flavor, born from the combination of fried eggplants, tomatoes and provola.  Simple, colorful, delightful, this dish never disappoints! Just a few ingredients easy to find and a little elaborate preparation to bring to the table all the flavor of the south. What’s the secret to best enjoy it?  Rigatoni PGI Liguori , a format that holds the sauce in an inimitable way.

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The Liguori advice

To remove the vegetation water from the eggplants and ensure a crisp result, it is useful to leave the eggplants previously washed and cut, for 30 minutes sprinkled with plenty of coarse salt under a weight (a plate, a bowl). Then just dry them and remove the excess salt with a kitchen towel.

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Cut the eggplants into cubes, then fry them in a high-sided pot, little by little, in plenty of hot oil. Keep the aubergines aside and prepare the sauce: in a saucepan fry a clove of crushed garlic and 5 tablespoons of oil, brown and add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and leave to cook for about 25 minutes. Season with salt and make the water boil, cook the rigatoni for 13 minutes or, if you prefer to cook al dente, for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the garlic from the sauce and add the eggplants. Drain the pasta, put it back in the pot and add the sauce. Add the cubes of provola, the parmesan cheese, plenty of basil, mix over low heat so that the provola melts and serve with some fried eggplant kept aside and a leaf of fresh basil.


The pleasure of expectation - The Liguori slow drying method

The pleasure of expectation - The Liguori slow drying method

In these times, slowness is an added value. In a period of history in which everything happens in a very short time, in the immediacy of the moment, doing things with calm is the real revolution. Even at the table.

Slow Food

The slow food flag is Italian par excellence: indeed, made in Italy is an excellence that makes slowness its spearhead. Producing according to the right time as nature commands and enjoying time at the table is an unwritten law of our culinary culture.

Respect for the raw material

We have made slowness our distinctive mark. Yes, because the processing method of our pasta starts with a drying time of up to 18 hours. In fact, to preserve the nutritional properties, taste and flavour of good Italian durum wheat, it is necessary to know how to wait. Our pasta dries slowly and at a low temperature, to avoid the gluten structure to be altered and the important nutritional substances present in the pasta to be dispersed.

The Liguori method

The production method of our pastificio has been refined in 200 years of history. It all starts with the best durum wheat of southern Italy, slowly processed with the pure water of the Lattari Mountains and left for drying the proper time. The slowness and low temperature make the product carefully treated, avoiding damage such as the formation of unwanted substances that compromise the taste and quality of the pasta.


The tradition in a new look

First since two centuries

Since two centuries Liguori is a synonymous with pasta of Gragnano, the good, traditional and with an authentic taste. In fact, from the end of 1700 our pasta company produces pasta in Gragnano for Italy and the world. In 1795, Gaetano Liguori, the founder, obtains from the City of Gragnano the authorization to «make and sell macaroni of good quality and only fate» in his workshop, with the obligation to keep a point of sale open for citizens convenience.
That was a craft production, not yet mechanized.

Rebranding and new pack

After two centuries of history and passion for pasta, we decided to change look and to give a new image to our pasta, preserving its original quality.
We changed starting from our roots, so we decided to keep alive our centuries-old tradition by reinterpreting history and innovating the brand. For this reason, we began a rebranding process, firstly focused on the logo, inspired by the historical brand of the ‘50s with institutional colors and then on the pack. The new Liguori pasta pack totally reflects our values, enhancing production techniques, territorial certification and commitment to environmental protection.
These principles are complemented by a constant research to offer consumers, ever-more attentive and demanding, a wide selection of formats and types of pasta.
This results in 38 formats with the P.G.I. denomination, 13 traditional formats produced by using the slow drying method and 23 organic pasta formats among the P.G.I., whole-wheat and di semolato variants.

 


Spaghetti alla chitarra with musky octopus

Spaghetti alla chitarra with musky octopus

A few simple ingredients and a very easy preparation for a king’s first course. Spaghetti alla chitarra with musky octopus sauce is a dish of the oldest Mediterranean tradition that always amazes, for the simplicity of execution and the extraordinary flavor, the result of the union of 3 characteristic elements of the good Italian cuisine: pasta, tomato and fish.

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The Liguori advice

Drain the pasta about two minutes before, add two tablespoons of cooking water and let them cook for two minutes. In this way, spaghetti will bind even better to the sauce. Serve the spaghetti with a handful of fresh chopped parsley and a whole musky octopus per dish.

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Clean and wash the musky octopus carefully, divide them into 4 parts and leave someone whole for the presentation of the plate. Brown the crushed garlic with 3 tablespoons of oil, as soon as it becomes golden, remove it, add the musky octopus, brown, fade with white wine and add the tomato sauce, which you can also replace with peeled tomatoes. Salt, add the chilli pepper in the desired quantity and cover with

the lid, cooking over low heat for about 40 minutes so that the sauce becomes dark and dense, just like a meat sauce. When cooked, remove the lid and leave to rest for a few minutes, keeping the musky octopus aside. Salt and bring the water to the boil, cook the spaghetti for 12 minutes or 10 if you prefer al dente. Drain them, let them gain flavor in the sauce. Add the musky octopus that you have set aside and turn off the heat.


Spaghetti with clams

Spaghetti with clams

A great classic of the Italian cuisine that often is a reference point to test the skill of chefs. Italy, and above all the South, cares about this dish as a symbol of the Italian tradition, culture and folklore. Some people prefer white, others slightly red, others pepper, others chilli. Then there is the dispute about the addition of white wine and the soaking. One thing is certain: the simplicity and goodness of this first course that the world envies us.

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Liguori’s advice

Shell the clams and keep them apart. Drain the pasta al dente and sauté it in the pan with a ladle of cooking water, then add the clams and serve.

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First let the clams be purged in water for 12 hours. Put the water on the fire and in the meantime prepare the dressing. In a low and large saucepan, brown the oil with the slightly crushed garlic; when the garlic browns, add the fresh chilli pepper and the chopped parsley. When the water boils, boil the pasta for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, remove the garlic and add the clams, a ladle of water from the pasta and let it evaporate, then lower the heat, cover and cook for 1 minute. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and sauté in a pan for 1 minute. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.


Liguori at Tutto Food 2019

Liguori at Tutto Food 2019

The great showcase of food this year has once again hosted important italian brands, excellence and new promising realities that have presented their products to the national and international market.

This 6th edition of Tutto Food 2019 was for Pastificio Liguori an opportunity to show the new image dof the company and to taste our pasta, also thanks to the collaboration with some chefs such as Michele Cotugno and Max Mariola with Petti, with whom we have done some show cooking.

Now it’s time to show us to consumers

Since two centuries, Liguori aims for excellence, control of the supply chain, quality of raw materials and respect for traditional production techniques. Today, we want to talk about us to the consumer, showing these principles and strengths that make our product valuable, an expression of the most genuine artisanal tradition made in Italy.
Gragnano is at the center of this process: everything comes from here, thanks to the unique climatic and environmental conditions of this land it’s possible to produce the famous “white gold”.
The Gragnano P.G.I. Certification, the 100% Italian durum wheat, the slow drying method and the bronze drawing are the flagship of Liguori pasta.

Commitment to the environment
Respect for nature is our priority. For this reason, we pursue eco-sustainable development by reducing the CO2 emissions. Today we further develop our commitment preserving our pasta in a recyclable paper pack, to protect nature and facilitate practices with low environmental impact.