It almost felt like a kind of ‘homecoming’ when we met with artisanal pasta maker, Massimo Mancini, during his recent trip to Hong Kong. “Homecoming” in the sense that noodles and pasta-like dishes have long been a staple on the Chinese culinary stage, and that it seems we’ve come full circle since Marco Polo ‘supposedly’ brought this delicious technique of processing flour, back to Italy, following his 17 year sojourn to China. Now, Pasta Mancini brings the Italian take on the Chinese classic back to Asia.
On a recent rainy afternoon, we sat down with master pasta maker Massimo Mancini in the plush surroundings of the much-coveted Otto e Mezzo to taste this unique pasta, as cooked by legendary Michelin-chef Umberto Bombana, and to talk about Massimo’s passion for Italy’s iconic carb.
How did the Pasta Mancini label come about and what inspired you to create an artisanal pasta brand when there are so many pasta producers in Italy already?
M: I would say, farming has always flowed in my blood – the appreciation of the land, and the quality of the crops it yields. My grandfather started our Mancini farm in 1938 in Monte San Pietrangeli, and this is still where we produce all our wheat today. I studied agriculture in university, then went on to work for big industrial pasta makers such as Barilla before deciding to go back to my roots, to what I love doing – that is, creating beautiful pasta that reflect our Italian heritage. At Mancini, we are 100 per cent accountable for our entire production process, as we only use durum wheat harvested from our own farm, and make all our pastas in our state-of-the-art factory built in the middle of the farm. There is no third party involvement, so we can maintain our standards every step of the way.
At Mancini, we are 100 per cent accountable for our entire production process.
Tell us about this pasta factory in the middle of your farm:
M: Most wheat farms in Italy sell their grains to big industrial pasta makers. We, at Mancini, use only wheat from our own farm, so it was a natural progression to build our pasta factory in the middle of our fields. I conceptualised the idea in 2007 with my good friend and architect Ernesto Paoletti, and at first we were just drawing on paper with crayons, just like kids. We wanted a modern facility that uses time-tested Italian pasta-making techniques, but also incorporated the latest in technology.
Mancini pasta factory
What is the difference between Mancini pasta and industrialised pasta brands?
M: At Mancini, we produce much smaller quantities but we invest a lot of thought into techniques that enhance the texture and flavour of our pastas. For example, we use bronze dices instead of Teflon-coated dices that industrialised pasta makers use, as the bronze dice give the pasta surface a very rough texture and help sauces cling better. Bronze dices are softer, so they can only be used in relatively low pressure in our factory, meaning we produce significantly less quantity of pasta per unit than the industrial brands. We also dry our pastas at low temperature (40 degrees celsius) for 44 hours as compared to industrialised producers who dry a batch at high temperatures (100 degrees celsius) for only 6 hours. Yes, by using these more traditional methods, we do compromise our quantity, but our dedication pays off when it comes to texture and flavour. I’m proud to stand behind our ways of production.
A lot of restaurants advertise fresh pasta, what is the difference in composition between fresh and dry pastas?
M: Fresh and dried pastas are very different things! Fresh pasta uses common wheat whereas dry pasta is made of semolina flour, which can only be milled from durum wheat. The texture and flavour is completely different, and we do not use eggs in dry pastas. At Mancini, we use two kinds of durum wheat – San Carlo and Levante. When combined, the durum wheat is what gives Mancini its unique qualities. We recently developed a new pasta line called Turanici by bringing back an almost forgotten ancient grain, Turanicum, a subspecies of durum wheat. We farm this ancient grain organically, and the peculiarity of the gluten within makes this type of wheat very easily digestible, yet with a robust cereal flavour and chewy texture. This unique grain works well for people with digestive tract sensitivities and problems.
Turanici pasta made from the ancient grain, Turanicum
What is your favourite pasta, and can you give us your favourite recipe?
M: My favourite pasta has got to be the humble spaghetti. It takes up 40 per cent of our production each year, and is the most difficult to make – the pressure, temperature and dice must be “just right”. The best way to taste the cereal flavour of durum wheat is to cook the pasta to al dente, so you can enjoy the flavour as you savour the chewy texture. Simple ingredients are best when paired with Pasta Mancini, so the quality of the pasta really shines through. Here is what I love to cook at home:
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
320g Pasta Mancini
600g San Marzano tomatoes
½ clove garlic
½ onion
basil
chilli
100g 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano
15g extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
Method:
Boil water in a pot and blanch tomatoes for only 10 seconds. Immediately chill tomatoes under cold water. Peel away tomato skin and chop into cubes.
Drizzle a pan with olive oil and brown the garlic. Remove the garlic from the pan and add in finely chopped onion. Add in tomatoes and basil, then season well with salt. Cook for no more than 10 minutes.
In another pot, bring well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti to al dente (around 7-8 minutes).
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and let simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
Take off heat, and add in chilli, adjust salt level.
Plate and shave Parmigiano on top, garnish with fresh basil. Bon Appetito!
Maccheroni (Lamb and Mushroom Ragout, Fresh Rosemary Artisanal Trenette) from 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA
We’re so excited to try Pasta Mancini, where can we find this?
M: Pasta Mancini can be found in many of the finest Italian restaurants, as well as select delis. We supply to Messina, Tosca, Osteria, Armani, Ammo, Grissini, Otto e Mezzo, CIAK, Lupa and Spasso, amongst many others in Hong Kong. You can also buy the pasta from delis in CIAK and Great Food Hall.
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