visit a pasta factory with casa olivi

AZIENDA AGRICOLA MANCINI
There is a farm that produces pasta in the middle of a wheat field

Mancini farm makes pasta with the durum wheat sown and harvested in its own field.
The importance given to the raw material, the respect of the environment, the combination of innovation and tradition makes Mancini pasta really special.
In this brand new factory built on top of Monte San Pietrangeli hills, Massimo Mancini has developed a production process that enhances and preserves all durum wheat characteristics.

The Mancini farm has been a rural reality for more than 60 years, since the grandfather Mariano, besides cultivating wheat, was also involved in the activity of wheat threshing with the very old threshing machines which were moved by the first tractors available in the market.

At the end of the 70es,the father Giuseppe, enlarged the farm, passing from 20 to the actual 100 hectares.
For 10 years, since his degree in agriculture, Massimo, third generation, has been carrying on a selection of wheat variety as well as an improvement of cultivation technics with the aim to reach an excellent quality of the final product.

Since 2001 they have decided to transform themselves their wheat with the help of a "master pasta maker".

The whole production comes exclusively from the wheat cultivated in the farm, where Mancini follows a production disciplinary that respects the reduction parameters of environment impact. They normally cultivate two different kinds of durum wheat (Levante, San Carlo), that, once harvested, are mixed together.

The wheat is stored in a warehouse through a process of cold preservation, which allows them to stock the wheat without the need of chemical products improving both the healthiness and the taste of the final product.

The bran obtained from the grinding is then processed within very few days following the pasta making systems which respect the tradition faithfully. Bronze wire-drawing machines, that give the external surface of the pasta a very high level of porosity and roughness, are used. This allows a better sauce holding and cooking uniformity.


The recipe
Trenette al sugo di noci, Trenette with walnut sauce

Ingredienti:
350 gr di trenette Azienda Agricola Mancini
250 gr di ricotta fresca
3 cucchiai di panna (facoltativi)
60 gr di noci tritate
olio extravergine di oliva
aglio
sale
pepe

Preparazione
Fate cuocere la pasta in abbondante acqua salata, in questo caso le trenette Mancini mantengono la cottura alla perfezione e il loro sapore è inconfondibilmente ottimo. In un pentolino fate scaldare pochi cucchiai di olio con uno spicchio di aglio pestato per pochi minuti. Eliminate l'aglio e aggiungete la ricotta, che avrete fatto precedentemente sgocciolare, mescolando delicatamente. Tritate le noci e aggiungetele alla ricotta. Nel caso in cui il sughetto risultasse troppo denso aggiungete un paio di cucchiai di panna da cucina. Fate cuocere per pochi minuti, aggiustando di sale e pepe. Scolate la pasta lievemente al dente e fatela saltare velocemente in padella con il sugo. Servite ben calda con una spolverata di pepe e una tritata di noci.