Durum wheat germ

Durum wheat germ is the embryo of the durum wheat kernel, the small part from which a new plant would grow. It makes up only a few per cent of the grain but is rich in fat, protein, B vitamins and vitamin E.

When durum wheat is milled into semolina, the bran and the germ are separated from the starchy endosperm. The germ is removed partly because its oil can turn rancid and shorten the shelf life of the flour. Ordinary semolina pasta, made under Italian Decree DPR 187/2001 only from durum wheat semolina and water, therefore contains almost none of it, while wholegrain pasta keeps bran and germ together.

Garofalo takes a third way in its Strapasta range: spaghetti, linguine, penne, mezze maniche, fusilli, casarecce and ditali are made from durum wheat semolina with durum wheat germ added back. The result is a pasta that remains light in colour and close to classic semolina pasta in texture, with a slightly nuttier taste and a little more fat and vitamin E than plain semolina pasta.

Wheat germ contains gluten-forming proteins, so this pasta is not suitable for people with coeliac disease; wheat must be highlighted as an allergen under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. Store it in a cool, dry place and cook it like ordinary dry pasta.