Gastroval

Gastroval is a food company in Albosaggia in the Valtellina valley (province of Sondrio, Lombardy). According to the history on its website, it was founded in 2008 by the chef Cristian Azzalini, who still owns it. It began as an artisan kitchen making ready meals of Valtellina cuisine, hence the name Gastroval, from "gastronomia valtellinese".

In 2010 the company started the La Regina farm, a plot of over 3,000 m² growing blueberries, raspberries and blackberries for its jams and nectars. In 2013 it added a fresh pasta line: thanks to fresh Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP it entered large-scale retail. In 2016 a new oven brought crostata tarts, biscuits and bisciola, the local fruit bread.

Two lines matter for pasta. Gastroval Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP are dry pizzoccheri with the protected geographical indication, made from wholegrain buckwheat flour and durum wheat. Gastroval Valtellerie is an artisan dry pasta drawn through bronze dies and dried slowly at low temperature, in three versions: with wholegrain buckwheat, with wholegrain rye and with Italian durum wheat.

The company states that its products contain no preservatives or colourings and that it buys some raw materials from small local farmers. Besides pasta, the range covers jams, nectars, crostatas, biscuits, sauces, flour for polenta taragna and gift boxes of Valtellina products.