Gragnano in Corsa

Gragnano in Corsa is an artisan pasta factory in Gragnano, the town near Naples in Campania known for dry pasta, and a member of the consortium that protects Pasta di Gragnano. The pasta made by the company is sold under the brand name "Gragnano in Corsa".

The company describes its raw material in some detail. The durum wheat semolina it uses is milled so that the particles are not reduced too much and the starch is not damaged. In one project it selected about ten farms that grew two varieties of durum wheat for it; the grain was milled in a mill in the Capitanata area of Apulia, giving a semolina with 14.9% protein and 13% gluten on dry matter, and the pasta made from it had very low stickiness and good firmness.

The process is described step by step: water is added to bring the dough to about 33% moisture, kneading takes about 20 minutes, a stainless-steel screw presses the dough while its temperature is controlled, and it is drawn only through bronze dies. Drying takes place in two phases in static cells at temperatures never above 45 °C for at least 24 hours. The result is pale yellow pasta with a coarse grain, rough and porous to the touch.

The range is grouped as Formato Classico (short shapes), Formato Lungo (long shapes) and Formato Speciale (special Neapolitan formats), sold in 500 g packs. All of it is dry durum wheat pasta.