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Protected pasta names

Category ✔ Checked: 10.2026 · sources: 3 Updated:

Pasta with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI), such as Pasta di Gragnano and Pizzoccheri della Valtellina.

Protected pasta names are pasta products whose name is registered in the EU as a geographical indication, so only producers in a defined area who follow an approved specification may use it. The rules are set by Regulation (EU) 2024/1143, and the official register is eAmbrosia. Almost all pasta names are PGIs (protected geographical indications): at least one stage of production must take place in the named area, but raw materials such as semolina may come from elsewhere. A PDO, by contrast, requires every stage to happen locally.

The register lists 13 registered pasta names. Italy has six: Pasta di Gragnano, dry durum wheat pasta from the town of Gragnano near Naples, traditionally bronze-drawn and slowly dried; Maccheroncini di Campofilone, very thin egg pasta from the Marche; Pizzoccheri della Valtellina, short flat ribbons made with buckwheat flour in Lombardy; Cappellacci di zucca ferraresi, filled pasta with pumpkin from Ferrara; Culurgionis d'Ogliastra, Sardinian dumplings filled with potato, cheese and mint and closed with a wheat-ear pleat; and Sebadas di Sardegna, fried pastry filled with cheese and served with honey. Germany protects Schwäbische Spätzle and Schwäbische Maultaschen, France protects Pâtes d'Alsace (egg pasta) and Raviole du Dauphiné (small ravioli with cheese and parsley), Cyprus protects Makaronia tis Smilas and Tertziellouthkia, and China's Longkou Fen Si, a starch vermicelli, is also registered. Applications have been filed for Turkish Kayseri Mantısı and Slovak Pukanské párance.

Each specification fixes the ingredients, method and area. Products from the EU must show the registered name together with the yellow-and-blue PGI symbol, and imitations or evocations, such as a "Gragnano-style" pasta made elsewhere, are prohibited.

For the buyer, the name is a short guarantee of origin and method and an easy way to find regional specialities. Many of them belong to other groups on this site: Filled pasta, Egg pasta, and Gnocchi and spätzle. A PGI does not grade taste: it certifies only that the product follows its specification.

Facts

Legal basisRegulation (EU) 2024/1143 on geographical indications; register eAmbrosia
CountryItaly 6, Germany 2, France 2, Cyprus 2, China 1 (registered PGIs)
RegionCampania, Marche, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Sardinia, Swabia, Alsace, Dauphiné
Raw materialDurum semolina, wheat flour, eggs, buckwheat flour, potatoes, cheese, pumpkin

What it includes

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kind of🍝Pastakind ofPasta di Gragnanokind ofPizzoccheri della…kind ofMaccheroncini di …kind ofCulurgionis d'Ogl…kind ofCappellacci di zu…kind ofSchwäbische Spätz…kind ofSchwäbische Mault…kind ofPâtes d'Alsacekind ofRaviole du Dauphi…kind ofLongkou Fen Sikind ofMakaronia tis Smi…kind ofTertziellouthkiasimilarGnocchi and spätz…similarFilled pastatowardia.com
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How it connects to Pasta

Protected pasta names → kind of → 🍝 Pasta

Part of
🍝 Pasta
Similar and different
Gnocchi and spätzle, Filled pasta

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a PGI and a PDO?

For a PGI at least one stage of production must take place in the named area; for a PDO every stage, from raw material to finished product, must happen there. Almost all protected pasta names are PGIs.

Is it true that Pasta di Gragnano must be made from wheat grown in Gragnano?

No. As a PGI it must be made in the Gragnano area according to its specification, but the durum wheat semolina may come from elsewhere.

How many pasta names are protected in the EU?

The eAmbrosia register lists 13 registered pasta names: six from Italy, two each from Germany, France and Cyprus, and one from China. Applications are pending for names from Türkiye and Slovakia.

What are Pizzoccheri della Valtellina?

Short, flat ribbons of pasta made with buckwheat flour in Valtellina, Lombardy. They are traditionally cooked with potatoes and greens and dressed with butter and cheese.

Where can I check whether a food name is protected?

In eAmbrosia, the official EU register of geographical indications, which lists each name with its status, country and specification.

What to read next

  • Filled pasta — Thin dough wrapped around a filling of cheese, meat or vegetables: ravioli, tortellini, cappelletti.
  • Gnocchi and spätzle — Small dumplings of potato, flour or semolina, and egg dough pressed straight into boiling water.

Similar

Filled pasta · Pasta label, law and health · How pasta is made · Gnocchi and spätzle · Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta · Egg pasta

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