Pasta di Gragnano

Gragnano sits on a hilltop between the Monti Lattari and the Amalfi Coast, and the world knows it for air-dried, bronze-extruded pasta. Pasta has been made in Italy for thousands of years. The Greeks may have cooked sheets of dough made of wheat flour and crushed lettuce juice, but the first real document describing modern pasta dates to 13th-century Italy. Until the 16th century, pasta was homemade, and it was the most-eaten meal in homes across the peninsula. In those same years it became an industrial product, thanks to a small number of Italian pioneers. Gragnano is where it all began.

A story of struggle and achievement

In Campania, Gragnano was one of the few territories where pasta, the "white gold" as the gragnanesi (the town's people) call it, became a mass-produced food. The start was promising, but famines, epidemics and droughts kept the business from growing. Only in the 18th century did Pasta di Gragnano become a proper brand, sold first in nearby regions and then across Italy.

That century was a golden era. Pasta factories lined the town's main road. In 1885, Gragnano became the first city in Campania with a direct rail connection to Napoli, a sign of how much the town had grown. In the last century, Pasta di Gragnano crossed Italy's borders and reached the rest of the world.

Today Gragnano is synonymous with pasta, especially maccheroni, one of the most famous shapes anywhere. The pastai (pasta makers) keep working to the same standard of quality that made the town's name.

What makes it so good

1. The land. At the foot of the Monti Lattari, Gragnano has a microclimate with the right mix of wind, sun and humidity. In the 18th century, the king of Napoli decided that only two places were suitable for growing wheat for the rest of the population: Naples and Gragnano. The pasta must be made by mixing durum wheat with the calcium-poor water of the Monti Lattari.
2. The rules. The process is regulated by a strict production standard. In 2013, the European Union granted PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status. Pasta sold as "Pasta di Gragnano" must be made in a legally defined area that still matches the territory the king of Napoli indicated about two centuries ago.
3. The method. The dough is extruded through rough bronze forms and, once shaped, dried at low temperatures in the mountain air. This long, traditional process produces one of the finest pastas in the world.

A trip in and around Gragnano

Gragnano sits between the Monti Lattari and the Amalfi Coast, which makes it a popular destination. In the historic center, the Valle dei Mulini, an ancient mule track, runs past old mills and typical medieval houses.

It is also a good base for the rest of Campania:

• Amalfi Coast: a few miles away, one of Italy's most popular destinations. The author suggests a sunset tour after a day in Gragnano.
• Pompeii: to the north, even closer, for a look at life in the Roman Empire.
• Herculaneum: a few more miles on, another great example of Roman glory, second only to Pompeii.
• Napoli: the regional capital and a fine example of Italian "dolce vita." It is the homeland and world capital of pizza, the epicenter of coffee culture and, in the author's words, home to the best gelato in Italy.

Buon viaggio — e buon appetito.