Garganelli are a form of egg pasta, very similar to the classic penne. Its origin has twofold story: some dates the invention of Garganello 1400 in the kitchens of Caterina Sforza; and who in 1700 in Romagna, the luxury of eating tortellini was for a few, so peasants invented this type of pasta, which absorbs the sauce just as a “stuffed pasta”. After all, the origins of egg pasta are humble. But the “legend” that I prefer to narrate, tells of a good cook, of the kitchens of Cardinal Bentivoglio, intents on making cappelletti/tortellini. While she was preparing them, a domestic animal ate a good portion of them. Alarmed by what had happened, and not to throw away the square of egg pasta that she had prepared, a fantastic idea come to her in a flash: roll them on a thin wooden torch and later “to scratch” them on a combs structure. Thus were born the garganelli, whose name comes from the dialect “garganel” or gullet, the tracheal part of the chicken. Hence the use of season with sausage, meat sauce or with ham and peas.

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