Spaghetti Gragnano

Let me tell you why Spaghetti Gragnano carries the name of a town, not just a shape.

It comes from Gragnano, a small town in southern Italy where this pasta has been made for generations. That is the whole story behind the name — nothing more mysterious than that.

Pick it up dry and run your fingers over it. You should feel a faint grip, almost like fine paper, not the slick glassiness of cheap pasta. Look closely and it should appear matte and slightly floury, not shiny. That texture is what you are paying for.

Some people say rough, floury-looking pasta is badly made, that smooth and glossy is the mark of quality. No! I have tasted both kinds side by side, in the same sauce, from the same pan. The rough one grips the sauce; the smooth one lets it slide to the bottom of the bowl. That mistake sends cooks reaching for glossy pasta that looks fine in the packet but leaves you scraping sauce off the plate instead of twirling it onto the fork.

Cook it in plenty of boiling water, taste it as it goes, and pull it out while it still has bite. Trust your teeth, not the clock on the box.