Penne a Candela is a long, hollow format of Pasta di Gragnano PGI produced by Pastificio Di Martino in Gragnano (Naples) from 100% Italian durum wheat semolina and water from the local aquifer, bronze-drawn and slowly dried. Sold in 500 g packs, case of 10 (5 kg), it reaches al dente in about 11 minutes and offers a high protein content of 14 g per 100 g for excellent cooking firmness.
What Pasta di Gragnano PGI is
Pasta di Gragnano was the first pasta in Italy and Europe to obtain the European Protected Geographical Indication. The PGI specification requires production within the town of Gragnano, using only durum wheat semolina and water from the local aquifer, bronze die extrusion and slow drying at a temperature between 40 and 85 °C for a period of 4 to 60 hours. Gragnano, on the Sorrento peninsula, has been a pasta town since the sixteenth century, when its main street was designed to let the sea breeze and mountain air dry the pasta hung outdoors.
The producer: Pastificio Di Martino
Pastificio Di Martino has been a protagonist of the Gragnano pasta tradition since 1912, when Giuseppe Di Martino became the owner of the mill. With over a century of craft in the town known as the capital of pasta, Di Martino exports its Pasta di Gragnano PGI worldwide; its pasta first crossed the Panama Canal in 1915, marking the beginning of its global reach. The company is today a Società Benefit based in Via Castellammare, Gragnano.
Organoleptic characteristics
The bronze drawing gives the surface a porous, rough texture that holds sauces and dressings far better than smooth, Teflon-drawn pasta. Slow drying preserves the wheaty aroma and the amber colour of the semolina. The candle shape, long and tubular, keeps a firm bite and a generous internal cavity that traps liquid condiments.
Technical specifications
Format: long hollow tube (penne a candela). Net weight per pack: 500 g. Pieces per case: 10 (total 5 kg). Cooking time: about 11 minutes al dente. Ingredients: durum wheat semolina, water. Allergens: contains gluten; may contain traces of soya. Country of wheat cultivation and milling: Italy. Storage: cool, dry place. Nutritional values per 100 g: 1502 kJ / 354 kcal, fat 1.3 g (of which saturates 0.3 g), carbohydrate 70.0 g (of which sugars 3.3 g), fibre 3.3 g, protein 14.0 g, salt below 0.01 g.
Professional uses in the kitchen
A long hollow format suited to the great formats of Neapolitan cuisine. Serve with rich meat ragù, San Marzano DOP tomato sauces, or a simple garlic, oil and chilli. Finish with grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. Recommended professional portion: 80-100 g per person as a first course. Cook in abundant salted water (1 litre and 10 g salt per 100 g of pasta) so the long shape has room to move. Common mistakes to avoid: draining it overcooked, which loses the characteristic al dente bite, and cooking it in too little water, which makes it stick.
Pairings
Ideal with San Marzano DOP peeled tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. Within the same Pasta di Gragnano PGI Di Martino range it pairs naturally with shorter formats for menu variety.
Delivery and logistics
B2B and B2C delivery throughout Switzerland from the LAPA warehouse in Embrach (Zurich). As a dry, ambient product no cold chain is required: direct distribution across Zurich, Winterthur, Uster, Aargau and St. Gallen, with standard shipping in 24-48 hours to Ticino (Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno), French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg), Valais (Sion, Martigny) and Grisons (Chur, Davos) via partner couriers (Swiss Post, Planzer, Galliker). Long shelf life makes it ideal for stocking professional kitchens.
Who it is for
Designed for restaurants, pizzerias, hotels, delicatessens, gastronomies, Italian grocery stores and private customers passionate about authentic Italian cuisine. More than 1,500 professionals in Switzerland choose LAPA for premium Italian dry pasta.
