AUTUMN
Our Pasta Programme
Every season, we shine the spotlight on a series of traditional pasta shapes fabricated using age-old techniques. Delve into their culinary anthropology, from the historical events that gave birth to them to the regional touches that have shaped them over time.
This Autumn, our new pasta offerings strike a perfect balance between rustic tradition and bold, hearty flavours. Unearthed from the archives of Puglia’s most celebrated recipes are two standout classics. The first of which, Ciceri e Tria, is a beloved Apulian recipe where humble chickpeas meet handmade pasta—both boiled and fried—for a delicious play on textures. Foglie d’ulivo con broccoli, stracciatella e acciughe, from what many consider to be the “green soul” of Puglia, is a green and earthy dish inspired by the olive tree leaves that the hand-shaped pasta resembles.
For those with a taste for indulgence, Ziti alla Zozzona promises a Roman feast, blending the best elements of the city’s four iconic pasta dishes into one “kitchen sink” creation. Meanwhile, truffle lovers will delight in the return of Umbricelli alla Norcina, a rich and decadent dish dreamed up by Norcia’s famed pork butchers, enhanced with freshly shaved black autumn truffles.
Embark on a journey through Italy’s nuanced regional diversity, season by season, one pasta strand, parcel, or shape at a time.
Our Pasta Programme
Every season, we shine the spotlight on a series of traditional pasta shapes fabricated using age-old techniques. Delve into their culinary anthropology, from the historical events that gave birth to them to the regional touches that have shaped them over time.
This Summer, dive into our fresh array of pasta shapes and vibrant plates, perfect for sunny days and warm nights of the season. Rejoice in the return of two simple yet beloved dishes from Campania—Linguine al Limone, where the Amalfi lemons of Sorrento shine in a sauce as light as it is bright; and Spaghetti alla Nerano, one of the most iconic pasta and zucchini pairings from the village of Nerano.
Delve into Salento’s longstanding love affair with fresh pasta in Minchiareddi al Nero di Seppia con Sugo di Granchio, a dish that marries the deep, briny notes of squid ink with the sweet, delicate flavour of Alaskan king crab. Dip your feet into the sun-drenched, azure shores of Liguria, where Trenette allo Scoglio brings together the Mediterranean’s freshest bounty in a velvety lobster butter sauce.
Embark on a journey through Italy’s nuanced regional diversity, season by season, one pasta strand, parcel, or shape at a time.
Ciceri e Tria
Origins: Lecce, Puglia (South)
Semolina-based long pasta served with chickpeas, fried ‘tria’, extra virgin olive oil and Pecorino Romano crosta nera D.O.P.
Ciceri e Tria is a beloved Pugliese classic that showcases the region’s knack for turning humble ingredients into culinary delights—a nod to Puglia’s cucina povera past. While ciceri means chickpeas, the star of the dish is tria, a rustic ribbon-shaped pasta handcrafted from semolina flour and water. Thicker, wider, and shorter than tagliatelle, tria offers a chewy texture and a pleasantly nutty flavour that sets it apart. What makes Ciceri e Tria truly exceptional is its unique preparation. A portion of the tria is delicately fried until golden and crispy, creating delightful frizzuli that crown the dish. This combination results in a delightful contrast of textures—the creamy chickpeas, the soft-boiled pasta, and the crunchy fried ribbons. Garnished with parsley, garlic, onions, Pecorino Romano crosta nera D.O.P., and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, Ciceri e Tria is a testament to Puglia’s rich culinary heritage and the joy of simple, honest flavours.
Ziti alla Zozzona
Origins: Rome, Lazio (South)
Bronze-extruded pasta tubes with a “dirty” sauce of spicy pork sausage, guanciale, tomatoes, eggs and pecorino romano crosta nera D.O.P.
A decadent celebration of Roman culinary tradition, Ziti alla Zozzona is a hearty pasta dish that unites Rome’s four most iconic pasta recipes by combining elements of cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, and gricia, with the added richness of spicy pork sausages. The result is a “kitchen sink” pasta that joyfully abandons the simplicity and restraint typical of Roman pasta traditions in favour of a lavish, almost heartbreaking, symphony of flavours and aromas. Zozzo, understood in the most Roman sense of the term, conjures up flavours that are extremely rich, succulent and hyper-caloric. The name ziti derives from zitelle, meaning single woman, and this pasta was traditionally served at weddings to celebrate the bride’s new status. Its robust shape is perfect for capturing the sumptuous sauce made from guanciale, onions, tomatoes, eggs, and Pecorino Romano crosta nera D.O.P.—ingredients deeply cherished in Lazio’s culinary heritage. Though not an ancient recipe—it emerged around the 1960s—Ziti alla Zozzona has quickly become a beloved staple in Roman homes and trattorias, recently gaining popularity worldwide. Its popularity stems from its joyful abundance and the way it brings people together—a true reflection of the Roman spirit.
Foglie d’ulivo con broccoli, stracciatella e acciughe
Origins: Puglia (South)
Hand-shaped short eggless pasta tossed in a broccolini pesto, served with anchovies, stracciatella and extra virgin olive oil
Foglie d’ulivo con broccoli, stracciatella e acciughe is a captivating dish that embodies the rustic charm of Puglia’s culinary heritage. It begins with foglie d’ulivo, a hand-shaped pasta crafted from semolina flour and water. Resembling the leaves of an olive tree, the delicate shape is part of the strascinati family—rustic pasta shapes made by rolling dough into slender “snakes” and shaping them by hand, much like the beloved orecchiette and cavatelli. The origin of foglie d’ulivo is rooted in the Monti Dauni area of Puglia, often referred to as the “green soul” of the region. Legend has it that this pasta shape began as imperfectly hollowed orecchiette, stretched to avoid waste—a testament to the resourcefulness of local cooks. Over time, foglie d’ulivo became a cherished pasta in its own right, symbolising the region’s deep connection to the land and its traditions. Our rendition for Fall brings together the earthy flavours of broccolini and fresh basil, the subtle heat of garlic and fresh chilli, and the savoury depth of anchovies. Creamy stracciatella and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil completes a harmonious blend of textures and tastes that celebrate the simplicity of Pugliese cuisine.
Linguine al Limone
Origin: Salerno, Campania (South)
Bronze-extruded linguine with a light and bright sauce made using Amalfi lemons and Provolone del Monaco D.O.P.
This is a dish that has ambiguous roots in the deep south—or Mezzogiorno—notably in the area of the Amalfi coast and the Sorrento peninsula charaterised by its staggering cliffs, meandering coastal roads and famous beaches. The cuisine is also underlined by fresh and zesty flavours, with the lemons of Sorrento prized for its aroma and sweetness coming off the top of the list of regional produce. With its large size, thick, uneven rinds and a sugar content that verges on a slight sweetness, it is precisely these qualities that are crucial in producing the world famous Limoncello with Sorrento as the Limoncello capital of Italy. Despite its strong ties to the south, the technicality of this underrated dish bears stark resemblance to one of Rome’s most famous pasta dishes with the emulsification of cheese and water as the backbone of its execution style, but with a brighter note from the lemon’s zest and its juice. We use a long, bronze-extruded linguine that is well suited for holding light, delicate sauces. Its porous and increased surface area is the perfect utility for the emulsified sauce made using Amalfi lemons and Provolone del Monaco DOP.
Umbricelli alla Norcina
Origins: Norcia, Perugia, Umbria (Central)
Hand-rolled long ropes of eggless pasta with crumbled pork sausage, mascarpone, Pecorino Romano crosta nera D.O.P. and black autumn truffles
Etymologically speaking, Umbricelli either gets its name from umbrico or ‘earthworm’ in the Perugian dialect, or its region of origin. Its former moniker comes from its shape of fat, hand-rolled strands made with a dough constructed from just wheat flour and water. While simple, this pasta has been recognised by Italy’s Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies as a Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale (PAT) or a “traditional agri-food product” due to its historical and rural beginnings. We offer a sauce of commensurate heartiness for this rustic pasta: alla Norcina, or in the style of Norcia’s famous pork butchers—who are renowned for their delicious charcuterie. Crumbled pork sausage forms the meaty base for this sauce, which is then enriched with white wine, nutmeg, mascarpone, and pecorino. This soul-and-belly warming sauce is lifted and brought to completion with freshly shaved black autumn truffles.
Minchiareddi al Nero di Seppia con Sugo di Granchio
Origins: Salento, Puglia (South)
Short squid ink pasta made with semola and water pressed over a wire, or “lu fierru”, paired with a light tomato sugo made from Alaskan king crabs
Available in limited quantities as a special only
Minchiareddi al Nero di Seppia con Sugo di Granchio is a captivating pasta dish that celebrates the rich culinary heritage of Salento. This dish features minchiareddhi, a traditional short pasta crafted from semola and water, dyed black with squid ink and shaped by pressing the dough over a wire known as “lu fierru”. The pasta is paired with a light tomato sugo made from succulent Alaskan king crab, bringing a touch of luxury to the rustic flavors. The minchiareddi, also known as maccarruni, is a staple in Salento cuisine, traditionally prepared by housewives through an intensive manual process dating back to the eighteenth century. This fresh pasta—along with many others that hail from Salento—once a symbol of accessibility to high-quality food for farmers and fishermen, remains a cherished tradition in Salento households. Today, minchiareddi is still celebrated for its tapered and elongated shape, often seasoned with simple fresh tomato sauce or, as in this dish, with fish-based sauces. The pairing with a crab-infused tomato sauce adds a modern twist to this historical dish, marrying the deep, briny notes of squid ink with the sweet, delicate flavour of the crab.
Trenette allo Scoglio
Origins: Genoa, Liguria (North-West)
Bronze-extruded long pasta with a medley of seafood including tiger prawns, mussels, manila clams, scallops, and grilled calamari, cooked in a lobster butter sauce.
Available in limited quantities as a special only
Trenette allo Scoglio, a celebrated dish from the enchanting coastal region of Liguria, Italy, captures the very essence of the Mediterranean’s bountiful waters. Trenette is a long, flat pasta similar to linguine, traditionally made from semolina and water. The name “allo Scoglio”, meaning “on the rocks,” evokes the rugged beauty of the rocky Ligurian coastline, where fresh seafood is abundant. This pasta features a luxurious medley of seafood such as clams, mussels, shrimp, and squid, all sautéed with fragrant garlic, vibrant cherry tomatoes, and a splash of white wine to create a savoury sauce. At Forma, we double down on indulgence by coating the entire dish in a velvety lobster butter sauce. The history of Trenette allo Scoglio is deeply intertwined with the maritime culture of Liguria, where fishing has been a way of life for centuries. Ligurian fishermen would often prepare this dish using their daily catch, embodying the region’s tradition of simplicity, freshness, and robust flavors. Over time, Trenette allo Scoglio has become a staple of Ligurian cuisine, celebrated for its authentic taste of the sea and its reflection of the region’s rich culinary heritage.
