WINTER
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 Winter, our pasta offerings warm the soul with comforting flavours and time-honoured traditions. From Veneto comes Bigoli col Consiero, where thick, hand-extruded pasta meets a rich duck ragù enriched with Savoy cabbage—an ode to rustic northern Italian fare. Further south, Strascinati con sugo di granchio e pomodorini combines the artisanal craftsmanship of Salento’s hand-drawn pasta with the delicacy of Alaskan king crab in a light, aromatic tomato sugo.
From Tuscany’s Maremma region comes Linguine con sugo alla crema di peperoni, with its creamy roasted bell pepper sauce brightened by lemon and fresh basil, offering a vibrant escape from winter’s chill. Finally, for truffle lovers, Umbricelli alla Norcina returns with even greater decadence, its rich pork sausage sauce enhanced by the earthy luxury of freshly shaved winter truffles.
Embark on a journey through Italy’s nuanced regional diversity, season by season, one pasta strand, parcel, or shape at a time.
Bigoli col consiero
Origins: Vicenza, Veneto (North-East)
Hand-extruded long egg pasta dressed with duck ragu and enriched with Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P. and Savoy cabbage
Straight from the heart of Veneto’s culinary heritage, Bigoli col consiero is a winter belly-warmer that brings together history, tradition, and indulgence. Thick, hand-extruded egg pasta strands—crafted in the Venetian tradition by using a ‘bigolaro press’—are dressed with a rich duck ragù, enriched with Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P., and tender Savoy cabbage. The rough, porous texture of bigoli makes it the perfect vehicle for soaking up this deeply satisfying sauce.
The charm of consiéro lies in its versatility. With no “catalogued” recipe, it harks back to the ingenuity of Veneto’s peasant traditions, where leftover meats and seasonal vegetables were transformed into something extraordinary. From its humble beginnings, consiéro has evolved into a rich, flavour-packed ragù that pays homage to the resourcefulness and creativity of the region’s past.
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.
Bucatini c’anciova e muddica
Origins: Palermo, Sicily (Islands)
Bronze-extruded long pierced pasta with anchovies, tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins and bread crumbs
A quintessential taste of Sicily, Bucatini c’anciova e muddica is a dish steeped in the resourcefulness and creativity of Palermo’s culinary heritage. Long, hollow strands of bucatini—crafted using a traditional bronze die—are tossed with anchovies, tomato paste, raisins, and pine nuts, finished with a generous sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs, known in Sicilian dialect as muddica atturrata or “poor man’s cheese.” The result is a dish that’s savoury yet sweet, and deeply satisfying, capturing the soul of Sicilian cucina povera.
This beloved recipe has no single origin story, but its ingenuity is undisputed. Some trace its roots to Sicilian emigrants yearning to recreate the flavours of home during long, dark winters in the north. Others say it emerged from the ingenuity of farm workers, relying on easily transportable and shelf-stable ingredients like anchovies and breadcrumbs. What unites these tales is the spirit of adaptation—anchovies taking the place of seasonal sardines and breadcrumbs transforming humble leftovers into crunchy gold. With every bite, Bucatini c’anciova e muddica tells a story of tradition, thrift, and timeless Sicilian flavour.
Linguine con sugo alla crema di peperoni
Origins: Maremma, Tuscany (Central)
Bronze-extruded linguine tossed in a condiment of roasted bell peppers, fresh basil, and Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P.
Brighten up the winter chill with Linguine con sugo alla crema di peperoni, a dish that brings the warmth and vibrancy of summer to your plate. Long, bronze-extruded linguine cradles a creamy roasted bell pepper sauce, enriched with Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P. and fragrant basil. The sweet, golden hues of the peppers and the sauce’s velvety texture offer a comforting yet uplifting escape from the season’s heavier fare. This dish draws inspiration from Maremma’s sugo sull’uscetto dell’orto—“sauce of the garden gate”—a culinary tradition that celebrates the bounty of the garden. Sweet, golden-hued yellow peppers, preferred for their colour and delicate flavour, are roasted to create this silky condiment, brightened by a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh basil. Simple yet refined, this dish keeps your plate fresh and full of life even in the heart of winter.
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 winter 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 winter truffles.
Strascinati con sugo di granchio e pomodorini
Origins: Salento, Puglia (South)
Hand-drawn short pasta made with semola and water paired with a light tomato sugo made from Alaskan king crabs
Available in limited quantities as a special only
Hailing from the sun-soaked coasts of Salento, Strascinati con sugo di granchio e pomodorini pairs the rustic charm of hand-dragged pasta with the delicate flavours of Alaskan king crab. The strascinati, made with semola and water, boast a satisfyingly chewy texture that perfectly holds the light tomato sugo—a blend of sweet cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic, and a touch of peperoncino. Finished with parsley and extra virgin olive oil, this dish is a celebration of Puglia’s love for seafood and simplicity.
The name strascinati, meaning “dragged,” speaks to the artisanal technique used to shape the pasta, a tradition passed down through generations in Salento. Historically, fresh pasta like this was a labour of love, created with simple, local ingredients and painstakingly shaped by hand. Once reserved for basic tomato sauces, its pairing with crab highlights the evolution of Apulian cuisine, where timeless craftsmanship is updated with refined flavours. Every bite of this dish brings the essence of the Mediterranean to the table, honouring both tradition and innovation.
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.
