SPRING
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, we turn to shapes that cool, comfort and quietly impress. Pasta made for long days, golden evenings and stories that stretch across centuries. From the hand-braided folds of Tortelli Piacentini, first crafted to charm the poet Petrarch, to the wriggly, sauce-loving strands of Umbricelli alla Norcina, born of Umbrian flour and foraged truffles, every dish honours its roots.
In Teramo, Chitarrine alla Teramana takes the idea of spaghetti and meatballs to another level, cut on stringed wooden frames and tossed in a sugo rich with tiny pallottine. And from the sun-soaked Amalfi Coast, Linguine al Limone brings citrus and cheese together in a sauce that’s light, bright and impossible to forget.
This season, we invite you to journey through Italy’s summer table. Bite by bite, region by region, one shape at a time.
Triangoli di Zucca con burro e aceto balsamico D.O.P.
Origins: Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna (North)
Hand-made triangles filled with pumpkin, parmigiano and ricotta, served with butter and balsamic vinegar.
A northern Italian classic shaped from sheets of sfoglia folded into neat triangles, Triangoli di Zucca began as a Renaissance-era court dish before settling into Ferrara’s local culinary identity. Early recipes—first documented in 1544 by Cristoforo Messisbugo in service of the Gonzaga family of Mantua.
Traditionally, it often featured sweet pumpkin, almonds or amaretto, preserved fruit, and warming spices but as the dish travelled across the Po River to Ferrara, it evolved into something more pared-back: roasted squash or pumpkin seasoned with nutmeg and aged cheese, letting the natural sweetness of the filling speak for itself. What endures across centuries is the balance: sweetness from the pumpkin, salt from the cheese, richness from the butter, and the bright lift of balsamic vinegar D.O.P.
Linguine al Limone
Origins: Salerno, Campania (South)
Bronze-extruded long pasta tossed in a lemon, garlic, and mint emulsion, finished with sharp Pecorino Romano D.O.P.
A coastal staple that captures the essence of summer, this dish brings together the sun-drenched citrus of the region with Roman cheese traditions. In Campania, lemons are more than fruit; they’re a way of life, cultivated on terraced cliffs for generations. In Campania, lemons are more than fruit; they’re a way of life, cultivated on terraced cliffs for generations. Here, their zest is freshly grated over pasta coated in a sauce of butter and aged pecorino, made silky with a touch of pasta water. Mint and garlic lift the flavours for a light, creamy take on coastal Italian comfort.
Spaghetti c’anciova e muddica
Origins: Palermo, Sicily (Islands)
Bronze-extruded long pasta with anchovies, tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins and bread crumbs
A humble yet flavour-packed staple of Sicilian cuisine, Spaghetti c’anciova e muddica is a dish built on the art of making the most out of making do—a common thread in Palermo’s cucina povera past. Anchovies, tomato paste, raisins, and pine nuts create a deeply savoury yet subtly sweet sauce, made all the more satisfying with a generous sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs, known in Sicilian dialect as muddica atturrata or “poor man’s cheese.”
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. Regardless of its precise beginnings, what unites these tales is the spirit of adaptation—anchovies taking the place of seasonal sardines and breadcrumbs transforming humble leftovers into crunchy gold—the ability to transform simple, everyday ingredients into something that is spectacularly Sicilian.
Orecchiette al sugo d’agnello
Origins: Bari, Puglia (South)
Hand-formed pasta, lamb shank, soffrito, anchovies, crushed tomatoes, white wine, chicken broth, garlic
A southern Italian staple shaped one at a time with a knife and thumb, orecchiette have long been the emblem of Bari’s Old Quarter. Their story stretches back to the Middle Ages, with theories tracing their origins to the Angevin courts, Jewish festive pastries, or even the culinary patronage of Frederick II. Whatever the truth, the technique survived in the hands of the Bari orecchiette ladies along the famed Strada delle Orecchiette, where generations of women continue to craft each “little ear” with practiced precision — a form designed to dry well, travel far, and hold sauce beautifully.
In this preparation, the pasta’s domed centre and rough exterior cradle a slow-cooked lamb sugo, a pairing deeply rooted in Puglia’s rustic cooking traditions. The result is a dish that embodies the region’s character: humble ingredients shaped with skill in a sauce built with patience.
Casoncelli Bergamaschi con Burro Marrone salvia e Pancetta
Origins: Bergamo, Lombardy (North)
Hand-folded pasta filled with pork sausage and beef, brown butter, sage, nutmeg, pancetta, parmigiano reggiano D.O.P.
A Lombard classic with centuries of history, Casoncelli Bergamaschi are hand-folded dumplings shaped into half-moons or a pinched “sweet-wrapper” form — a nod to their origins as a humble way to transform household leftovers into something special. Born in Bergamo and traced back to the Middle Ages, the dish evolved through countless family variations, each adjusting the mix of beef, pork sausage, aged cheese, breadcrumbs, and sultanas that create its distinctive sweet-savory balance. This interplay of flavours sets casoncelli apart from other northern stuffed pastas and has earned it recognition from the Bergamo Chamber of Commerce.
In Bergamo, the parcels are traditionally finished with brown butter, crisp pancetta, sage, and Parmigiano-Reggiano D.O.P., a dressing that enriches the filling while keeping the preparation deceptively simple. Our version pairs the dumplings with brown butter, sage, nutmeg, pancetta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano D.O.P., a faithful yet fuller expression of this Bergamasco classic.
Umbricelli alla Norcina
Origins: Norcia, Umbria (Central)
Hand-extruded long pasta with Italian pork sausage, black truffles, nutmeg, white wine, and Pecorino Romano Crosta Nera D.O.P.
Thick, chewy, and a little wriggly, Umbricelli gets its name from “umbrico”, the local word for “earthworm.” Name aside, it’s a shape beloved across Umbria’s hill towns, thought to have originated in the comuni of Spoleto and Foligno. Hand-rolled from just flour and water, this eggless pasta has graced Umbrian tables for generations, prized for its springy bite and sauce-gripping curves.
Ours is tossed alla Norcina, a heady sauce from the town of Norcia, celebrated for its norcini, expert pork butchers whose craft dates back to Roman times. Black truffles bring depth and aroma, while crumbled sausage, white wine, nutmeg, and Pecorino Romano Crosta Nera round out the dish with richness, warmth, and a touch of sharpness.
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.
