Garofalo Italian Pasta with Sausage Meatballs

There is pasta and then there is PASTA! I didn't realise just how different good quality pasta could be until I was asked to review Garofalo Italian Pasta. Garofalo Pasta is created from only the finest durum wheat in Gragnano, in the shadows of the ruins of Pompeii, where Garofalo has been making pasta for more than 300 years combining the art and skill of traditional Neapolitan pasta making with the latest technology to create artisan style pasta without equal.

You know how some tastes take you right back to your childhood?  I was really rather surprised that I had that flashback when I cooked this Garofalo pasta but it tasted the way pasta used to taste and it wasn't just the taste, it was more about the texture.  When you cook standard pasta al dente, it tends to still be a little bit hard in the centre and if it goes past that stage it is generally a bit soggy. 

The difference with Garofalo pasta is marked.  The penne mezzanelle held their shape well and had real bite, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed pasta so much.  I served my pasta with sausage and chickpea meatballs with feta,  a recipe I found in  the March Delicious Magazine, it's showing on the website but the link isn't working at the moment :(  Hopefully it will be fixed soon.   The meatballs are made with crushed chickpeas, pork sausages and feta cheese.  They are fried and served in a tomato sauce. The recipe makes very light delicate meatballs, they are inclined to fall apart but that doesn't really matter as they combine beautifully with the sauce.

Looking to see where you can purchase Garofalo Pasta it seems that it is available through Ocado - Costco - Sainsbury - Harrods - Independent deli's and retailers and selected wholesalers.  As I don't have easy access to any of these suppliers I looked for an online supplier and  found it at Weetons.