Gragnano in corsa

The History of Gragnano PGI Pasta
 

Gragnano is a small town in the province of Naples, at the foot of the Lattari Mountains, which has been famous worldwide for centuries as the capital of pasta and the homeland of macaroni. This fame is due to the unique ingredients that only this place can provide: such as the humid climate and the oligomineral water from the Sorgente Forma and the Imbuto. Documents from the 1400s testify that millers began to produce artisanal pasta from the grinding of wheat, and from the 1500s onwards, the first family-run pasta factories were established. The golden age for Gragnano is the 1800s, due to its numerous macaroni shops, and thanks to the passion, love, and hard work of many families and workers, the Gragnano pasta (then not yet PGI) was exported all over the world for its unmistakable taste, aroma, quality, and excellence. Musicians, writers, poets, and philosophers have celebrated and sung the praises of the pasta and wine of Gragnano in their works.
 

Gragnano PGI Pasta: Who Have We Chosen?
 

The pasta factory Gragnano in Corsa is located right here, in the "Valley of Mills", where the water from pure springs, excellent raw materials, and the gentle breeze of the wind have allowed a unique pasta to be produced for over five centuries. Vincenzo Petrone, the soul of this pasta factory, modernizes this ancient tradition by producing a superior quality durum wheat semolina pasta. 

The history of this pasta factory unites the story of small producers who work in synergy with the miller to ensure that the semolinas produced have unique quality requirements. The bronze drawing, as per Gragnano tradition, gives the pasta that characteristic roughness that allows it to better hold the dressing. The drying, finally, at low temperatures (never exceeding 45°C) and in static cells for as long as necessary (not less than 48 hours) promotes the phenomena of superficial fermentation that are the secret of the aroma and particular flavor of Gragnano in Corsa pasta.

Since 2006, Vincenzo, together with Filomena Sorrentino, has been carrying on this venture. Having taken the baton that generations of Gragnano pasta makers have passed down, Vincenzo and Filomena still produce Gragnano PGI pasta today, which for quality and creativity presents a wonderful image of Italy in the world.

But why is it called Gragnano in Corsa?
On the packages, Vincenzo wanted to print a phrase: "Champions are not made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside: a desire, a dream, a vision, and nutrition." These were the words of the legendary American boxer Muhammad Ali. Everything started from an experience that Vincenzo lived and that particularly touched him, marking the course of his destiny: the Boston Marathon. Right after running the Marathon, he attended the Pasta Party that concludes this ancient and prestigious marathon in celebration. From here the idea to undertake this activity began to mature. Meanwhile, Filomena Sorrentino, after graduating in Food Science and Technology from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Naples, started managing a company under the brand Oro di Gragnano. This was joined by Gragnano in Corsa, with which Vincenzo initially aimed at an audience of sports enthusiasts to convey the message that it is not the pasta itself that provides a high contribution of calories, but its dressing. Gragnano in Corsa is now the official sponsor of the Rome Marathon and the European Cross Country Championship in Olona.