Senatore Cappelli spaghetti with garlic, oil, chilli and sparkling wine with parsley sauce

Senatore Cappelli is an Italian wheat selected more than 100 years ago by Nazareno Strampelli, the best agronomist of his time. If consumed regularly, this strong durum wheat, which has a nice taste of shelled almonds, can be of benefit to people suffering from gastrointestinal disorders or who are sensitive to gluten.

The Gemelli University Hospital has provided scientific proof of these claims in a study published in the scientific journal Nutrients, which the Rai3 TV programme Report recently brought to public attention. Thirty gluten-sensitive patients – who therefore do not normally eat pasta – were given 100 grams of pasta made from Senatore Cappelli wheat every day for four weeks.

Maria Cristina Mele, director of the Simple Operative Unit of “Advanced Nutrition in Oncology”, said she was both amazed and pleased with these statistically impressive results: patients showed a significant reduction in intestinal disorders, such as bloating, and extra-intestinal disorders, such as headaches, joint pain and dermatitis, and found Senatore Cappelli more digestible than any other type of pasta. The Gemelli University Hospital is now seeking to confirm this by expanding the research population.

However, in order to guarantee these beneficial effects, the pasta must be made from 100% Senatore Cappelli wheat, which is grown from the original pure seed preserved by the Foggia-based CREA – the Italian research organisation dedicated to the agri-food supply chains – under the supervision of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, in a seed bank where hundreds of wheat varieties are preserved to ensure their purity. If repeatedly resown, due to environmental factors and unintentional cross-breeding, Senatore Cappelli loses its original characteristics and, as a result, its beneficial qualities over time.

This is why Pasta Sgambaro has created the “100% Senatore Cappelli, pure selected seed” trademark, as well as to highlight the fact that its organic Senatore wheat is of pure origin, a 100% Italian asset to be protected and to continue cultivating, especially given these reassuring results, which prove that it offers anyone who has not yet had the chance to do so the great opportunity to experience the true pleasure of pasta.

Today, we recommend a simple yet tasty recipe, which is perfect for special occasions: pasta with garlic, oil and chilli with some sparkling wine, so you can also make a toast while you eat!

Serves 2

160 g Spaghetti Sgambaro di Senatore Cappelli Organic Label

Sparkling wine

Potato

Parsley

Fresh chilli pepper

Garlic

Procedure

Blanch a sprig of parsley in two cups of boiling water for about 30 seconds. Take out the parsley and cool it in cold water. In the same water, boil a quarter of a thinly sliced potato until it goes mushy. Then add the parsley and blend it all together. Season with salt and set aside.

Sauté two cloves of crushed, poached garlic; when they start to sizzle, add a few slices of fresh chilli pepper to taste and allow to absorb the flavour. Then deglaze with sparkling wine (about one glass per person) until reduced.

In the meantime, bring the water to the boil, add salt and put in the spaghetti. When they are about half cooked, without draining the water, drain the spaghetti and add them to the sparkling wine sauce, then pour in another glass of bubbly and continue to cook the pasta by adding the cooking water as you would when making risotto.

Put the parsley sauce on the bottom of the plates and place the spaghetti on top, in a nest shape, then garnish with more sauce and fresh chilli pepper to taste.