Trofie di Recco 

One of the few shapes that originates from a specific place; Sori, a small town in Golfo Paradiso and Recco, Camogli in other towns of Eastern Liguria, collectively. The traditional, laborious hand-forming technique known as ‘strofinare’ or 'strufuggia' may well disappear because all the hard work is now being replicated by machinery. Those formed by hand the traditional way keep the old ways alive and reconnects any native Ligurian with their once humble origins.
.
 The format is largely eggless with some variants in the past that would utilise 'farina di castagna' during lean times with experiences in food shortages while today, it is more commonly found made with soft wheat flour and water.
.
Tocco de Funzi in the Ligurian dialect refers to a Genoa-styled condiment of mushrooms. While the dressing of Pesto alla Genovese is an untouchable accompaniment to this dish, this pasta adapts seamlessly with whatever types of cultivated or wild mushrooms are available (e.g. cremini, porcini, chanterelles or morels) which provides a distinction that its more common counterparts (e.g. portobello and oyster) lack in terms of earthiness and flavour.  With mushrooms being the main focus, there is little to no need for other components save for some olive oil, garlic for savouriness and fresh herbs to balance. The final result is a dish that is reminiscent of the wild forest floor and the illusion of foraging in the woods.  
 . . .

Tagliatelle al mattarello 

Bologna argues itself as the rightful birthplace of 'tagliatella bolognese' , citing a court cook of Giovanni II Bentivoglio  (a notorious bolognese nobleman), who supposedly invented the pasta in 1501 for Lucrezia Borgia as she was passing through the city. He was inspired to create golden ribbons of egg pasta from her luscious blond locks in a painting kept in the private quarters of the Vatican, by a Rennaissance painter, 

 Benetto di Biagio. Combine with the classic meat sauce, it embraces the sauce like no other. What matters is their length and thickness, a true demonstration of the skills of sfogline (traditional Italian pasta makers) and chefs who have been trying their hand at re-proposing tagliatelle for centuries. It is Pellegrino Artusi himself ruling how "short tagliatelle" is a testimony to the incompetence of those who make them and, served this way, it looks like a kitchen leftover. As for the width, the gold sample of the tagliatella bolognese housed in a wooden case, displayed at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in the Palazzo della Mercanzia—Palace of Merchants, applies: the singular raw product measuring 7mm, and when it is cooked it must be exactly 8mm, equal to the 12,270th part of the Tower of the Asinelli, a landmark in Bologna. 

 .

 The cuisine of Romagna is often overshadowed by its neighbours to the west section of Emilia with a more revered food culture in the cities of gastronomy i.e. Bologna, Modena and Parma. While there does not seem to be any clear territorial segregation between the two, this region offer different types of gastronomic delicacies, Emilia cuisine based heavily on pork, and Romagna delving more into lighter fare. This dish, dressed in what is admittedly, a much lighter shade in comparison to its warmly comforting cousin, the bolognese ragu, it holds its own and has a pertinent place along the Adriatic coastline.  

 . . .

Sa Fregula Sarda 

 One of the many rare shapes from Sardinia, fregula are made painstakingly by "growing" the finely milled granules of flour (semola di grano duro) into tiny balls of pasta by hand. This is achieved with the randomized but purposeful "wetting" and "drying" cycle where the moistening of the flour granules is first achieved by the addition of water (wetting) and followed by flour (drying) which results in a new layer that forms over the moistened granules. As this cycle is repeated, layers of flour and water build over time and each granule is grown until the desired size is attained. It is the rapid movements of the hand and the intuition of the fregula maker that determines the consistency of the final product. 
 .
 Although machines are capable of producing this tiny format, traditions are kept alive with the use of traditional methods and tools. A scivedda (enameled terracotta dish) is the main piece of this traditional production, which is used widely across the island for the preparation of bread, pasta and traditional pastry.
. . .

Lo strichetto

Strichetti are originally from the region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, where they are made from eggs and the finely milled endosperm of wheat kernels. The name strichetti in the local dialect means "little pinches" referring to the pinched center of the pasta. This name is more common in Bologna and the surrounding areas of the region.

 .

 The strichetto is an important component within the myriad of the traditional specialties of Bolognese cuisine. In 2019, the Academy of Italian Cuisine, supported by the "Confraternita dello Strichetto"--an association dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition--codified and registered its recipe with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. Originally, strichetti were not served to the wealthy classes, but primarily at the table of the poor, as they were a leftover dish and easy to prepare. 

.

 Today, they continue to exist through the hands of sfogline (pasta makers) who would reutilize the leftover scraps of dough from making tortellini and tortelloni. The scraps were pinched in the center with fingers to create the characteristic ruffled shape. 

 . . . 

Chitarrine alla Teramana

Also known as spaghetti alla chitarra, the dish features a tomato sugo with tiny meatballs and is a glorious preparation from Teramo, a charming town in the Abruzzo region. This masterpiece takes the idea of spaghetti and meatballs to a
whole other level. These egg pasta are long strands of spaghetti-like pasta with squared sides.
.

The shape differs from common industrial spaghetti from the inclusion of eggs, to the entire process undertaken exclusively by hand. The origin of its name is due to the tradition of using the tool with which this pasta was prepared
in ancient times, called “chitarra” (or “maccherunare” in Abruzzo). It is a rectangular wooden frame where steel wires are strung across, just like the
strings of a guitar. The pasta sfoglia would first be rolled out with a rolling pin until a thickness of 3mm is achieved and then placed on the frame and passed through the wires - the process produces very porous strings of pasta and a supreme ability in taking up sauces.
. . .

Su Filindeu

Su Filindeu (or Fili di dio in standard Italian), literally meaning the threads of God, is a variety of Italian pasta prepared exclusively in the Sardinian province of Nuoro. It is the world’s rarest and most endangered pasta variety - allegedly, only a handful of women are in possession of the knowledge and skill today to produce it. It is this reason that Su Filindeu is listed as some of the most endangered foods at risk of extinction - the Ark of Taste initiated by the Slow Food Foundation has listed Su Filindeu among its ranks of endangered traditional foods.
.
Although the dough is made with very basic ingredients: durum wheat semolina and water, the tactile gestures are highly nuanced and the recipe, non-existent. Su Filindeu is extremely time-consuming and hard to prepare that for the past 200 years it used to be a sacred dish, served only to those who complete a 33km pilgrimage from Nuoro to the village of Lula for the biannual Feast of San Francesco (St. Francis). Upon arrival at Santuario di San Francesco, the pilgrims are awarded with a bowl of Su Filindeu, cooked and served in a rich sheep broth with a generous portion of local sheep’s milk cheese. 
. . .