Georgia has some of the most creative pasta makers around.
Filled Pastas from So Good Pasta
John Gimson of Atlanta-based So Good Pasta has captured our attention with his wide-ranging assortment of filled fresh pastas. Standing at his table at local farmers markets, he presides over a seasonal assortment of flavors that makes it tough to choose just one. Sweet peas with pecorino and mint? Italian sausage with Calabrian peppers? Italian sausage with fig? Some made with plain pasta, some with herb pasta, all those tempting shapes make it hard to decide which one to try first. We just finished his canoe-shaped pasta with goat cheese, toasted walnut and blueberry filling. Pasta with blueberries? Yes. The berries add just a touch of sweetness while the walnuts add a little crunch and the goat cheese is tangy. The combination is surprising and was delicious just with browned butter but would have been great (if we could have waited) with coins of sausage. In our photo, it’s finished with toasted pistachios, wilted arugula and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
$8 per 10-ounce package, $14 for two packages. Available at these farmers markets: Ponce City Market, Decatur market on Wednesday, East Atlanta Village and Marietta Square market on Saturdays. facebook.com/SoGoodPasta/
Credit: LAURIE K POOLE
Credit: LAURIE K POOLE
Einkorn Angel Hair Pasta from Honest Harvest Handcrafted Pasta
Up in Canton, Mary Blanford of Honest Harvest Handcrafted Pasta is making dried flavored pastas, gluten-free pastas and heirloom grain pastas from flour she mills herself. We’ve been tempted by everything they sell but it’s the heirloom grain pastas that are our favorites. There’s KAMUT® Khorasan Wheat pasta - in ribbon, angel hair and vegetable fusilli versions - made from an ancient wheat variety that’s never been hybridized. And there’s einkorn pasta available as angel hair or ribbons. Einkorn is reported to be the oldest wheat still being grown. Pasta made from both grains is said to be digestible for 70 percent of people who cannot eat wheat and very high in protein. We really enjoy the rich grain flavor of both but the einkorn might be our favorite.
$7 per 8-ounce package of ribbons and angel hair, or per 12-ounce package of fusilli. Available at Marietta Square, Brookhaven, Roswell, Sandy Springs and Vickery Village farmers markets as well as Newnan Market Day and online at honestharvestpasta.com/
Roasted Pepper Rigatoni from FraLi Gourmet
The Marra family of Savannah-based FraLi Gourmet produces fresh pasta, dried pastas and pasta sauce as well as vegetables preserved in oil that work as well on an antipasti platter as they do in salads. We’ve become fans of their dried pastas and this week’s favorite is their roasted pepper rigatoni. Flavored pastas don’t always taste of their namesake vegetable. We’ve all had spinach pasta that was spinach in color only. But the FraLi roasted pepper pasta is distinctively pepper flavored. Maybe it’s because they make it with a blend of red and yellow roasted peppers? Next time we’re in Savannah, we’ll try a few more flavors and dine in the restaurant. In the meantime, their dried pastas and sauces are all available online.
$4.99 per 1-pound bag. Available at FraLi Gourmet, 217 W. Liberty Street, Savannah, and online at fraligourmet.com/.
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