PRODUCT REVIEW: MY NEW FAVORITE PASTA SHAPE

Ever hear of "Girelle?" If not, you are far from alone. We recommend it highly.

Girelle is also known as Vesuvio, as in Mt. Vesuvius.

As the husband of an ultra glutenista, I don't cook pasta very often. But when I do, I apply the same amount of effort and research as I would cooking anything else. And yet I discovered Girelle quite by accident-- my local grocery store was out of both Rotini and Radiatore, spiral-shaped pastas that would nicely grab the vinaigrette in the pasta salad I was making for a family picnic. So I reluctantly grabbed a bag of Girelle, which looked like the next best thing. Now I'm hooked, and I use Girelle for just about everything-- the aforementioned pasta salad, or in combination with alfredo sauce, or topped with homemade bolognese sauce... you name it. Girelle can replace just about any pasta other than Capellini ("angel hair") and Lasagne sheets.

Italian-made AMORE pasta is a house brand of WEGMANS.

Every brand of Girelle that I found online is produced in Italy. That's a really good thing, because in 2016 Italy outlawed the use of glyphosate, the carcinogenic herbicide that remains widely used in America on wheat and other crops and appears by default in most American wheat products. (Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup® weed killer.)

Unlike many other pasta shapes, Girelle doesn't work quite so well (at least to me) cooked al dente, i.e., "firm to the tooth," especially when used for pasta salad. Boil in salted water, stirring often, until they expand slightly and then test for doneness. The AMORE package recommends 14 minutes for al dente (if you must) and 16 minutes or longer for fully cooked.

From the WEGMANS website-- Girelle Pasta Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Feta, & Arugula

Since it's almost summer, here are some Pasta Salad Tips:

Girelle is the best pasta shape for pasta salad... it's not even close.

When making pasta salad, consider cooking at least some of the vegetables. Sauteed zucchini, for instance, works way better than raw zucchini. Ditto for red onions and green peppers. Definitely leave the tomatoes raw.

Grape tomatoes work better than cut-up chunks of full-sized tomatoes. Halve them lengthwise, and they won't roll off one's fork.

Avoid bottled dressings. Make your own dressing with extra virgin olive oil, high-quality vinegar, and fresh herbs.

Use real black olives (like pitted kalamatas) from the olive bar; NEVER use canned black olives. Halving kalamatas lengthwise is a nice touch.

And while I'm at it, just two quick comments on HOT pasta dishes--

RAO'S is a really good commercial brand of pasta sauces; genuine Parmesan cheese is very expensive... and there is absolutely no substitute.

Buon Appetito!