BARILLA U.S.A

The first time I ever saw Barilla dry pasta on a store shelf was way back in the early 1980s when I was living in Westport, CT.  There was an Italian food store on Post Road in Westport where I used to go for the best prosciutto and homemade mozzarella which were not as widely distributed as they are today.  This small grocery store was an authentic, family owned business selling authentic Italian foods.  I had never seen the Barilla brand before.

Fast-forward to 2007 - the Barilla brand of pasta can be found on shelves in every supermarket and specialty food store in the USA.  Barilla is a leader in pasta production, manufacturing over 4,000 tons of pasta daily in over 120 shapes and sizes at 30 facilities around the world.  Barilla has the largest pasta factory in Parma, Italy and the largest in the USA in Ames, Iowa.  Despite the growth of Barilla from its early beginnings in Parma in 1877 by Pietro Barilla, the company has not changed  - it's still a family owned business that sells a quality product for the world's pasta lovers to cook and enjoy.

When demand for Barilla in the USA increased, it was time to open a facility here in Ames, Iowa - that was in 1998. Maintaining the same high standards of their pasta operations in Parma, the USA facility uses the same style of machinery as is used in Parma, Italy and as far as the recipes and high quality wheat blend that are used in both facilities, Barilla purchases its wheat from around the world ending up with the best of those crops for their pasta making facilities. Hard durum wheat produces the best semolina that makes Barilla's pasta so delicious. Good quality dried pasta has a unique yellow color and be uniform in shape and size. In addition, Barilla's technologically precise milling process leaves only the choicest semolina for premium, evenly dried pasta that holds its shape during cooking, and never leaves its cooking water cloudy with excess starch - all signs of superior quality.  Barilla pasta will always cook "al dente" - or "to the tooth".

Barilla's Pasta Tips

• 2 ounces of dried pasta is the recommended serving size for one portion which equals approximately 1 cup of cooked pasta.
• Store dried pasta in a cool, dry place such as a cupboard or pantry.
• Be sure to check the "best if used by" date on the packaging
• Andrea Bocelli is the artist singing in the background of Barilla's TV commercials - the song is "Mille Lune Mille Onde" (A Thousand Moons, A Thousand Waves) from his CD "Cieli Di Toscana"

Health & Pasta

Barilla introduced Barilla® Plus™ to consumers to make their pasta meals even more nutritious by producing a premium, multi-grain pasta that actually tastes great!  If you've been avoiding buying a more nutritious dried pasta because others you've tried taste, well, let's say they don't taste very good. As you know, I only write about products that I buy and use myself, so give yourself and your family a nutritious treat that they will all enjoy - any of your favorite pasta dishes made with Barilla PLUS made with wholesome ingredients that are naturally rich in protein, fiber and ALA omega-3 fatty acids.

PLUS^TM  is available in six of your favorite pasta shapes in a distinctive yellow packaging to meet a variety of your recipe needs.  Because it is a heartier consistency, PLUS^TM  requires a slightly longer cook time versus traditional Barilla Pasta.

Spaghetti	Thin Spaghetti	Angel Hair
Elbows	Rotini	Penne