Dried Pasta and More! 
Dried pasta is a staple in Italian cuisine. Buying the best is essential. There are literally HUNDREDS of kinds out there. These are some favorites and bowls to serve your pasta in.
My grandparents were from Northern Italy, where much of the world's best polenta is grown and milled, so I grew up eating polenta. It was, for me, an acquired taste. I love it now. Many Italians put polenta in the pasta category.
I will always love Moretti polenta. It's from Bergamo, where my family is from, and it's my gold standard:-)
This is a trusted brand and a beautiful polenta. It's yellow color is beautiful. It lends itself to be creamy and the size of the grain is very nice.
This is traditional Northern Italian cornmeal at its best. It less expensive than some on the market, but equally delicious.
This brand has many interesting polenta combinations with porcini, tomatoes, etc. I really like the straight up polenta and tend to not buy any pre-packaged mix. But, I think they would make a lovely gift.
Don't look down on dried pasta! The good stuff is a wonderful thing to have in your cabinet.
I bought this pasta because I loved the packaging, but the pasta itself is outstanding. So outstanding that I give it for hostess gifts and use it as adult stocking stuffers. This is what the website says: Benedetto Cavalieri has been making this pasta in Lecce in the region of Puglia using the same traditional method since 1918. In Benedetto Cavalieri's "delicate method," water and durum wheat are kneaded together and p...
If you're a truffle fan, this tagliatelle is for you. The Urbini family brand is considered the best! The subtle, but present, flavor of this pasta elevates it to superb. This is what the website says: This classic Italian wide-ribboned Tagliatelle is made with certified organic durum wheat flour, real eggs, pristine water and finely chopped pieces of summer black truffles.
I'm an angel-hair nut! If I can't make my own, this pasta from the Piedmont region is my choice. It's made with egg yolks, so the color is gorgeous! This is what the website says: A Piedmontese specialty, Tajarin is a bright yellow pasta made out of egg-yolk enriched dough, in thin long strands that look like thinner versions of the flat tagliatelle. The eggs make the dough soft and rich, and is...
Everyone has to have a good set of pasta bowls. Seriously, it's important!
I had these in my restaurant - and now my home. They are, in my opinion, the most beautiful bowl to present pasta in…elegant.
I have been looking for rustic pasta bowls. Even though they show a stack, the price is for one bowl. I might have hesitated if I were buying six of them, but worth it for me and my husband! Beautiful rustic bowls for rustic pasta dishes. This is what the website says: Hand-built, rustic white, unique pasta bowl made with high fire clay using slab building technique, hand brushed with white glaze, rough trim with rustic black and brown glaze and fired at 2160F. Bottom part of the bow...
I love the simple detail on the rim of this bowl. Beautiful!
Love the lemons!
I love these festive bowls! I have some similar bowls from Ravello - joyful!