My friends over at Pastificio dei Campi have recently launched a new type of pasta called the campotto (plural, campotti). The name comes from “Campi” combined with otto, the word for 8 in Italian. In fact, when they are dry, they look like little 8s. When I saw them for the first time (Giuseppe di Martino posted photos on his Twitter account), I immediately wanted to rename them campotti cicciotti (chubby little campotti) due to their plumpness and rotund shape.
I got my hands on a box of the new releases and then, due to a combination of prior food engagements and poor time management skills, weeks had gone by and I had not yet cooked them. Shame! So I did what any Parla would do, I took them on vacation with me! They joined Papa Parla and I on a 3000km road trip around Italy. Our plan was to spring them on the first worthy kitchen. Since most of our destinations were land locked, and I really saw the campotti with a fish sauce of some sort, we waited until we hit the Adriatic Coast and sprung them on Vecchia Marina in Roseto Degli Abruzzi. We had them prepared with langoustine tails and sole filets in a light tomato sauce.
When cooked, the campotti became roly-poly and scooped up their condiment as their cousins, calamarata, paccheri, and lumache also do. The pasta itself, while pliable, held its shape and clutched the fish in its voluptuous curves. The pasta’s surface was sheathed in the sauce, a function of the high quality wheat and bonze die used in its production.
Other condiments I would have like to have tried are fagioli e cozze (beans and mussels, maybe with some raisons and pine nuts thrown in), broccoli e vongole (broccoli and clams), ragu’ di pesce spada (sword fish ragu). How would you like your campotti???
A very special thanks to Papa Parla for his food styling and hand modeling assistence!
MegRhi
October 13th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
How much flattery would it require to have you pack a box or two of campotti in your suitcase on your next trip home? Trader Joes sells langoustine tails so perhaps I’ll give this one a try.
Gabriel Hummel
October 13th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
I suggest smuggling said campotti across the border like many a drug mule before.
That being said, I would like my pasta in 24 ziplock bags please.
Mamma Parla
October 14th, 2010 at 12:53 am
I assume that you will be bringing some home for Christmas Eve dinner! Cant wait to prepare/taste them with fish sauce.
Mafaldina
October 14th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Wonderful recipe! Thank’s for this beautiful post
Tom
October 14th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Although all of the fish sauces mentioned sound great, I would like mine with a ragu of salsiccia e funghi, per favore. Slow cooked so that the funghi become caramelized and the salsiccia is nicely browned, then right before service, add a little tomato paste and pasta cooking water to finish. Toss the campotti with the sauce and lots of parmigiano reggiano and garnish with some chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley. Now I am really hungry…buon appetito!
Katie
October 14th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
@MegRhi @Mamma Parla Just placed an order for you guys! they arent available on the market yet so im hooking you up:)
@Gabriel oh my!
@Mafaldina thanks for making the wonderful pasta! I look forward to the next shipment. giuseppe said arianna would be in touch for details and payment?
@Tom that sounds FABULOUS! Im really hungry now too…shocking right?
DMae
October 15th, 2010 at 7:33 am
want this pasta! really into pasta right now since the sun is going away and we need our carbs in the far, frozen northland.
Coffee and a Book Chick
October 16th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
Sign me up for some campotti as well!
Serene
October 18th, 2010 at 2:42 am
Those are gorgeous. My partner would prefer spaghetti every time we have pasta, but he doesn’t understand my passion for shaped pastas — I love them all, from pastina to penne to farfalle… I love them all!
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