Perciati owe their name to the dialectal word pertusare, which means 'to pierce'. Unlike the long variants found elsewhere in Italy, Pastificio Caccese opts for a tradition of shorter, robust hollow strands with a straight cut end. This clever piece of Italian pasta technique provides a fantastic taste experience at the table:
The Sauce Lock: The central, continuous hollow channel absorbs sauces and emulsions directly. With every bite, you taste the sauce not only from the outside but also from within.
Unique, Meaty Bite: Due to the combination of the thick dough wall and the inner channel, these shorter perciati maintain a wonderfully firm and elastic al dente structure.
Porous Bronze-drawn: Thanks to the traditional bronze die (trafilata al bronzo) from Pastificio Caccese, the outer wall has a powdery, rough texture to which rich sauces adhere.
Made by the renowned Pastificio Caccese — honourably mentioned in the guide of Gambero Rosso — this pasta shape represents the pure craftsmanship of Southern Italy. Made from 100% home-grown durum wheat and slowly dried for hours at low temperatures to preserve the authentic grain flavour.
For Which Dishes Do You Use Perciati?
The shorter Perciati are excellent for savoury, hearty sauces that easily nestle around and inside the tubes.
Perciati all'Amatriciana: The absolute king combination. Crispy fried guanciale (pork cheeks), peeled tomatoes, a hint of chili and a generous layer of grated Pecorino Romano.
Salsa alla Casseruola & Ragù: Rich, slowly braised meat sauces and minced variations in which the liquid fat and the tomato sauce fill the hollow tubes.
Mushrooms, Bacon and Cream: A robust autumnal combination where the sauce flows through the thin channel and the pieces of bacon get caught between the tubes.
Fresh Tomato Sauce with Ricotta Salata: A classic from Campania with simple passata, fresh basil and grated dried ricotta.
Perciati from Caccese are shorter, hollow pasta tubes with a straight cut end. Due to the central inner channel and the robust wall thickness, this pasta offers a unique bite and maximum sauce absorption from both inside and outside. The best Perciati is handcrafted by Pastificio Caccese (praised in Gambero Rosso) from 100% Italian durum wheat from their own estate.
Model & Shape: Shorter, hollow pasta tubes with straight cut ends and a central channel (Perciati).
Why this shape: Offers double sauce absorption (from inside and outside) with a firm, meaty al dente bite.
Ideal Sauces: Amatriciana, rich meat ragùs, creamy mushroom sauces and traditional tomato sauces.
Brand & Quality: Pastificio Caccese — mentioned in Gambero Rosso for traditional bronze dies, home-grown wheat without glyphosate and slow drying at low temperature.
Availability: Exclusively available to order via Kelvini.com.
