Bucatini pasta made from durum wheat

History of Pastamanicni

Mariano Mancini founded Azienda Agricola Mancini in 1938, later his son Giuseppe expanded it from 5 hectares to 70 hectares, combining farming with the development of the footwear sector. He also passed on to his son Massimo the values of reliability and a grounded approach, which allowed him to pursue his own dreams. Thus, Massimo Mancini graduated in agricultural studies in Bologna under the guidance of Giorgio Stupazzoni, an economist specializing in pasta production chains. This is how the dream of a pasta manufacturing company was born.

In 2010, Massimo Mancini established Mancini Pastificio Agricolo, where pasta is produced exclusively from wheat cultivated on their own fields, surrounding the brand on all sides. Some call it a company in the middle of wheat fields growing on 300 hectares.

Mission of Mancini Pastificio Agricolo

Good Agricultural Practice is a set of features that Mancini Pastificio Agricolo applies to ensure environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural management, aiming to produce raw materials of the highest quality and healthiness with minimal environmental impact and zero chemical residues.

The goals of Good Agricultural Practice for the company are:
- to respect natural resources (air, water, soil) through optimized agronomic interventions and rationalization of external inputs;
- to produce high-quality raw materials that are as suitable as possible for our transformation process;
- to ensure the health safety of the final product.

These goals are achieved through continuous crop monitoring and implementing self-control measures during the production process, such as frequent soil, plant, and pathogen analyses. Crop rotation is practiced to maintain and improve soil fertility, alternating with durum wheat cultivation and improving crops (alfalfa, clover, vetch, peas, chickpeas) or renewing crops (sunflower).

The packaging material used for the pasta is the result of ongoing research with industry experts to ensure the best possible preservation of the pasta combined with maximum recyclability of the packaging. Made solely from cellulose derived from wood from forests managed according to strict environmental, social, and economic standards (FSC® certification), the bag can be completely disposed of with paper waste. The ATICELCA® 501 UNI 11743 method certifies its recyclability.

Advantages of Italian Pastamancini pasta over other similar products
Wheat is harvested annually in summer only when it naturally reaches full maturity and the appropriate moisture level to ensure better preservation. The use of modern threshers allows real-time analysis of grain quality parameters.

The threshed wheat is cleaned and stored using cold techniques, bringing it to a temperature of 18°C, ideal for halting insect and mold activity without chemical treatments. Different wheat varieties are mixed into a single blend that characterizes the pasta vintage.

Wheat grains are ground into semolina with granulation suitable for Mancini’s pasta production method. Milling is carried out continuously throughout the year, allowing the company to produce pasta always with fresh semolina, which is essential for achieving a product with a distinctive wheat aroma and flavor.

Excellence at Pasta Mancini begins in the fields but is realized in the pasta factory: the roughness of spaghetti and short pasta results from using bronze dies instead of Teflon, as in the food industry. The dough is pushed towards a round perforated disc, as was done decades ago, rather than a rectangular one, as is common in most pasta factories today. This ensures even pressure, providing greater uniformity, especially in long shapes.

 To preserve and enhance the important nutritional properties of Mancini wheat, special drying recipes have been developed for each pasta shape based on a combination of temperature, humidity, ventilation, and resting principles. Mancini pasta is dried at temperatures below 55°C, with peaks as low as 36°C. These values mean a drying time ranging from 24 to 44 hours depending on the format, ensuring a full-value and tasty product.

On every Mancini pasta package, the harvest year is displayed as proof of the artisanal pasta factory's mission: to produce pasta only from wheat that grows directly in the surrounding fields. Since January 2021, packages feature a QR code printed on the bottom, which, when scanned, allows instant access to quantitative and temporal data from the four main production phases, verifiable through Blockchain technology.

Manufacturer information