Pastificio 2024: Game Changing Pasta!

In the bustling world of culinary innovation, there are individuals who not only create food but craft experiences that transcend the ordinary. Claudia Bouvier, the visionary co-founder of Pastificio, stands at the forefront of this gastronomic revolution. Her mission? To reintroduce America to the authentic flavors of real wheat through the art of pasta-making. At Pastificio, pasta isn't just a dish; it's a celebration of heritage, flavor, and nutrition. Bouvier's philosophy mirrors that of a master winemaker, meticulously blending heirloom and ancient varieties of organic wheat to craft pasta that embodies the essence of tradition and innovation. Bouvier's dedication to preserving tradition while embracing innovation shines through in every carefully crafted noodle. Join Delivery Rank on a journey into the heart of pasta-making as we delve deeper into the visionary mind of Claudia Bouvier and the flavorful world of Pastificio.

What inspired you and your co-founders to start Pastificio, and how does your mission of celebrating America’s rediscovery of real wheat flavors align with your personal values?

Ted and I believe in sustainable, regenerative agriculture, seasonal and clean eating, and simple, real ingredients. Those beliefs are part of who we are as people and consequently what we set out to create at Pastificio. Our personal values and business mission are deeply woven in what we believe and create in the form of heirloom wheat pastas.

We are inspired by Nature, believe that we can produce much better food, and play a role in changing the current food system that is extractive and destructive in every aspect – to our health, our communities, the environment.

Can you share some insights into the process of blending heirloom and ancient varieties of wheat to create pastas with deeper character and higher nutritional value?

Absolutely! It took us a good part of two years of R&D to create our unique flour blend, with 4 different varieties of wheat. It came to be as a combination of creative thinking (using red varieties that are not normally found in pasta making but have distinct flavor profiles), sustainability mindset (the use of Kamut, inspired by Bob Quinn’s story) and just respect for tradition, in the case of the Durum varieties we use. Durum (and its semolina) is the foundation wheat for pasta.

How do you source the organic wheat for your pastas, and what criteria do you consider when selecting the varieties to blend?

When we developed our flour blend, we were searching for different characteristics in those unique wheat varieties such as flavor, nutrition, texture, hardness but also had sustainability in mind. We were mostly interested in wheat that could be grown with less or no water, which could acclimate to different regions and that would be attractive to farmers growing food regeneratively and using wheat as part of their crop rotation.

We source them from direct collaborations with farmers (in the past, with Aspen Moon Farm in Boulder, and currently with the Jones Farms Organics in the San Luis Valley in CO) and regional grain millers and distributors since not all varieties we use are grown in our state. Some varieties come from Montana, others from California.

In what ways do you believe the flavors and nutritional benefits of your pastas contribute to the growing interest in alternative grains and healthier food options?

It all starts with the flavor and texture of our pastas, and then on how people experience them. At the very first bite, it becomes clear that our pastas are unique. One will taste a lot more flavor, and a nice, unique texture especially for pastas made with whole grain flour. The mouthfeel is silkier and smoother but holds a certain integrity.

Then, people experience the physical feeling after a meal. Unlike industrial pastas made with conventional semolina flour, that often causes bloating, sleepiness, and discomfort to most people, Pastificio’s are naturally more digestible because of the organic wheat varieties we use, the whole grain flour and artisanal processes.

Once our pastas shine in the sensorial test, the story behind heirloom and ancient wheat, regenerative farming practices and the importance of nurturing biodiversity becomes an aha moment to most of our customers and a reason for them to embrace our pastas. Not to mention that the Mediterranean and most recently, the Blue Zones diets are amongst the most popular diets for people wanting to enjoy food and at the same time, live well and longer. Delicious pasta made with organic whole grains is right at the core of both diets.

Could you elaborate on the challenges you've faced in introducing consumers to the concept of real wheat and convincing them of its superior qualities compared to conventional wheat?

When we first started, heirloom and ancient wheat varieties were relatively unknown except for Einkorn. Some of the farmers here in Boulder were just starting to experiment growing those wheat varieties. We had to do a lot of research on our own, attend conferences such as the Grain School in Colorado Springs and join a community of farmers, nutritionists, bakers, millers, researchers that were also interested in them (this community laid the foundation for the Colorado Grain Chain that we are a part of).

Then, as we learned and experimented with different varieties of wheat, milling techniques, flour blends and pasta making methods, and at the Boulder Farmers Market, we started to share our finds and hear what the community had to say about our products. The BCFM is an incredible place to be at, not only because it is one of the most well-regarded farmers markets in the country, and our community is supportive of a better, real food system but also because Boulder is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs, who tend to be open about giving honest feedback, which was immensely valuable.

The convincing was mostly done by tasting (and we were strategically serving prepared pastas at the BCFM Food Court). Once people tasted our pastas, they immediately knew they were something unique, delicious, and much better than what they ever had experienced.

There is a compelling story about those unique wheat varieties, especially with so many of us these days not feeling well eating modern, conventional wheat and all the gluten free alternatives that are mostly not satisfying and/or wholesome. One of humanity’s first domesticated crops, more than ten thousand years ago, was wheat that can be traced as part of the success of our civilization. We are wired to enjoy pastas, bread, and wheat products but somehow along the way, industrial agriculture and food processes modified it to the point that we can no longer digest and feel well eating it.

As we go back to using unique heirloom and ancient wheat varieties, minimally transformed by artisanal methods, we not only claim the flavor, nutrition, and digestibility of real wheat, but we also support a system that relies on organic, regenerative agriculture and more diversity in our crops. Some of the wheat varieties we use such as Turkey Hard Red Winter wheat are part of the Ark of Taste (a living catalog of foods and seeds that are endangered) from the international movement called Slow Food.

It is a win for us all.

If you would like to find out more about Pastificio, visit https://pastificioboulder.com/