Voiello - La Mafalda (500g)

La Mafalda is one of the more visually striking pasta shapes in the Italian repertoire - long ribbons with ruffled, wavy edges running along both sides, giving each strand an ornate, layered appearance unlike anything a flat pasta produces. The name is believed to reference Princess Mafalda of Savoy, and the shape carries a certain ceremonial quality that suits occasions where the pasta itself is worth noticing.

Beyond the appearance, the wavy edges are doing real work. The ruffled surface area is considerably greater than a flat fettuccine of the same width, which means significantly more grip for sauce. The waves trap thicker preparations - cream-based, cheese-based, meat-based - in a way that smooth ribbon pasta cannot. La Mafalda looks distinctive because it performs distinctively.

Voiello produces La Mafalda from the same high-quality durum wheat blend that defines the range, with Senatore Cappelli wheat for flavour and bronze die extrusion that textures every surface. Slow-drying preserves the shape through cooking - the wavy edges remain intact rather than flattening, and the pasta holds its identity on the plate from pot to bowl.

In Naples, La Mafalda has traditionally been paired with the Sunday ragu - a slow-cooked sauce simmering for hours with multiple cuts of meat, absorbing tomato, wine, and fat into something dense and deeply flavoured. That is still the natural pairing. But La Mafalda is also exceptional with lamb and artichoke, pork sausage with fennel, or any braised preparation with enough body to justify the shape.

Serving La Mafalda on a proper occasion is one of the easiest ways to signal that the pasta was chosen deliberately, not just grabbed from the shelf.

Best for: Neapolitan Sunday ragu, braised meat sauces, pork and fennel, lamb ragu, and any substantial sauce that deserves a pasta with real personality.