Luigi Donnari’s egg pastas are some of the best I’ve ever had. He’s renowned for being sort of a stickler for all parts of the process.

• He chooses only organic Senatore Cappeli wheat and blends it with other varieties to get the right texture.
• He stone grinds the grain, instead of milling with steel, to get better texture and leave in more essential oils.
• Half the weight of the pasta is from free-range organic eggs.
• He hangs the pasta to air dry instead of laying it down or heating it in an oven.
• He only makes about 400 pounds a day, so the details add up.

Where I find a lot of dried egg pastas mushy and bland, this one has a crisp bite and full flavor. Excellent.

Chitarrine is "guitar string," a kind of squared-off spaghetti, a typical shape for the Marché region, where Luigi lives.

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