FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Rachel Gillman for Barilla
312-596-3414
rachel_gillman@chi.bm.com
PASTA LOVERS WILL SAVOR THEIR STRANDS
WITH BARILLA’S NEW RIGATI
Innovative Ridged Cut Brings Pasta and Sauce Even Closer
Chicago (May 17, 2004) – Barilla, the Italian food company, is heating up America’s love affair with pasta by introducing an innovative line of long cuts created especially for sauce lovers, Rigati.
Rigati, which means “ridged” in Italian, was designed with a distinctive grooved surface to capture sauce in a way that only short, tubular pastas such as penne and ziti were able to in the past. The new cuts, available in Spaghetti Rigati, Fettuccine Rigate, and Bucatini Rigati, increase the texture and surface area of long-strand pastas allowing each piece to hold more sauce than the traditional smooth varieties.
Barilla created Rigati based on Americans’ love for robust sauces. “In Italy, every pasta has its reason for being. We specially designed Rigati with grooved surfaces, using the same finest durum wheat used in all our pastas, to better capture sauces by seeping into the ridges,” said Rene Pisciotti, manager or research and new development for Barilla. “Now, with the heartier ridged texture of Rigati, people can enjoy the taste they love with more of their favorite sauce – on their pasta, not on their plates”
A large part of pasta enjoyment in Italian cooking is creating the “Perfect Pair” – the best combination of sauce and pasta for a truly authentic Italian meal. The traditional spaghetti can only absorb a light marinara, but Spaghetti Rigati can hold cheese-based or more robust
tomato sauces. Rigati expands this pairing potential for delectable new matches with a variety of sauces.
“Cooking with Rigati creates new recipe possibilities,” said James Beard Award-winning chef Roberto Donna. “The ridges allow Italian food lovers like me to experiment with ingredients and sauces. Rigati lets me put a contemporary twist on traditional pasta dishes.”
Barilla’s new Spaghetti Rigati, Fettuccine Rigate, and Bucatini Rigati are available exclusively in the United States, at most major and independent supermarkets nationwide. The suggested retail price is $0.99 per 14-16 ounce box. Barilla, the number one pasta in Italy, brings the flavors of Italy to your table with an al dente experience every time.
About Barilla
Since 1877, the Barilla company has been producing pasta and other grain-based foods for consumers around the world. The company’s basic animating principle has been to make these healthy products affordable to all, no matter where they might be. Barilla has remained true to its entrepreneurial roots over the past four generations, by combining ancient Italian traditions with cutting-edge technological advances. The result is a globally successful company, built on a foundation of principles that allow for continuous growth to reach ever-expanding goals.
The Barilla Group – whose brands include Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Pavesi, Voiello, Wasa, Misko (Greece), Filiz (Turkey), and Yemina and Vesta (Mexico) – is the first Italian food group, headed by the Barilla family for over 125 years. The Group has 25 factories (18 in Italy and 7 abroad). It is a worldwide leader in pasta and currently realizes 31% of sales in volume in more than 100 countries.
