Pasta di Gragnano IGP: the gold of Naples between history and global markets

Market analysis: the numbers of success

According to the ISMEA-Qualivita report on the DOP Economy, the production of Pasta di Gragnano IGP in 2024 exceeded 303,000 tons, with a double-digit increase (+11%) compared to the previous year. The supply chain currently includes  23 pasta factories of which 15 are associated with the Protection Consortium, with about  400 employees direct and a significant impact on the local economy.

The Consortium reports a  turnover total of about  400 million euros, of which over 50% of the turnover comes fromexport. The main destination markets remain the European Union, followed by non-EU Europe and North America. New opportunities are emerging in the Middle East (United Arab Emirates) and China (Il Mattino, 2025).

Historical roots: from ancient Rome to the Bourbon Court, five centuries of pasta art

The cultivation of wheat and olives around the Lattari Mountains – behind the ancient city of Stabiae, destroyed by a Vesuvian eruption in 79 AD – dates back to the times ofancient Rome. The very name of the city «Gragnano» could derive from the distortion of the name of its population, ‘gens Grania’, from the Latin ‘granum’, which cultivated wheat.

The pasta-making tradition of Gragnano has its roots in the 16th century, where in 1566 was established the first  corporation of ‘Vermicelli makers’. Production took root in the territory thanks to the microclimate unique of the Valley of the Mills – between the Gulf of Naples and the Lattari Mountains, the sea breeze and generous sun exposure – which favored the natural drying of pasta along city streets. Gragnano pasta established itself as a popular food because it was economical, nutritious, and easy to preserve (Storie di Napoli, 2024).

In 1845, King Ferdinand II of Bourbon officially recognized the quality of the local production, granting the city of Gragnano the privilege to supply the Royal Court and consecrating it as the «city of macaroni». In 1850 there were about  100 pasta factories employing 70-75% of Gragnano's active population, with a daily production exceeding 1,000 quintals.

After the Unification of Italy, the production of Gragnano pasta continued its expansion and was enriched by the use of a new wheat variety, the Taganrog imported from Crimea (port on the Sea of Azov) since the 1800s: Genoese and Neapolitan ships loaded it for Italian pasta makers, attracted by its high content of gluten e proteins, considered essential for superior quality pasta (Storie di Napoli, 2024).

In 1885 a  railway station was inaugurated to connect Gragnano to Naples and facilitate national distribution. In 1915, Di Martino pasta crossed for the first time the  Panama Canal, marking the beginning of the global export of the product. After the Second World War, amidst destruction and competition from large industries in the North, Gragnano pasta lost its international role and was relegated to a local excellence.

In 1980, only 8 pasta factories out of over 100 from the previous century had survived the crisis. In the following decades, recovery began, with the revival of businesses and the doubling of production, between 2004 and 2024, when Gragnano IGP pasta reached the tenth place among Italian agri-food products with Geographical Indication (Fondazione Qualivita, 2024; Ismea, 2025).

The IGP specification: the importance of local water and bronze drawing

The IGP recognition (Protected Geographical Indication) – the first community quality mark assigned to a pasta, at European level – was awarded in October 2013. The production area is limited exclusively to the territory of the Municipality of Gragnano, in the province of Naples.

The production process: from mixing to drying, the science of the 'wrapping sub-phase'

‘The 'Pasta di Gragnano' is the product obtained from the dough of durum wheat semolina with water from the local aquifer’ (disciplinary regulations of Gragnano IGP pasta, article 2 – Product characteristics).

‘The  semolina of durum wheat used for the production of ‘Pasta di Gragnano’ IGP must have the following characteristics:

• humidity: not exceeding 15% on the finished product;

• minimum proteins: 13% on dry matter;

• max. ash: 0.86% on dry matter’.

The production process is divided into the following ‘phases:

• mixing and kneading. The obtained durum wheat semolina is mixed with water, in a percentage not exceeding 30%. The subsequent kneading phase ensures that
  the well-worked dough becomes homogeneous and elastic;

• extrusion or drawing. Drawing is a very important phase to obtain
  a good quality of the final product. Once the dough is obtained, it is drawn through molds, called ‘dies’, that is tools made exclusively of bronze, which allow the pasta to have a rough surface determining its shape: the dough is pushed against the die which, thanks to shaped holes, allows the pasta to exit with the typical shapes of Gragnano pasta makers’ creativity;

• drying. Drying varies according to the shapes and takes place at a temperature between 40 and 85°C for a period between 4 and 60 hours. This is the most delicate moment of the entire production cycle. The pasta is ventilated several times with warm air. At each ventilation cycle there is the characteristic sub-phase ‘of the packaging’, meaning the formation of a sort of surface crust represented by the outer pasta completely dried. Because osmosis, since the inner pasta, and therefore not in direct contact with the warm air of the dryer, is more humid than the outer pasta, transfers moisture to the surface crust softening it again. As moisture comes to the surface, it is removed by subsequent ventilation cycles with warm air. The drying phase can be carried out either through static cells or in drying tunnels where warm air circulates;

• cooling and stabilization. The final element of drying is the cooler, which brings the pasta, still at drying temperature, to room temperature and thus stabilizes its own temperature before releasing it into the external environment;

• The packaging must be carried out in production companies, that is on the
  place of production, within twenty-four hours following production, both to avoid moisture loss that would compromise the special organoleptic qualities of the product, and because moisture loss and excessive handling during transfer would cause breakage and damage to the different obtained shapes' (specifications, article 5 – Method of obtaining).

The pasta

'The formats placed on the market are different, all typical, product of the imagination of Gragnano pasta makers.

The product at the time of marketing must have the following characteristics:

a) physical characteristics:

• external appearance: homogeneous without white or black spots; absence of air bubbles, cracks or cuts, molds, larvae or parasites and foreign bodies;

• fracture section: glassy;

• color: straw yellow;

• roughness: present as a characteristic of the use of bronze dies.

At cooking the ‘Pasta di Gragnano’ PGI presents the following:

• consistency: firm and elastic;

• homogeneity of cooking: uniform;

• cooking resistance: good and long;

• stickiness: absent or imperceptible.

b) chemical characteristics:

• moisture: not exceeding 12.5% on the finished product;

• proteins minimum: 13% on dry matter;

• ashes max.: 0.86% on dry matter.

c) organoleptic characteristics:

• flavor: savory with a strong durum wheat taste;

• odor: of ripe wheat' (specifications, article 2 – Product characteristics).

Traceability, labeling and controls

‘Each stage of the production process described in this specification must be monitored by documenting the incoming and outgoing products for each. In this way, and through registration in specific lists managed by the control body, of producers and packers, it is guaranteed the traceability of all stages of the production process of the product ‘Pasta di Gragnano’ (specification, article 4 – Proof of origin).

‘The packaging used for Pasta di Gragnano are: cardboard boxes or transparent bags, or packaging made with vegetable origin material or other food-grade material (…). The packages have a minimum weight from 100 gr. (oz. 3.5274) to 5000 gr. (oz. 176.3698) and the related weights expressed in metric systems different from those currently in use in the EU.

On the labels applied to the same packages, the following indications must be reported in clear and legible print characters, of the same size:

a) ‘Pasta di Gragnano’ and ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ or the acronym ‘P.G.I.’;

b) address of the producing company;

c) the denomination logo to be used in inseparable combination with the Indication
Geographical Indication.

The logo Of the denomination is composed of a blue circle with the writing inside
circular 'PASTA DI GRAGNANO' in white and the wording 'IGP' in bronze color. The font
used for the logo is Trajan.
In the center of the logo there is a stylized hand holding a bundle of wheat in gold color. The whole
blue circle is bordered by slanting rays formed by wheat ears.
The size of the logo will be proportional to the size of the package' (disciplinary, article 8 – Labeling).

The product's compliance with the disciplinary is entrusted to CSQA, first certification body in Italy (disciplinary, article 7 – Controls).

Sector segmentation: from industrial champions to ultra-premium excellences

Among industrial scale producers,  Garofalo, Di Martino e Liguori represent the three largest companies that have had leading roles in the sector (Fondazione Qualivita, 2024). The Consortium currently counts  15 associated companies which represent over 97% of production in terms of volume and value, including Garofalo, Liguori, Di Martino, La Fabbrica della Pasta, Antiche Tradizioni di Gragnano, Pastificio dei Campi, Afeltra, Cooperativa Pastai Gragnanesi, Il Mulino di Gragnano, Pastificio D’Aniello, Pastificio Ducato d’Amalfi, Pastificio Sorrentino, Pastificio della Forma and 28 pasta makers (Il Sole 24 Ore, 2025).

Industrial varieties include classic formats (spaghetti, penne, fusilli, paccheri, rigatoni) available globally through  large distribution (70% of production) and the channel  Horeca (20%), with the remaining 10% distributed in small retail outlets and gourmet delicatessens.

The artisanal producers ultra-premium like Faella (active since 1907), La Fabbrica della Pasta di Gragnano (with over 150 unique formats and 100% Italian semolina), Afeltra and other small pasta factories, emphasize a short supply chain, manual tradition and original formats born from the creativity of local master pasta makers. Some special formats like Vesuvio (which replicate the shape of the volcano), Candele Lunghe or Caccavella (the largest single-serving pasta in the world with 25 minutes cooking time) represent authentic expressions of Gragnano pasta art (Bontalico, 2025).

Sensory experience and pairings

The  roughness derived from the bronze die makes Pasta di Gragnano ideal for holding any sauce. Traditional pairings include:

• spaghetti with  San Marzano DOP tomato and basil;

• smooth tubetti with legumes (beans, chickpeas), mussels, clams;

• paccheri with Neapolitan ragù or seafood;

• ziti with ricotta and eggplant;

• short formats with zucchini and shrimps;

• winter soups and stews;

• preparations  gourmet.

The  cooking resistance excellent allows maintaining texture even with 1-2 additional minutes of cooking, a feature appreciated by catering professionals.

Buying guide

The ‘foodies’ and the professional buyers have a variety of industrial and artisanal Gragnano IGP pasta references available, across different price segments. In addition to verifying the authenticity of the products, which must always bear the denomination and logo on the label, it is recommended to consider certified organic products to support supply chains more attentive to environmental protection and biodiversity, thus promoting the conversion of crops towards the highest standards in this direction.

The team of  GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade) supports international buyers in identifying suppliers capable of meeting supply quantity and quality requirements, certifications, and logistics.

Conclusions

Gragnano IGP Pasta is confirmed to be a virtuous model of protection of productive biodiversity and territorial economic development. The perfect balance between the heritage of the ‘Vermicellai’ and the modern requirements of certification and traceability makes it an indispensable reference for Made in Italy. Choosing Gragnano means promoting a food system that values the quality of raw materials and transparency of the supply chain, guaranteeing the global consumer a product that is, at the same time, culture andnourishment.

Dario Dongo

Photo by Giusi Borrasi on Unsplash

References

• Consortium of Gragnano Pasta IGP. (2026) https://www.pastadigragnanoigp.it

• Consortium of Gragnano Pasta IGP. (2024).  Production Specification. https://www.pastadigragnanoigp.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Disciplinare_Pasta_di_Gragnano_12.02.2020.pdf

• Qualivita Foundation. (2024, September 16).  Gragnano Pasta, the IGP doubles the companies. https://www.qualivita.it/news/pasta-di-gragnano-ligp-fa-raddoppiare-le-imprese/

• Il Mattino. (2025, October 23).  Unlocking the Doors of Gragnano. https://www.ilmattino.it/en/unlocking_the_doors_of_gragnano-9145187.html

• Il Sole 24 Ore. (2025, September 12).  Pasta di Gragnano Igp: over 50% export, but tariffs are not too scary. https://en.ilsole24ore.com/art/gragnano-igp-pasta-over-50-per-cent-export-but-tariffs-not-too-scary-AHu2w3aC

• Ismea & Qualivita Foundation. (2025).  23rd DOP Economy Reporthttps://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/notizie/dop-economy-italia-2024/

• Stories of Naples. (2024, March 23).  History of Gragnano pasta, the macaroni capital. https://storienapoli.it/2020/10/25/pasta-di-gragnano-storia/