Bertagni Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Girasoli

Tasting Notes of the Curator

These girasoli capture one of Italian cooking’s most beloved flavor trios and tuck it inside wonderfully generous parcels of fresh pasta. The filling begins with mozzarella and ricotta, giving it a soft, creamy body and a gently milky character. Cream adds further richness, while Grana Padano PDO contributes a more mature, savory finish.

Roasted and sun-dried tomatoes bring two distinct expressions of the fruit. The roasted tomatoes are sweet and mellow, while the sun-dried tomatoes offer greater concentration, acidity, and an almost jammy intensity. Basil paste and extra virgin olive oil lift the filling with an aromatic freshness that keeps the cheese from feeling overly rich.

Around the filling is Bertagni’s delicate fresh egg pasta, made with wheat flour, egg, and durum wheat semolina. Its broad, flower-like shape provides ample room for the creamy centre while creating softly pleated edges that remain pleasantly tender after cooking.

Altogether, the flavor is sunny, balanced, and immediately familiar: sweet tomato, fragrant basil, and creamy cheese, finished with the gentle savoriness of Italian aged cheese. It is comfort food with its windows open.

Pairings and Suggestions

These girasoli already contain a complete conversation of tomato, cheese, and basil, so the best sauces complement rather than compete.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Toss gently with excellent olive oil, fresh basil leaves, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Brown Butter: Lightly browned butter adds a nutty richness without hiding the tomato’s brightness. Simple Tomato Sauce: Serve with a restrained tomato and garlic sauce for an even more generous expression of summer tomatoes. Pesto Dressing: Loosen a small spoonful of basil pesto with pasta water and use it sparingly as a glossy coating. Fresh Vegetables: Pair with roasted zucchini, asparagus, aubergine, or blistered cherry tomatoes. Wine Pairing: Choose a crisp Pinot Grigio, dry rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, or a light Italian red served slightly cool.

Cook in gently boiling salted water until tender. Lift the girasoli carefully with a slotted spoon, then finish them directly in the warmed sauce with a splash of pasta water.

Pasta in Full Bloom

Girasoli means “sunflowers” in Italian, an affectionate name inspired by the pasta’s rounded centre and delicately pressed edges. The shape transforms filled pasta into something particularly cheerful—a small golden bloom designed to hold a generous spoonful of filling.

Inside, tomato, mozzarella, and basil recall the flavors found across some of Italy’s most recognizable dishes. The combination is celebrated for its balance: the acidity and sweetness of ripe tomato, the softness of mozzarella, and the fresh perfume of basil. Its red, white, and green colors are also often associated with the Italian flag.

Bertagni’s roots stretch back to Bologna in 1882, in a region where the preparation of filled egg pasta has long been treated as both domestic ritual and culinary craft. These girasoli carry that tradition in a decidedly sunny direction—familiar enough for a comforting weeknight supper, yet beautiful enough to serve when dinner deserves a little flourish.

Storage Instructions

Keep frozen at -18°C or below. Cook directly from frozen unless the package instructions specify otherwise. Do not refreeze once thawed. Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly in a sealed container and consume within 2 days.