Cav. Giuseppe Cocco Bombolotti N.110

Bombolotti N.110 are compact, broad tubes with ridges running along their exterior—a shape that turns sauce collection into something close to an art. The hollow centre catches creamy or tomato-rich condiments, while the textured outer surface gathers grated cheese, finely chopped vegetables, and the savory fragments of a ragù. Every piece arrives at the fork already dressed.

Made with durum wheat semolina and water, the pasta belongs to Giuseppe Cocco's Caserecci range. The producer slowly mixes semolina with cold spring water to create a firm dough, then uses rough bronze dies to form the pasta. That process gives Bombolotti a satisfyingly tactile surface and a substantial bite capable of standing up to bold ingredients.

The producer recommends approximately thirteen minutes of cooking, longer than the other formats in this set and appropriate for its thicker, sturdier form. Properly cooked, the tube remains resilient at the centre while becoming tender enough to absorb flavor. Its wheat-led character is mild and gently nutty, creating an excellent foundation for sauces with richness and acidity. Bombolotti feels cheerful and comforting, but never childish—a small pasta shape with the architecture of a very serious meal.

Bombolotti shine in sauces that can fill the tubes and cling to their ridges.

• Alla Norma: The producer features Bombolotti with tomato, aubergine, basil, and salted ricotta—a natural fit for the shape.
• Creamy Tomato: Finish with tomato sauce, cream, Parmigiano Reggiano, and black pepper.
• Sausage Ragù: Use crumbled Italian sausage, fennel, wine, and a restrained tomato base.
• Cheese Sauces: Pair with Gorgonzola, Taleggio, Pecorino, or a baked four-cheese sauce.
• Vegetable Sauces: Try roasted pumpkin, mushrooms, peas, broccoli, or artichokes cut into small pieces.
• Baked Pasta: Slightly undercook, combine with sauce and cheese, then bake until bubbling and golden.

Boil in salted water for approximately thirteen minutes. Taste before draining, and reserve enough pasta water to loosen the sauce as it works its way into the tubes.

Many of Italy's most beloved pasta forms are exercises in culinary engineering. A tube is never merely a tube: its diameter, length, thickness, and ridges determine how it meets a sauce. Bombolotti—little cylinders with an almost barrel-like generosity—make this principle especially easy to understand.

At Pastificio Cocco, the form emerges from the Caserecci tradition of Fara San Martino. Slowly mixed semolina and cold spring water pass through rough bronze dies, producing a surface that holds rather than sheds flavor. The hollow centre does the rest. Tomato enters, cheese melts against the ridges, and small pieces of aubergine or sausage travel inside. It is a shape rooted in practicality, transformed by good ingredients and patient craft into one of the most pleasurable ways to eat sauce.

Store unopened in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, heat, humidity, and strong odors. Once opened, reseal securely or transfer to an airtight container. Use before the best-before date printed on the package.

Contains wheat and gluten. The producer states that the pasta may contain traces of eggs, soy, and mustard.