"There is nothing like fresh, homemade pasta," Domenica Marchetti, author of
The Glorious Pasta of Italy, says, "but I won't say one is better than the other." Many supermarkets now carry artisan boxed pastas. They're a little more expensive, but they're still comparatively cheap, and since they are cut with bronze dies (instead of Teflon dies, which some lower-quality commercial brands use), they have a rougher surface to which sauce clings well (like mafalde, which is a natural for a roasted-tomato sauce). Cheaper brands also cook less evenly and can turn mushy before they're cooked all the way through.
Get the recipe: Mafalde with Roasted Tomatoes, Robiola and Crushed Fennel Seeds
