For him (and us), what defines Italian cooking is a commitment to fresh, local ingredients and the transparent production that transforms them into something remarkably delicious, yet simple. Still, when most big box brands routinely ship their grains overseas to cut corners on cost, what’s added is far more than the seemingly superior “Made in Italy” emblem. Preservatives. Artificial colors and dyes. They’re all there. But most notably? All of the nutrients are gone, and then strangely enough, added back into the pasta in the form of powdery vitamins and minerals, because the naturally occurring ones are eradicated from hurried, high-heat drying. It’s why most pasta is printed with the label “enriched macaroni product.” It’s a death wish as far as nutrition and texture go, a shortcut that produces a dramatically lower-quality product—but still one that most pasta makers rely on. That, in our kitchen, is no bene