Mishry Rating
SUPERB!
Summary
The artisanal handcrafted pastas by Donna Pastaia have a firm bite and cook to perfection. Made using organic flour and semolina, the ingredient list is very clean. They are able to take on the sauces extremely well.
While on a tour in a pasta factory in Italy, I asked ‘Do you use this pasta at home as well?’. Eyes squinted, head shaking vigorously, the tour guide replied, ‘Well, would you eat packaged chapatis in India regularly?’. Well, of course not! But where can we find fresh, handmade pasta in India? Here’s an answer – Donna Pastaia.
Donna is an Italian word which translates to lady in English. Pastaia means a person whose job it is to make pasta. Started by two friends, Kamna and Simran, Donna Pastaia is a brand that crafts handmade artisanal pasta. We ordered two kinds of pastas from their website. One from their traditional range and one from their gourmet range. Here is our experience with the products from Donna Pastaia.
Table of Contents
Donna Pastaia – Products We Tried
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Donna Pastaia – At A Glance
| S.No | Parameter | Value |
| 1. | Legal Name | Donna Pastaia |
| 2. | Founder | Simran Makkar and Kamna Choudhary |
| 3. | Founded Year | 2020 |
| 4. | Headquarters | Noida |
| 5. | Products Covered | Handcrafted Pasta |
| 6. | Operation | Pan India |
Donna Pastaia – Everything You Need To Know
Here is all that you need to know about Donna Pastaia, including the brand’s journey, operation, products offered and much more.
Founder
Donna Pastaia was founded by Simran Makkar and Kamna Choudhary in July, 2020.
Donna Pastaia’s Journey
In the words of the brand, ‘Kamna and Simran, two friends, who both share an immense love for good food used to showcase and share their love for food through selling handmade fresh pastas in farmers market prior to covid. When covid hit, they turned their passion into creating packs of homemade pasta to be sent out safely to their friends and family, to cook in the comfort of their own homes.
Donna Pastaia was born out of our collective love for pastas, and a need of the hour to encourage healthier, honest, clean eating amongst all of us. We don’t have a game plan, we are growing organically, just like the ingredients we use, through the immense love and support from like minded individuals who appreciate good, honest food.’
Brand Mission & Vision
When asked about the brand’s mission and vision, they said ‘To bring the joy of handmade, homemade, clean and honest food to all our tables.’
Products Covered
The brand offers three types of ranges –
- Premium gourmet range
- Core traditional range
- Gluten free range
They also have a small section that offers DIY Pasta Tools.
The pasta is made from fresh, natural ingredients. The flour used is also organic.
What sets this pasta apart? As per information on their website ‘The pasta is handcrafted into ribbons and shapes and then dried using time-tested traditional methods which could take upto 36-48 hours at an ambient temperature of 30ºC (vs a couple of hours at 100ºC for commercially available brands). This not only retains the nutritional profile of the pasta, but also helps keep the bite in your ‘al-dente’.
Operation
Donna Pastaia delivers pan India.
Donna Pastaia Products – Our Recommendations
This section discusses our order, price, packaging, and other relevant product information.
What we ordered – We ordered two pastas. One from their premium gourmet range and one from the core traditional range. Both our pastas were eggless.
- Conchiglie – Pasta Mista from their premium gourmet range
- Fettuccine Traditional (Eggless)
How much did it cost us?
The Conchiglie cost us Rs 399/- for 250 gms. The Eggless Fettuccine is priced at Rs 329/-. Our total order was for Rs 827/- including shipping.
Instructions for storage – The pastas need to be stored at room temperature. Keep it away from heat, light and humidity. Once opened, store in dry, air-tight containers.
Packaging – The pasta is sealed in a plastic pack and placed inside a brown carton. The labels are clean and explain everything well.
The pack says – Handmade pasta is fragile, please handle it with care.
1. Conchiglie Pasta
Conchiglie, pronounced as Con-KEE-yay, is a shell shaped pasta. Traditionally made using durum wheat and natural colors like spinach, squid ink, tomatoes, beetroot and more.
| Conchiglie Pasta (Eggless) | Product Information |
| Price | Rs 399/- |
| Net Weight | 250 gms |
| Ingredients | Organic semolina, Olive oil, Organic turmeric powder, Beetroot puree, Spinach puree |
| Shelf life | 3 months from manufacturing |
| Nutrition facts | Calories – 430 Kcal |
We cooked the pasta as per instructions given on the pack –
- In a pot bring plenty of water to boil (1 liter for 100 gms of dried pasta)
- Add salt to boiling water.
- Once water is on a rolling boil, place pasta carefully in salted boiling water.
- Al-Dente in 5-6 minutes.
- For best results, drain pasta and toss in sauce and serve immediately.
We gauged it for its texture after boiling and the taste of the pasta. We cooked the pasta in a simple olive oil, garlic, basil and dried herb base.
What We Like
Beautiful! Our bowl of pasta looked right out of a fancy cookbook. The turmeric, spinach and beetroot pastas cook extremely well. They were al-dente when we cooked the pasta as per the instructions on the pack. They weren’t sticky and had the right bite.
Very often the flavor of natural ingredients used for coloring can lend their own flavor to the pasta. That wasn’t the case here. The semolina based pasta has a firm bite.
Best suited to be used as a visual treat in leafy salads, or to make a bowl of cold pasta salad. You can also toss it up with some olive oil, chilli and parmesan.
2. Eggless Fettuccine
Pronounced as fay-tuh-CHEE-nee, this popular pasta variety is traditionally made with eggs and flour. Fettuccine is a flat, thick pasta cut into even sized ribbons. Although fettuccine is best paired with a creamy alfredo sauce, you can experiment and add it to a sauce of your choice.
| Fettuccine (Eggless) | Product Information |
| Price | Rs 329/- |
| Net Weight | 250 gms |
| Ingredients | Organic semolina, Organic processed white flour, Olive oil |
| Shelf life | 3 months from manufacturing |
| Nutrition facts | Calories – 410 kcal |
The instructions to cook the pasta are the same as above. There is a slight difference in the timing. The fettuccine is al-dente in 6-7 minutes. We cooked the pasta as per the instructions on the pack.
We made an Alfredo sauce for the pasta with simple butter, flour, and milk. We seasoned it with some salt, dried herbs, and chili flakes. Although you can add grilled/roasted chicken, mushrooms, broccoli to an alfredo sauce, we did not want to enhance the flavor of the sauce as much. We wanted the pasta to be the hero of the dish.
We tasted the pasta twice – one right after boiling and once when it was turned into a final dish – Fettuccine Alfredo.
What We Like
We love how non-sticky this fettuccine is. It doesn’t become a gloopy mess and retains its bite. The smooth ribbons of the fettuccine take on the sauce extremely well.
Ofcourse, if kept for too long it will become sticky. Which is why it is recommended to boil the pasta, toss it in the sauce immediately and consume it fresh.
Donna Pastaia – Contact Details
Contact Number – WhatsApp +91 9910984903 | Call +91 8595845523
Email Id – info@donnapastaia.com
Website – https://www.donnapastaia.com/
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on Donna Pastaia.
Is the pasta by Donna Pastaia handmade?
Yes. The pasta is completely handmade and dried using traditional methods.
Are all the pastas eggless?
No. Donna Pastaia has a range of eggless and egg pastas. You can choose as per your dietary restrictions.
Although, both the variants we ordered are eggless.
Who are the founders of Donna Pastaia?
Simran Makkar and Kamna Choudhary are the founders of Donna Pastaia.
Which areas does Donna Pastaia deliver in?
Donna Pastaia delivers pan-India.
Final Verdict – Donna Pastaia Handmade Pasta
The handmade pasta by Donna Pastaia have the perfect bite. They do not become sticky or a gooey mess. Neither do they burst open like some commercially packaged pasta do. We love the smooth fettuccine and the firm bite of the conchiglie.
A quick tip! Do not waver from the instructions given on the pack. For perfect cooking of the pasta, adhere to the time frame mentioned.
Which is your favorite pasta to cook with? Which sauce do you love pairing with it? Let us know in the comment section below.
If you do agree with our review, please give it a thumbs up! And, tell us which one is your favorite from this list. If you don’t, please tell us why!
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* Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.
* No part of this review is sponsored by any brand. All expenses were borne by us.
