Elbow macaroni

Warda coudes (size 2, 'Elbow' on the pack) are small curved macaroni made in Sousse, Tunisia, from 100% durum wheat semolina. They cook in six to seven minutes and stay firm. Like the whole range, they come in a red 500 g bag with the rose logo.

In Tunisia and Algeria, elbow pasta is a pasta for simmered dishes: cooked, then folded into a red sauce of tomato paste, harissa and meat, or served with chicken and chickpeas. The hollow, curved shape grips the sauce. It is just as much at home in an oven-baked gratin, a cold salad or a vegetable soup.

Why list it

• Classic shape understood by every shopper, complementing fell and coquillettes.
• Steady rotation all year, not dependent on holidays.
• Short cooking time, valued in quick-service and institutional catering.
• 24 × 500 g bags per case, identical to the rest of the range.

How to use it

Cook the coudes in plenty of salted water for six to seven minutes, drain and sauce immediately. For a Tunisian-style dish, make the harissa tomato sauce first and simmer the meat in it, then stir in the cooked pasta. On the shelf, group the coudes with Warda coquillettes, escargots and fell, close to tomato paste and tinned tuna.