Although until a few years ago the idea of cooking tortellini in one minute was inconceivable, today it has become a matter of course. This was made possible by developing a technology that can produce an ultra-thin layer of pasta dough that is nonetheless sturdy enough to contain a generous amount of filling. This is just one of the many innovations Gian Luca Rana has introduced since taking the helm of Pastificio Rana.

“A Pastificio Rana product should always astonish with the variety and solutions it offers and at the same time must captivate consumers with its unique taste”, CEO Gian Luca Rana declares. “Research, innovation and quality are an integral part of our DNA. They are crucial ingredients in attaining excellence”.

These words epitomize the philosophy of Gian Luca Rana and Pastificio Rana, a mindset that resulted in the CEO being honored, on 15 October 2018, with the “Premio Eccellenze d’Impresa 2018” award for excellence in business by the Harvard Business Review, Gea – Consulenti di Direzione and Arca Fondi SGR, under the sponsorship of Borsa Italiana.

The award was also bestowed in recognition of the process of internationalization that Gian Luca Rana launched more than fifteen years ago, which today has resulted in the presence of Pastificio Rana and its products in 58 countries around the world. Among these, the greatest and most complex conquest was unquestionably that of the American market. A challenge that was also overcome thanks to technological innovations regarding the packaging in particular: the creation of the stand-up food pouch has enabled the Pastificio’s products to stand out with distinction on the shelves of American supermarket chains.

“Every day, countless new ideas are spawned at Pastificio Rana”, Gian Luca explains, “from the product concept to new recipes, from the search for the best ingredients to ways of preparing them, from the packaging to the constantly changing industrial processes. Every day we try to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone and not just rest on past successes, thereby creating a corporate culture that always looks to the future, with one overriding goal: to prepare fresh products that will stimulate the palates of our consumers throughout the world.”