Americans love their pasta. Now they can savor their favorite Italian dishes and love what they are doing for their hearts as well. Melrose Park, Ill.-based Racconto Imported Italian Foods rolls out Racconto Essentials Pasta. It uniquely combines the delicious, all-natural taste and texture of premium pasta with the CoroWise Naturally Sourced Cholesterol Reducer brand of plant sterols, from Minneapolis-based Cargill. Varieties include: All Natural 8 Whole Grain Rotini, All Natural 8 Whole Grain Penne Rigate, and All Natural 8 Whole Grain Rigatoni. In addition to CoroWise, Racconto Essentials Pasta contains 28 percent of the DV of fiber. Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. In fact, they are backed by an FDA Health Claim that says plant sterols may help to lower LDL cholesterol by up to 15 percent within three-to-four weeks. "Racconto has been providing high quality, all-natural authentic pasta for more than 30 years," says Rod Bambach, vice president, sales, Racconto. "With two-thirds of Americans seeking to buy more fortified foods, we are pleased to respond with Penne Rigate, Rotini and Rigatoni pasta that will satisfy their taste buds as well as their desire to eat more healthfully." And for extra health benefits, Racconto also offers Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce, and Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce, both with 0.4g of CoroWise plant sterols per serving."Cargill is pleased to team up with Racconto to bring these heart-healthy, whole-grain pastas and sauces to America's dinner tables," says Pam Stauffer, global marketing programs & communications manager, Cargill Health & Nutrition. "It's a delicious solution to consumers' number one health concern."