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Pasta Glossary |
A bit about the
types of pasta we make |
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Bucatini - Originating in
central Italy, bucatini came derived
from "buco" which means hole.
Bucatini are strands of pasta with a
thin, drinking straw-like hole down
the center. Bucatini originated in
central Italy.
Cannelloni - Often confused
with manicotti. Both are stuffed,
baked pasta dishes. The difference
is that manicotti is stuffed,
pre-formed tubes, while cannelloni
are rectangular sheets of pasta
dough that are filled and rolled
into tube shapes. Both are stuffed
with a filling and baked. Cannelloni
is Italian for “large reeds.”
Fettuccine - Fettuccine,
which some say originated in Rome,
is made from flat sheets of pasta
cut into ribbon-shape strands (fettucce,
or “small ribbons”). It is one of
the most popular pasta shapes. Wider
than the other popular flat shape,
linguine, this basic noodle provides
a better surface for catching
sauce.One of the best known pasta
dishes, Fettuccine Alfredo, is made
with a rich sauce prepared with
butter, cream and
Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese. Fettuccine is similar to
tagliatelle, the flat pasta from the
northern Italian region of
Emilia-Romagna, but are narrower.
The alternative spelling and
pronunciation, fettuccini, is an
Americanization.
Fusilli - Fusilli (meaning
“little spindles” in Italian) is a
pasta in spiral shapes. Each region
has its own “twist” on what we call
corkscrews. Some are very long, some
just half an inch, some are tightly
wound, some less so. Corkscrew-like
twists are an excellent cut for
vegetable, cream and cheese sauces.
Short-cut fusilli make excellent
pasta salads and baked pasta.
Shells - The conch shell is
one of the more popular shapes of
pasta. Jumbo shells can be stuffed
with everything from basic ricotta,
luxurious crab or fusion flavors
like taco or Thai fillings. Small
shells are a perfect everyday pasta
for sauce, soups, salads or macaroni
and cheese (more charming than
elbows).
Lasagna - These wide, flat
sheets of pasta were originally made
by the Romans, who called them
laganum. Lasagna comes from “lasanum”
the Latin word for pot. Lasagne
later came to refer to the specific
layered-type baked dish we know
today, with the long flat, pasta
sheets alternating with minced meat,
cheese and tomatoes. The modern
lasagna noodle is two inches wide,
and sometimes has ruffled edges, or
is made with spinach pasta. A
proliferation of modern recipes
includes vegetable lasagnas, “white”
lasagnas, goat cheese lasagnas, etc.
Linguine - Originating in the
Liguria region of northern Italy,
linguine, Italian for “little
tongues,” is a narrow, flat version
of round spaghetti. It is a narrower
version of fettuccine. Linguine is
often paired with white or red clam
sauce, butter and cheese or cream
sauces; but it is so versatile that
it works with almost any type of
pasta sauce.
Pappardelle - The classic
broad egg noodle (about 3/4" wide),
originally from Tuscany. Pappardelle
are most commonly served with meat
sauces, especially those from game
meats like hare or wild boar.
Penne - Penne is one of the
most famous and popular pasta
shapes, a specialty of the Campania
region in southern Italy. The
Italian word for “quills” or feather
pens, penne are large (2 inch),
straight tubes cut on the diagonal,
to resemble the point of a quill.
They can be ridged to better hold
the sauce. Penne is one of the most
versatile cuts: it compliments most
types of sauce, both creamy and
heavy, plus oven-baked dishes.
Spaghettini - A very thin
spaghetti, but thicker than
vermicelli. It is popular in
Southern Italy, where it is often
served with spicy sauces.
Spaghettoni - Thick
spaghetti, preferred in central and
southern Italy, where they eat their
pasta more al dente (firmly cooked)
than in northern Italy. In Puglia,
it is typically served with olive
oil and fresh garlic.
Tagliatelle - Tagliatelle are
the classic thin egg noodle of
Italy. This cut originated in
Emilia-Romagna, the region that also
gave us balsamic vinegar,
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and
prosciutto di Parma. These flat
ribbons of pasta are slightly
thicker than fettuccine. This type
of pasta is wide enough to hold a
heavy sauce; yet, it is is also
delicate enough to serve with a
creamy sauce.
Tagliarini - A narrower
version of tagliatelle, tagliarini
is a flat, wide egg pasta.
Tagliarini is a lot like angel hair
pasta.
Tripolini - Our tripolini is
a long wavy noodle about the same as
fettuccine. It is very light and
buttery. |
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