Pasta
The English word pasta generally refers to noodles and other food products made from a flour and water paste, often including also egg and salt. Less frequently, the term macaroni is used for the same products. Pasta can also denote dishes in which pasta products are the primary ingredient, served with sauce or seasonings. The word comes from Italian pasta which means basically "paste", and by extension "dough", "pasta", or "pastry" as in "small cake". As recently as 1918 the English word "paste" was used instead of or alongside the Italian pasta[1]. Today the word "pasta" is reserved for Italian-style noodles in English-speaking countries, while the word "noodle" has a more general meaning. Dried Italian-style pasta is made from durum wheat semolina or flour, which gives it a light yellow color. Asian-style noodles as well as most fresh noodles are made from regular (non-durum) wheat flour. Some pasta varieties, such as Pizzoccheri, are made from buckwheat flour. Gnocchi are often listed among pasta dishes, although they are quite different in ingredients (mainly mashed potatoes) and mode of preparation. Pasta is made either by extrusion, where the ingredients are forced through holes in a plate known as a die, or by lamination, in which dough is kneaded, folded, rolled to thickness, then cut by slitters. Fresh Pasta cooks quickly and has a delicate taste, but spoils quickly due to its high water content. Dry Pasta generally contains about 7% moisture, which makes it shelf stable for about a year.
History
Pasta was developed independently in a number of places around the globe (though some anthropologists dispute this). In each of these places, the local grain was the primary starch in the diet. Grains are normally consumed as a gruel or grain paste. Pasta noodles were developed as an alternative to a gruel or bread. Pasta noodles can be created in places where there is no oven, nor enough fuel to support an oven. In contrast, bread requires a great investment in time and effort to create. Any place you can have something dry, you can have pasta noodles. The earliest known records of noodles in Europe are found on Etruscan tomb decorations from the 4th century BC. It is often (incorrectly) stated that Marco Polo introduced pasta to the West when he brought noodles to Italy from China, but pasta was known in Europe for many centuries before his voyage. Thomas Jefferson is credited with bringing the first macaroni machine to America in 1789 when he returned home after serving as ambassador to France.
Accompaniments Common pasta sauces include pesto (a green sauce, usually from oil and basil), marinara (a red tomato-based sauce), and alfredo (a white cream sauce). In Italy, pasta with sauce (sugo) is often called "pastasciutta" ("asciutta" means "dry," indicating that the pasta is not served in broth).
Pasta varieties The only basic difference between these names is the shape of the pasta.
The most common varieties are in bold.
Shaped PastaCampanelle - small cones (from the Italian for "bell")Casarecci - short lengths rolled into an "S"Cavatelli - sea shell shaped with rolled edgesConchiglie - sea shell shaped Conchiglioni - large stuffable sea shell shapedCreste di galli - short curved and ruffledFarfalle - bow tie or butterfly shaped ImageFarfallone - larger bow tiesFiori - shaped like a flowerFusilli - short lengths of twisted pastaFusilli Bucati - a more spring shaped varietyGemelli - two short stands of pasta twisted togetherGigli - cone or flower shapedGramigna - short curled lengths of pastaLumache - snail shapedLumaconi - jumbo LumacheMaltagliati - flat roughly cut trianglesOrecchiette - bowl or ear shaped pastaPipe - larger versions of macaroniQuadrefiore - square with rippled edgesRadiatori - shaped like radiatorsRicciolini - short wide noodles with a 90-degree twistRotelle - wagon wheel shaped pastaRotini - pasta twisted into a spiralSpiralini - more tightly-coiled fusilliStrozzapreti - rolled across their widthTorchio - torch shapedTrofie - thin twisted pasta
Tubular PastaBucatini - hollow spaghettiCalamarata - wide ring shaped pastaCalamaretti - smaller CalamarataCannelloni - large stuffable tubesCavatappi - "S" shaped macaroniCellentani - corkscrew shaped tubeChifferi - short and wide macaroniElbow macaroni - bent tubesElicoidali - slightly ribbed tube pastaFagioloni - short narrow tubeGarganelli - square egg noodle rolled into a tubeGomiti - wide "C" shaped pastaMacaroni - any narrow tube pastaMaccheroni - longer macaroniMaccheroncelli - hollow pencil shaped pastaMaltagliati - short wide pasta with diagonally cut endsManicotti - large stuffable ridged tubesMezzani - short curved tubeMezze Penne - short version of penneMezzi Bombardoni - wide short tubesMezzi Paccheri - shorter version of paccheriMostaccioli - longer version of pennePaccheri - large tubePasta al ceppo - shaped like a cinnamon stickPenne - medium length tubes with diagonally cut endsPenne rigate - penne with ridged sidesPenne Zita - wider version of pennePennette - short thin version of pennePennoni - wider version of pennePerciatelli - thicker bucatiniRigatoncini - smaller version of rigatoniRigatoni - large and slightly curved tubeSagne Incannulate - long tube formed of twisted ribbonTrenne - penne shaped as a triangleTrennette - smaller version of trenneTortiglioni - narrower rigatoniTuffoli - ridged rigatoniZiti - long narrow hose like tubesZitoni - wider version of Ziti
Strand NoodlesAngel Hair - thinner than vermicelli, thicker than capellini Barbina - thin strands often coiled into nestsCapellini - even thinner than angel hair; thinnest spaghetti-like noodleChitarra - similar to spaghetti, except square rather than roundCiriole - thicker version of chitarraFedelini - thinner than spaghettini, thicker than vermicelloniFusilli lunghi - very long fusilliSpaghetti - long, round, and thin. Thinner than spaghettoni, thicker than spaghettiniSpaghettini - thinner than spaghetti, thicker than fedeliniSpaghettoni - thicker than spaghettiStrangozzi - square in cross sectionVermicelli - thinner than vermicelloni, thicker than angel hairVermicelloni - thinner than fedelini, thicker than vermicelli
Ribbon Pasta NoodlesBavette - narrower version of tagliatelleBavettine - narrower version of bavetteFettuce - wider version of fettuccineFettuccine - ribbon of pasta approximately one centimeter wideFettucelle - narrower version of fettucineLasagne - very wide noodles that often have ridged sidesLasagnette - narrower version of lasagnaLasagnotte - longer version of lasagnaLinguettine - narrower version of linguineLinguine - flattened spaghettiMafalde - short rectangular ribbonsMafaldine - long ribbons with ruffled sidesPappardelle - thick flat ribbonPillus - very thin ribbonsPizzoccheri - ribbon pasta made from buckwheatReginette wide ribbon with rippled edgesSagnarelli - rectangular ribbons with fluted edgesStringozzi - similar to shoelacesTagliatelle - ribbon fairly thinner than fettuccineTaglierini - thinner version of TagliatelleTrenette - thin ribbon ridged on one sideTripoline - thick ribbon ridged on one side
Micro PastaAcini di pepe - small spheres of pastaAlphabets - pasta shaped as letters of the alphabetAnelli - small rings of pastaAnellini - smaller version of anelliChilopitta - a squared-shaped pastaConchigliette - small shell shaped pastaCorallini - small short tubes of pastaCouscous - small granular pastaDitali - small short tubesDitalini - smaller versions of ditaliFarfalline - small bow tie shaped pastaFideos - short thin noodlesFilini - smaller version of fideosFunghini - small mushroom shaped pastaOcchi di pernice - very small rings of pastaOrzo - small rice shaped pastaPearl Pasta - spheres slightly larger than acini di pepeQuadrettini - small flat squares of pastaRisi - smaller version of orzoSeme di melone - small seed shaped pastaStelle - small star shaped pastaStelline - smaller version of stelleStortini - smaller version of elbow macaroniTrachana - star shaped pastaTubetti - longer version of ditaliTubettini - smaller version tubetti
Stuffed PastaRavioliTortellini and Tortelloni
Commercial PastaKraft DinnerSpaghettiO's
See also
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