Pasta

By Davide (http://garrubbo.com/author/davide/)
May 16, 2011

(http://garrubbo.com/ii/wpcontent/uploads/Strozzapreti_Pasta.jpg) Marco Polo DID NOT return to Italy with pasta from China. This legend is false. In

fact, pasta was invented by Italians and has become symbolic of their dedication to perfection and pride in the
kitchen.
History of Pasta

Ancient Rome was the birthplace of fresh pasta (pasta fresca),which was made by adding water to semolina-flour.
This vital ingredient is made from durum wheat, a thriving crop in Italys temperate climate. Unlike the dried pasta
found at your local grocery store today, fresh pasta was meant to be eaten immediately. The Arab invasions of Sicily
in the 8th Century are thought to be the origins of dried pasta (pasta secca). At the time, Palermo was producing
mass quantities of the new product. Some Arabian influence can still be found in select recipes, using ingredients
such as raisins and cinnamon.
In the 1300s, dried pasta became very popular for use on long nautical expeditions because of its shelf-life and
nutrition. These voyages contributed to pastas worldwide appeal and led to advances in its form and technology.
Back in Italy, pasta was slowly migrating north to Naples and reached its destination in the 17th Century. A few
historical events boosted pasta to a national icon. It became a kitchen staple during the Risorgimento (Italian
Unification) in the mid 1860s. Italian political and military figure Giuseppe Garibaldi introduced the country toLa
Scienza in cucina e lArte I Mangiar bene, a cookbook written in 1891 by Pellegrino Artusi that featured pasta. Tomato
sauce was introduced to Italy in the 19th Century but was met with skepticism. The tomato, being a member of the
nightshade family, was considered inedible in many regions; fortunately, those rumors were put to rest shortly
thereafter. The last major event to influence pastas early history was the Italian Diaspora, a mass migration of
Italians from their country in the time between the Unification and World War I. These times of hardship led Italians to
take even more pride in refining the art of cooking.
Types of Pasta
There are two major classifications: pastafresca(fresh) and pastasecca(dried). From here, there are more than 400
unique types of pasta: sheets, strips, long strands, cylinders, unique shapes, flavors, and many other local varieties.
There are more names for pasta than the mind can retain, yet all are made from the same basic ingredients 100%
durum wheat and water with a specific percentage of acidity and humidity under Italian law. Varying from the basics,
light flavors and colors can be added to pasta with egg yolk, spinach, tomato paste, chocolate, and even squid ink.
Each of these pastas creates its own unique dining experience when properly served. Another crucial aspect of the
experience is pasta being married with an appropriate, complimentary sauce. The individual shape and texture given
to pasta can be somewhat of a code in determining the proper sauce. A simple rule of thumb would be as follows:
thick pasta = thick sauce, light pasta = light sauce.
Pasta fresca, the starting point of all pastas, is created with higher humidity, and some types only exist in this
category. Variations can often be regional. Northern Italy is known to use all-purpose flour and eggs, while southern
Italy uses the standard semolina and water mixture. Reputed to have the best pasta fresca in Italy, the EmiliaRomagna region often serves fresh pasta with cream sauces. Another regional variation could be found in Piedmont
where butter and black truffles are a common ingredient. Other ingredients vary, from potatoes to ricotta.

Special
tools are used when makingDescription
dried pasta. First, the pasta is forced through holesTranslation
in a die-plate and onto
Name
sheets for cutting. The next step is drying. Pasta secca is only considered real pasta if it is made in the proper Italian
way, slow-drying it for upwards of fifty hours in a copper mold, and then in the open air. The rest of the world usually
dries pasta in steel molds at extremely high temperatures for short periods of time, resulting in an inferior product.
Italians take pride in their method and can be proud of a smoother tasting, quicker cooking pasta that can hold on to
its sauce.

Shapes of Pasta
The following table maps out the various shapes and forms of pasta:

Unique Shapes
Name

Description
Flattened bell-shaped pasta with a frilly edge on one
Campanelle
end
Short convex ovals resembling an open empty pea
Capunti
pod
Casarecce
Short lengths rolled into an S shape
Cavatelli
Short, solid lengths
Cencioni
Petal shaped, slightly curved with rough convex side
Conchiglie
Seashell shaped
Conchiglioni Large, stuffable seashell-shaped
Corzetti
Flat figure-eight stamped
Creste di Galli Short, curved and ruffled
Croxetti
Flat coin-shaped discs stamped with coats of arms
Panda-shaped bow-ties commonly served with boiled
Fantolioni
olives
Farfalle
Bow tie or butterfly shaped
Farfallone
Larger bowties
Fiorentine
Grooved cut tubes
Fiori
Shaped like a flower
Foglie d
ulivo Shaped like an olive leaf
Fusilli

Three-edged spiral, usually in mixed colors. Many

vendors and brands sold as fusilli are two-edged

Fusilli Bucati A spring-shaped variety of the above

A single S-shaped strand of pasta twisted in a loose
Gemelli
spiral
Gigli
Cone or flower shaped
Round in shape and often made with flour plus
Gnocchi
potatoes
Gramigna
Short, curled lengths of pasta
Lanterne
Curved ridges
Lumache
Snail-shaped
Lumaconi
Jumbo lumache
Maltagliati
Flat roughly cut triangles
Designed by Philippe Starck in 1987 for French pastaMandala
maker Panzani
Designed by Giorgetto Guigiaro in 1983 like a rolling
Marille
ocean wave in cross-section with internal rugosities,
but unsuccessful and no longer produced
Orecchiette Bowl or ear shaped pasta
Pipe
Larger version of macaroni
Quadrefiore Square with rippled edges
Radiatore
Shaped like radiators
Ricciolini
Short wide pasta with a 90-degree twist
Ricciutelle
Short spiraled pasta
Rotelle
Wagon wheel-shaped pasta
2-edged spiral, tightly wound. Some vendors and
Rotini
brands are 3-edged and sold as rotini
Spirali
A tube which spirals round
Spiralini
More tightly-coiled fusilli
Strangolapreti Rolled across their width

Translation
Little bells

From casereccio meaning homemade

From the verb cavare meaning to hollow
Little rags
Shells
Large shells
Cocks
combs
Little crosses
Pre-packaged pandas
Butterflies
Large butterfly
Florentine
Little flowers
Olive leaf
From fusile, archaic/dialect form of fucile,
meaning rifle. As the inside barrel of a gun is
rifled using a similar screw-shaped device
Holed rifles
Twins
Lilies
From the Italian gnocco, meaning a knot in
wood
Scutch-grass; more generically, infesting weed
Lantern holders
From lumaca, meaning snail
Large snails
Badly cut
Design based on compensating for overcooking
From mare, meaning
sea
Little ears
Smoking pipes
Flower quadrants
Radiator
From riccio, curly
From riccio, curly
Little wheels (from ruota-wheel)
Spirals
Little spirals
Priest-chokers or priest-stranglers

Name
Name
Torchio
Trofie

Description
Description
Description
Torch-shaped
Thin twisted pasta

Winepress

Translation
Translation
Translation

Tubular Pasta
Name
Bucatini
Calamarata
Calamaretti
Cannelloni
Cavatappi
Cellentani
Chifferi
Ditalini
Fideua
Gomito
Maccheroni

Description
Translation
Hollow spaghetti
Little holes
Wide ring shaped pasta
Squid (also known as calamari)
Smaller Calamarata
Large stuffable tubes
Big pipes or reeds
Corkscrew-shaped macaroni
Corkscrews; also known as Cellentani and Spirali
Corkscrew-shaped tube
Short and wide macaroni
Short tubes, like elbows but shorter and without a
Small fingers
bend
Short and thin tubes
Bent tubes

Elbow macaroni

Slightly ribbed tube pasta; the ribs are corked as

Helicoidal
opposed to those on rigatoni
Fagioloni
Short narrow tube
Little beans
Garganelli
Square egg noodle rolled into a tube
Maccheroni
As long as a little finger, usually striped
Maccheroncelli Hollow pencil-shaped pasta
Maltagliati
Short wide pasta with diagonally cut ends
Roughly cut
Manicotti
Large ridged tubes that are stuffed
Sleeves, from the Italian word manica
Mezzani Pasta Short curved tube
From Mezzo meaning half-size
Mezze Penne Short version of penne
Half-pens
Mezze
Short, wide tubes
Half bombards
Bombardoni
Sometimes mistakenly used as another name for
Penne, Mostaccioli differ in that they do not have
Mostaccioli
Mustaches
ridges. Mostaccioli are also called Penne Lisce or
smooth penne
Paccheri
Large tube
Pasta al
Shaped like a cinnamon stick
Ceppo
Medium length tubes with ridges, cut diagonally at Literally pens because the tip is similar to that of
Penne
both ends
a quill, or fountain pen
Penne Rigate Penne with ridged sides
Penne Lisce
Penne with smooth sides
Penne Zita
Wider version of penne
Pennette
Short thin version of penne
Pennoni
Wider version of penne
Perciatelli
Thicker bucatini
From the verb Perciare meaning
Hollow inside
Rigatoncini
Smaller version of rigatoni
From riga, meaning line: rigatoni is pasta with lines
(large). Rigato or rigate, when added to another
Rigatoni
Large and slightly curved tube
pasta name means lined, or, with ridges added, as
in spaghetti rigati
Sagne
Long tube formed of twisted ribbon
Incannulate
Trenne
Penne shaped as a triangle
Trennette
Smaller version of trenne
From the verb Torcere meaning
to twist.
Twisted,
Tortiglioni
Narrower rigatoni
wringed
Tuffoli
Ridged rigatoni
Ziti
Long, narrow hose-like tubes
Zitoni
Wider version of Ziti
Elicoidali

Strand Pasta
Name

Description

Translation

Name
Name
Name
Spaghettoni
Spaghetti
Spaghettini
Fedelini
Vermicelloni
Vermicelli
Capellini
Capellini
d
angelo

Description
DescriptionDescription
Description
Thick spaghetti

Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Thick little twine
Spago means twine, spaghetto means little twine, spaghetti
Most common round-rod pasta
is plural
Thin spaghetti
Thin little twine
Between spaghetti and vermicelli in size Little faithful ones
Thick vermicelli
Thick little worms
Thicker than capellini, thinner than
Little worms
fedelini
Thinner than vermicelli, thicker than
Fine hair
angel hair
Thinnest round-rod pasta

Angel hair

In order of thickest to thinnest.

Various Strand Pasta

Name

Description
Thin strands often coiled into
Barbina
nests
Similar to spaghetti, except
Spaghetti
square rather than round, and
alla
made of egg in addition to
Chitarra
flour
Ciriole
Thicker version of chitarra
Fusilli
Very long coiled rods (like a
Lunghi thin telephone cord)
Pici
Very thick, long, hand rolled

Translation
Little beards
Named after the device used to cut the pasta, which has a wooden frame
strung with metal wires. Sheets of pasta are pressed down onto the device,
and then the wires are strummed so that the slivers of pasta fall through
Long rifles

Ribbon Pasta
Name
Description
Translation
Bavette
Narrower version of tagliatelle
Little thread
Bavettine
Narrower version of bavette
Fettuce
Wider version of fettuccine
Ribbons
Fettuccine
Ribbon of pasta approximately 6.5 millimeters wide Little ribbons
Fettucelle
Narrower version of fettuccine
Lagane
Wide noodles
Lasagne
Very wide noodles that often have fluted edges
Cooking pot
Lasagnette
Narrower version of lasagne
Lasagnotte
Longer version of lasagna
Linguettine
Narrower version of linguine
Linguine
Flattened spaghetti
Little tongues
Mafalde
Short rectangular ribbons
Mafaldine
Long ribbons with ruffled sides
Pappardelle
Thick flat ribbon
Pillus
Very thin ribbons
Pizzoccheri
Ribbon pasta made from buckwheat
Reginette
Wide ribbon with rippled edges
Little queens
Sagnarelli
Rectangular ribbons with fluted edges
Sciatelli of Sciatelli Home-made long spaghetti with a twisted long spiral
Stringozzi
Similar to shoelaces
From stringhe, meaning shoestrings
Tagliatelle
Ribbon fairly thinner than fettucine
From tagliare to cut
Taglierini
Thinner version of Tagliatelle
Trenette
Thin ribbon ridged on one side
Tripoline
Thick ribbon ridged on one side

Micro Pasta
Name
Acini di Pepe
Anelli
Anellini

Description
Bead-like pasta
Small rings of pasta
Smaller version of Anelli

Translation
Peppercorns
Rings
Little rings

Name
Name
Conchigliette
Corallini
Ditali
Ditalini
Farfalline
Fideos

DescriptionDescription
Small shell shaped pasta
Small short tubes of pasta
Small short tubes
Smaller version of Ditali
Small bow tie shaped pasta
Short thin pasta

Filini

Smaller version of Fideos

Fregula
Bead-like pasta from Sardinia
Funghini
Small mushroom shaped pasta
Ochi di Pernice Very small rings of pasta
Orzo
Rice shaped pasta, also
Risoni
Small spheres about the same size or smaller than Acini di
Pastina
Pepe
Pearl Pasta
Spheres slightly larger than Acini di Pepe
Quadrettini
Small flat squares of pasta
Risi
Smaller version of Orzo
Seme di
Small seed shaped pasta
Melone
Stelle
Small star-shaped pasta
Stelline
Smaller version of Stelle
Stortini
Smaller version of elbow macaroni
Trachana
Granular, irregular shaped pasta of Greek origin

Translation Translation
Little shells
Little corals
Thimbles
Little thimbles
Either bowties or little butterflies
Thin threads; (from filo, meaning
thread)
Little mushrooms
Partridge
s eyes
Barley
Little pasta
Little squares
Little rice
Melon seeds
Stars
Little stars
Little crooked ones

Stuffed Pasta
Name

Description
Semi-circular pockets; can be stuffed with ricotta or mix of cheese and meats or pureed
Agnolotti
vegetables
Cannelloni Oven cooked, stuffed rolls of pasta
A semi-circular stuffed pasta, specifically associated with the style alla bergamasca, which is
Casoncelli stuffed with a mixture of bread crumbs, egg, cheese, ground beef, salami, raisins, Amaretti
biscuits, pear, and garlic
A purse or bundle of pasta, made from a round of dough gathered into a ball-shaped bundle,
Fagottini
often stuffed with ricotta and fresh pear
Mezzelune Semi-circular pockets; about 2.5 in. diameter
Occhi di
A large, penne shaped pasta that is stuffed
Lupo
Panzerotti Pasta made from eggs cheese and flour
Pelmeni
Meat-filled dumplings, usually served in broth
Pierogi
Dumplings filled with meat, vegetables, cheese or fruit
Ravioli

Square. About 3x3cm. Stuffed with cheese, ground meat, pureed vegetables, or mixtures
thereof

Sacchettini
Tortellini Ring-shaped. Stuffed with a mixture of meat and cheese
Tortelloni Larger version of Tortellini

Copyright 2013 Garrubbo Guide. All Rights Reserved

| Glossary (http://garrubbo.com/food-wine/glossary/)

Translation
Lambs
ears
Big tubes

Little purses
Half-moons
Eyes of the
Wolf

Possibly
from rapa,
turnip
Little sacks