08.03.2016
Before moving on to the types, I’ll tell you what pasta is.
Pasta(pasta or pasta) - a yellow product made from dried or fresh dough. Dough for classic macarons made from wheat flour and water.
For my recipes I choose only pasta from durum wheat. Such pasta only brings benefits.
What is the difference between pasta made from soft flour and pasta made from hard flour?
From which pasta won't your butt grow?
How to buy high-quality pasta without overpaying for Italian roots?
Answers to these and other questions in the article
.
Pasta is made not only from wheat flour. For example, to make, or funchose, when making pasta, instead of or together with wheat, buckwheat or rice flour is added, as well as starch, which is obtained from beans.
You can distinguish the states in which pasta occurs.
So there are three types of pasta:
-
Dry
Classic dry pasta that you can buy in the store. It is stored from six months to three years. -
Fresh
Paste in the form of undried dough. It can be stored for one or two days, but is mostly cooked immediately after preparation. -
Full
Ready-made pasta, seasoned with filling, sauce, and seasonings. Eaten right away. Doesn't last long.
In Italy, the dried product made from flour and water was called “dough” (Italian: Pasta). The Russian name “pasta” comes from the Greek “makaria”, which means “food from barley flour" Over time, the name was assigned to the entire group of pasta products.
Pasta has become widespread throughout the world and has become the culinary base for many recipes. Pasta dishes are popular in and cuisine.
Different shapes and types of pasta
The types and types of pasta (pasta) vary:
- Shape;
- Length;
- Color;
- Thickness;
- Type of flour;
- Ingredients included;
- Cooking time until done;
- The ability to absorb and retain sauce on the surface;
All these parameters divide pasta into hundreds of varieties. Certain types are familiar only to a close circle of culinary specialists and are prepared in expensive restaurants or in households. Other types of pasta are famous and in demand all over the world.
Various forms of paste were invented to retain and distribute various sauces, gravies and juices of meat, fish or vegetables over its surface. Many varieties of pasta were made specifically to be served with a specific type of sauce or dish.
Some types and forms of pasta
In 2015, I started compiling a list of types of pasta. Still can't complete it and bring it to its logical conclusion. But I’m not abandoning the topic.
The list of types of pasta and recipes for them is in a state of completion.
Separately, I note that the cooking time indicated in the descriptions is approximate. Before cooking pasta, check the instructions on the package.
To pasta didn't stick together after cooking,
I recommend reading about .
You will also learn what is “al dente”?
How and how long to cook long and short pasta?
When is it a sin to wash pasta, and when is it not so bad?
Before going to the store, keep in mind that pasta in recipes can be easily replaced with a similar type from the same group.
You can determine the size of pasta by its name, and specifically by its Italian ending:
- -oni- large
- -ette or -etti- small
- -ini- small
Types of pasta can be divided according to shape into 6 categories:
Type of pasta (pasta)
Capellini (Italian: Capellini)
Definition, Shape and Size
Capellini is a long and extremely thin pasta. One of the thinnest types of pasta.
The approximate thickness of the pasta is 0.9 - 1.1 mm.
Size of capellini pasta
Description and history
Capellini originated in north central Italy. Translated from Italian, “capellino” means hair or thin hair.
Due to its thin shape, this type of dry paste is nicknamed “Venus hair” (Italian: Capelvenere). But the Italians made a paste that is even thinner. They called it “Capelli d’angelo” (Italian: Capelli d’angelo), which translates to “angel hair”.
Peculiarities
Despite the fact that the pasta strands look quite fragile, cappellini do not break when added to boiling water and hold their shape well after cooking.
Traditionally, capellini pasta is made from coarse durum wheat flour. This gives the thin, long pasta a beautiful golden color.
What does it go with and how is it served?
Capellini is perfect with light sauces or soups.
In Italy, it is popular to serve it in the form of nests, in the middle of which a filling of meat and vegetables is placed, and then poured over with sauce. In the vicinity of Naples, capellini is used in meat and vegetable casseroles and break into soups.
Boiled capellini with vegetables and pepper. Source pccmarkets.com
How long to cook
until ready: 3 minutes.
"al dente": 2 minutes.
Recipes with Capellini pasta
Vermicelli (Italian: Vermicelli;)
Form:
A long and fairly thin paste with a round cross-section (from 1.4 mm to 2 mm in diameter).
Description:
This type of dry pasta is rightfully considered one of the ancient ones. The first mention of vermicelli dates back to the beginning of 1338. While famous cook Barnaba da Reatinis, who wrote the book “Collection of the Properties of Products,” captured in his notes how widely this type of pasta became widespread in the northern part of Italy. In each region, vermicelli was called differently: “orati” in Bologna, “minutelli” in Venice, “fermentini” in Reggio Emilia and “pancardelli” in Mantova.
Translated into Russian, the word “Vermicelli” means “worms”.
Peculiarities:
The appearance is reminiscent of classic spaghetti, but the vermicelli is smaller in length and width. It is also produced in the form of “nests” and in broken form.
Combined and served:
Traditionally served with light tomato sauces or sauces based on fish or seafood. Vermicelli is also great for salads, and also goes well with vegetable sauce with the addition of zucchini, eggplant and sweet peppers.
Cooking time: 14 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 12 min.
Recipes for dishes with Vermicelli:
Spaghetti (Italian: Spaghetti)
Form: A long and thin paste with a round cross-section (from 1.8 mm to 2 mm in diameter).
Description: Without a doubt, spaghetti is an unspoken symbol of Italian cuisine and the most famous and popular type of pasta all over the world.
This format of long dry pasta was originally prepared in the south of Italy, in cities such as Naples, Genoa and Liguria.
One of the first official mentions in the history of the appearance of spaghetti was the name “spaghetto” recorded in the first dictionary of the Italian language, under the authorship of Nicolo Tommaseo and Bernardo Bellini in 1819. The word “spaghetto” was a diminutive derivative of the word “spago” (Italian Spago), which meant twine or twine in translation, and was described in the context: “spaghetti soup is a pasta product, the size of a small rope and as long as sopracapellini.
On April 1, 1957, the British television channel BBC presented a documentary film to the general public. Everything would be fine if not for one “but”, this story told how, thanks to many years of work by agronomists, it was possible to grow pasta of the same length and thickness on a pasta tree. Not everyone appreciated the humor, and the next day after the broadcast, great amount calls from those who wanted to buy pasta trees.
Peculiarities: A universal type of pasta.
Initially, the length of spaghetti was about 50 cm. Nowadays, for comfortable cooking, the length has been reduced to approximately 24-27 cm, but on store shelves you can find spaghetti of the old size or order it on the Internet, for example, .
Combined and served: With its optimal thickness, spaghetti is considered a universal type of pasta. They combine perfectly with both rich and thick sauces based on tomatoes or fish, as well as with tender and light creamy sauces based on cream, soft and hard cheeses, seafood.
Cooking time: 12 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 10 min.
Recipes for dishes with Spaghetti:
Spaghettini (Italian: Spaghettini)
Form: Long and thin paste with a round cross-section (from 1.63 to 1.70 mm). Thinner compared to spaghetti.
Description: Dry long pasta originally from Southern Italy, and more specifically from the city of Naples
Peculiarities: A universal type of pasta.
Combined and served: Traditionally, light sauces based on olive oil are served along with Spaghettini, so as not to weigh down its elegance. Connoisseurs of good cuisine do not recommend using cheese with them, including sprinkling with grated Parmesan, but recommend this format of pasta different lungs savory sauces that are typical of the South of Italy.
Ideal in combination with a variety of seafood, with the addition of olives, which together form an interesting and appetizing harmony of taste of Mediterranean cuisine. Also, hot and cold sauces from fresh tomatoes, various vegetables and herbs.
Cooking time: 9 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 7 min.
Recipes for dishes with Spaghettini (Italian: Spaghettini):
Spaghettoni (Italian: Spaghettoni)
Form: A long and thin paste with a round cross-section.
Description: Spaghettoni is a long dry pasta that is similar to classic spaghetti, but has a larger diameter. There are also varieties of this pasta that are 2 times the length of spaghetti. This enlarged view looks more impressive when serving a dish, and is also more filling.
Peculiarities: Despite its greater thickness, this type of pasta retains the length and flexibility of classic spaghetti. A universal type of pasta.
Combined and served: Spaghetti goes great with various sauces, from light to the most sophisticated.
They amazingly reveal and emphasize the taste of rich sauces, for example, fish, and also spicy ones with a pronounced taste and aroma of garlic and red pepper.
This type of paste is also well suited for preparing dishes with pumpkin flowers, with sauce made from lamb or beef, chicken liver or offal or shellfish. That is, by and large, this type of pasta, like spaghetti, is a fairly universal type of pasta.
Cooking time: 13 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 11 min.
Recipes for dishes with Spaghettoni: -
Bucatini (Italian: Bucatini)
Form: A long paste (approximately 25-30 cm), similar in appearance to a straw. The shape is similar to long and straight tubes with a thickness of 0.98 to 1.08 mm and a diameter of 3-4 mm. and about 3-4 mm wide.
Description: Bucatini, also known as Perchatelli, first appeared in Naples and belongs to the long dry pasta group. Translated, “bucato” means pierced or full of holes.
Outwardly, they resemble thick spaghetti, but with a hollow core.
Bucatini is often served throughout the province of Lazio, and is especially popular in Rome.
Peculiarities: A type of pasta with a hollow center.
Combined and served: The most suitable sauce for bucatini is considered to be with loin and tomatoes.
Also goes well with this type of pasta vegetable dressings, made from tomato sauce with sweet peppers, eggplant, zucchini, olives and a little capers.
In Italian cuisine, this pasta is often served with meat, vegetables, cheese, eggs and anchovies.
Cooking time: 11 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 9 min.
Recipes for dishes with Bucatini (Italian: Bucatini):
Maccheroncini (Italian: Maccheroncini)
Form: A long and thin paste with a round cross-section. Larger in size than Bucatini.
Description: Maccheroncini is a long dry pasta that is a creative interpretation of the pasta format Maccheroni, one of the most popular pasta varieties in Italy.
The Maccheroncini shape opens up scope for culinary imagination. On the one hand, they have the standard length of classic spaghetti, on the other hand they have a hollow core, more typical of short types of pasta.
Peculiarities: A unique combination of properties of long and short paste. A type of pasta with a hollow center.
Combined and served: Thanks to its structure, Maccheroncini will perfectly pair with both thick meat and fish sauces, and with light vegetable dressings.
You can also serve them with light tomato sauces, flavored with oregano and basil.
Cooking time: 8-9 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 7 min.
Recipes for dishes with Maccheroncini (Italian: Maccheroncini):
Bavette (Italian: Bavette)
Form: Long and relatively thin paste. Similar to spaghetti, but differs in its flattened shape.
Description: Bavette is a long, dry, thin noodle-like pasta. This type of pasta was first made on the northern coast of the Ligurian Sea in one of the smallest regions of Italy - Liguria.
Peculiarities: With the help of its compressed shape, the paste retains the sauce well on the surface and allows it to reveal the full palette of taste and aroma of the dish.
Combined and served: Bavettes will be excellent even if prepared and served simply sprinkled with hard grated cheese. Either way, this type of pasta goes great with Pesto Genovese (pesto sauce), with its rich basil flavor and rich cheese flavor.
Bavette will also be great served in a seafood sauce.
By and large, this type of pasta is universal and goes well with many vegetable or fish sauces with which long pasta is served.
Cooking time: 12 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 10 minutes.
Recipes with Bavette (Bavette):
Linguine (Italian: Linguine)
Form: Long thin paste. Also “nests”, but small. In appearance it resembles thin strips with a thickness of 1.4 mm to 1.60 mm. Closer in shape to spaghetti, but differ in that they are slightly flattened.
Description: Linguine (Italian: Linguine, translated as tongues) is a classic Italian pasta in the form of thin strips of large format noodles, originally from the Tyrrhenian Sea coast of the administrative region of Naples - the Campania region (Italian: Campania).
Peculiarities: Similar to spaghetti, but different in flatness. They are also produced in the form of “nests”.
Combined and served: The combination of Linguine with sauces based on fresh tomatoes provides an excellent taste effect. Also a good combination to this pasta would be adding fresh vegetables And hot sauce with garlic and fish.
This pasta format is also excellent in sauces with the addition of seafood and shellfish, creamy sauces based on cream or mascarpone cheese.
Linguine is often served with seafood or pesto sauce.
Cooking time: 12 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 10 min.
Recipes for dishes with Linguine (Italian: Linguine): -
Fettuccine (Italian: Fettuccine)
Form: In our opinion, like Tagliatelle, it is also one of the types of “nests” of pasta. Thin long and flat strips of dough about 7-8 mm wide. The pasta is similar to Tagliatelle, but is wider. Woven into peculiar “nests”.
Description: Fettuccine is one of the popular types of pasta in Rome. This product of Italian cuisine acquired its name due to its external resemblance to ribbons, from the Italian “Fettuccia”, which means “ribbon”.
Typically, in Italy, fresh or homemade noodles are used to make this type of pasta, however, in Italian markets you can buy pre-dried “nests”.
This type of pasta is extremely popular in the USA, especially the most famous “Italian” dish is “Fettucine Alfredo”, which is practically unknown in Italy. This dish was invented in Italy by the owner of a Roman restaurant, Alfredo Di Lelio. It is noteworthy that in Italy this recipe was not widely spread and was not included in the section of traditional national cuisine.
Outside of Italy, this dish has become very popular and has also become a kind of sign of good life in Rome. Numerous American tourists arriving in Italy look for restaurants where they can enjoy “real” Fettuccine and are often disappointed by the lack of this dish.
Peculiarities: The rough and slightly porous texture of the paste, combined with the optimal width of the noodles, flawlessly holds the sauce on its surface, allowing it to maximize all shades of taste.
Combined and served: The delicate taste of thinly rolled dough can be complemented by bold notes of savory tomato and fish sauces.
Fettuccine is also served with light sauces made from fresh vegetables, herbs and shrimp.
Cooking time: 6-7 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 5-6 min.
Recipes for dishes with Fettuccine:
Tagliatelle (Italian: Tagliatelle)
Form: Pasta "nests". Long flat paste 6.5 mm - 10 mm wide. The shape is very similar to Fettuccine, but differs in the smaller width of the dough strips. Woven into peculiar “nests”.
Description: Tagliatelle (Italian tagliatelle, from Italian Tagliare, which means “to cut”) is a traditional long dry Italian pasta with the addition of eggs, originally from the Emilia-Romagna region. One of the varieties of tagliatelle egg noodles is pizzoccheri (Italian: Pizzoccheri) - flat noodles that consist of 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour.
According to legend, tagliatelle was invented by the Italian chef Zafiran in 1487 during the Renaissance. The romantic and virtuoso chef was inspired by the blonde and curly hair of Lucrezia Borgia and created pasta in honor of her engagement to Alfonso I d'Este. This type of pasta was given the name Tagliolini di pasta e sugo, alla maniera di Zafiran (tagliolini from dough with sauce according to Zafiran's recipe) and served in silver dishes.
In 1972, the Academy of Italian Cuisine and the Order of Tortellino solemnly and officially recorded in the Bologna Chamber of Commerce and Industry the recipe for making tagliatelle and certified their width as 8 mm, and specifically it was supposed to be 0.01227th part of the height of the Asinelli Tower (Torre degli Asinelli ).
Nowadays, Tagliatelle can be considered a typical pasta of the North of Italy, the city of Bologna (Italian: Bologna). She became a kind of personification of the city.
Peculiarities: Due to the porous and rough texture and flat shape Tagliatelle holds any sauce well on its surface. Very often they are produced in the form of “nests”.
Combined and served: This type of pasta goes well with thick sauces made from beef, veal, pork and rabbit.
Tagliatelle also goes well with cream cheese mascarpone, bolognese sauce or variety of sauces from fish.
Cooking time: 6-7 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 5-6 min.
Recipes for dishes with Tagliatelle (Italian: Tagliatelle): -
Pappardelle (Italian: Pappardelle)
Form: the same “nests” of pasta, only larger ones. A long paste in the form of a flat ribbon of dry noodles about 12-13 mm wide.
The width of fresh pasta can reach 20-30 mm.
Description: Pappardelle is one of the widest types of flat egg pasta. Originating from the administrative center of Florence - Tuscany (Italian: Toscana). The Italian verb “pappare” gives the name to these noodles, translated it means “eat joyfully and with pleasure.”
Peculiarities: Pappardelle is often cooked only until the moment when they just become soft, after which they are taken out of the pan, huge “nests” are added to the sauce and only then wait until they are ready. This way, the wide pasta absorbs the sauce better and becomes even more appetizing and aromatic.
Also Pappardelle are the largest of all long egg paste formats
Combined and served: In Tuscany, there are 2 classic recipes for Pappardelle: with rabbit or hare stew and with stewed duck sauce.
However, this type of pasta goes well with beans or mushrooms.
Pappardelle will also harmonize perfectly with fish and vegetable sauces, as well as with shrimp or lobster with spinach.
Cooking time: 7-8 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 6-7 min.
Recipes for dishes with Pappardelle (Italian: Pappardelle): -
Mafaldine (Italian: Mafaldine)
Form: Long ribbon-like paste with wavy edges. The width of the pasta is about 14 mm, the thickness of the smooth part is from 0.9 to 1 mm, and the thickness of the wavy part is approximately 1.3 to 1.4 mm. The shape of Mafaldine is similar to a long ribbon with wavy edges.
Description: Mafaldine is a dry, long paste with characteristic wavy edges. This type of pasta was invented in Naples and was called at that time “rich fettuccelle”.
Mafaldine were made in honor of Princess Mafalda Maria Elisabetta Anna Romana of Savoy and were named "Reginette" (Italian: Reginette, which means "queen") or "Mafaldine" in her honor. Similar to the wavy lace that was used to trim the Queen’s outfits, these macarons can truly be considered “royal”.
Peculiarities: After cooking, they have a characteristic and uneven consistency, varying on the smooth and wavy parts of the paste. Another feature of this type of pasta is the ability to “save” the added sauce on the surface of the wavy part.
A universal type of pasta.
Combined and served: Mafaldine is very suitable for holiday dishes.
This type of pasta is quite versatile in preparation; it can be seasoned with game sauces, fish sauces based on seafood, as well as creamy sauces based on soft cheeses with spices such as curry, saffron or ginger.
Cooking time: 9 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 7 min.
Recipes for dishes with Mafaldine: -
Short pasta
Fusilli (Italian: Fusilli)
Form: Represents 3 dough blades connected and twisted in a spiral. It is approximately 6 to 15 mm wide, 40 to 70 mm long, and about 10 mm in diameter.
Description: Fusilli (Italian Fusilli, translated as small spirals) is a traditional Italian spiral-shaped pasta made from durum wheat.
In the old days, Fusilli was made by hand and this craft was passed down according to tradition from mother to daughter. The paste was quickly twisted around a knitting needle. Due to the external similarity of this movement to the spinning of thread, this type of pasta is called Fusilli, from the Italian word “Fuso”, which means “spindle” for spinning wool.
Peculiarities: Fusilli are sometimes dyed in different colors using natural dyes such as spinach or beets. Thanks to its swirled shape, this paste perfectly holds any sauce on its surface.
One of universal species short pasta.
Combined and served: Fusilli goes well with all types of sauces. This pasta opens up many possibilities for culinary experiments. Meat and cream sauces, as well as sauces based on cheeses, tomatoes with the addition of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, olives, etc., all go perfectly with Fusilli. They can also be used in preparing salads.
Cooking time: 11 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 9-10 minutes.
Recipes for dishes with Fusilli (Italian: Fusilli):
Penne rigate (Italian: Penne rigate), in our language “feathers”.
Form: Short pasta with diagonal cuts and a ribbed surface. The diameter is about 8-10 mm, the length is 35-40 mm and the thickness is from 1.2 to 1.3 mm.
Description: Penne Rigate is one of the most commonly consumed short pasta formats in Italy. This type of pasta got its name for its external similarity to ancient quills for writing (Italian “penna”, translated means pen.
Like many other types of pasta, penne was invented in the south of Italy in the Campania region. In other regions of the country they are called by their own. For example, in Umbria they were called “spole” (Italian: “spole”, which translates as “shuttles”), and a little further south - “maltagliati” (Italian: “maltagliati”, which translates as “poorly chopped”).
Penne is also divided by shape into:
- Rigate (ribbed, striped);
- Lisce (smooth);
- Piccole (small).
All Penne pasta has the characteristic shape of a hollow tube with diagonal cuts, but differs in types (there are more than 10), such as:
- - feathers with a ribbed surface; Approximate dimensions: diameter 10 mm, length 35-40 mm, thickness 1.2 to 1.3 mm;
- - feathers with a smooth surface. Approximate dimensions: diameter 10 mm, length 35-40 mm and thickness 1.2 to 1.3 mm.
- - reduced feathers with a ribbed or smooth surface. Approximate dimensions: diameter 5-6 mm, length 12-13 mm and thickness 1.1 to 1.2 mm;
- Penne mezzane rigate (Italian: Penne mezzanerigate)
- feathers with a ribbed surface. They differ from penne rigate in increased length and reduced width. Approximate dimensions: diameter 7 mm, length 36-37 mm, thickness 1.2-1.3 mm;
- - feathers with a smooth surface. They differ from penne lisce in increased length and reduced width. Approximate dimensions: diameter 7 mm, length 36-37 mm, thickness 1.2-1.3 mm;
- - feathers with a smooth surface. They differ from penne lisce in increased thickness and reduced length. Approximate dimensions: diameter 13 mm, length 42 mm, thickness from 1.2 to 1.35 mm;
- Penne piccole rigate (Italian: Penne piccolerigate)
- even smaller feathers with a ribbed surface, compared to Pennette rigate. Approximate dimensions: diameter 5 mm, length 31-32 mm, thickness 1.1-1.2 mm;
- Penne piccole lishche (Italian: Penne piccolelisce)
– even smaller feathers with a smooth surface, compared to Pennette rigate. Approximate dimensions: diameter 5-6 mm, length about 34 mm; thickness 1-1.1 mm.
Peculiarities: This type of pasta was intended from the very beginning as a basis for culinary experiences and experiments. This is confirmed by the large number of variations in the shape of this paste.
Can be paired with any sauce.
Combined and served: Penne Rigate goes very well with various sauces, including classic tomato or meat, as well as cream, cheese and fish. In turn, they are excellent for preparing all kinds of casseroles.
The shape of Penne Rigata will come in handy, for example, in classic recipe Boscaiola pasta with dried porcini mushrooms and ham.
Cooking time: 11 minutes. Cooking time "al dente": 10 minutes.
Recipes for dishes with Penne rigate (Italian: Pennerigate):
Figured pasta
Farfalle (Italian farfalle - butterflies)
Form:
They are square pieces of dough compressed in the middle. On the sides, the edges of the paste are pointed and cut into triangles. In appearance they resemble bows or butterflies.
The average size of farfalle is 3-4 cm wide and 2-3 cm high.
Description:
Farfalle was invented in the early 16th century in North-West Italy in Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia) and Emilia-Romagna (Italian: Emilia-Romagna).
Translated from Italian, “farfalle” means “butterflies”. In Russia, this type of paste is usually called “bows”.
Thanks to the different thickness of the dough - thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges - they have gained popularity among other pastas.
The “wings” of butterflies are slightly thinner than the base, so after cooking they turn out softer and more tender.
Peculiarities:
Figured farfalle pasta has an interesting structure. In the middle the dough is thicker and denser, but at the edges it is thinner.
This feature gives this type of pasta a variety of organoleptic sensations when eating. After cooking, the “butterfly wings” are softer and more tender than the core.
Thanks to its quirky and unusual shape, this type of pasta is especially popular among children.
In addition to classic farfalle in standard sizes, there are also other types:
- Farfalle rigate(Italian farfalle rigate, translated as “striped butterflies”). “Rigate” means that there are additional stripes-grooves on the surface of the paste. They help retain the sauce better. They are combined with meat and cream sauces, as they perfectly retain them on the surface;
- Farfalle tonde(Italian: Farfalle Tonde). A type of farfalle with round cut edges in the shape of a spoon. This shape allows you to retain more sauce inside the “spoon”. Pasta goes well with any thick sauces.
- Farfallette(Italian: Farfallette) About 1/3 smaller in size than regular butterflies. Traditionally, Farfallette is served with mushroom sauce. Also goes well with light vegetable, cheese or creamy sauces.
- Mini farfalle(Italian: mini farfalle). Smaller in size than farfalle, but larger than farfallini. Suitable for salads and light vegetable, fish, creamy sauces;
- Farfallini(Italian: Farfalline) The smallest type of farfalle pasta. Because of its size, it is mainly used for making soups;
- Farfalle integral(Italian: Farfalle Integrale). "Integral" in in this case means that natural dyes such as beets, spinach, cuttlefish ink, etc., different types of flour or seasonings were added to the dough in order to change the color and taste of the paste.
The most common color combination is green, white and red - the tricolor of the national flag of Italy. They are combined with light vegetable-based sauces, and also work well in various salads.
Combined and served:
Farfalle pasta is versatile. Her different shapes and sizes will allow you to choose the right type for any sauce.
Standard classic farfalle is suitable for both light vegetable or fish sauces and thicker creamy, cheese and tomato sauces.
Due to their shape, bows are used in side dishes, soups, cold and hot salads. Their whimsical shapes, inspired by the shape of butterflies, will liven up any lunch or dinner.
Cooking time:
Classic farfalle is cooked until al dente for 8-9 minutes. Before full readiness cook for 10-11 minutes.
Recipes for dishes with Farfalle (Italian farfalle) butterflies/bows:
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Pasta is a food product obtained by drying molded wheat dough to 11-13% moisture content. It is one of the most common foods in the world.
The classification of pasta is established according to several criteria.
Depending on the type of original wheat and the type of flour, pasta is divided into groups A, B, C and classes 1, 2:
Group A– products made from durum wheat flour;
Group B– products made from soft, highly glassy wheat flour;
Group B – products made from soft wheat baking flour;
Class 1– flour products premium;
Class 2– products made from grade I flour.
Thus, pasta of group A 1st class is made from premium flour obtained from durum wheat grain. Pasta of group B, 2nd class – made from grade 1 baking flour.
When making pasta using flavoring or enriching additives, the name of the corresponding additive is added to the group and class indication, for example, group B, 1st class, egg, group B, 2nd class, tomato.
Depending on the shape, pasta is divided into the following types: tubular, thread-like (vermicelli), ribbon-like (noodles) and curly. Products of all types can be long or short. Each type of product, depending on its shape, length, width, thickness, is divided into subtypes and types.
Tubular products divided into three subtypes: pasta, horns, feathers
(Fig. 1). Pasta– tubes with a straight or wavy cut (when cutting dried pasta). Depending on the length, pasta can be short (15-20 cm) and long (more than 20 cm). Horns– curved or straight tubes with a straight cut 1.5-4 cm long (amateur ones up to 10 cm). Feathers– tubes with an oblique cut. Their length from an acute angle to an obtuse angle is 3-10 cm. Tubular products of each subtype are divided into types according to cross-sectional dimensions: Straw(except feathers) – up to 4 mm, Special – 4,1-5,5, Ordinary – 4,1-7,0, Amateur– more than 7 mm. The cross-sectional shape of tubular products can be round, square, corrugated. The thickness of their walls is no more than 2.0 mm.
May also have various shapes sections (Fig. 2).
Based on cross-sectional dimensions (mm), vermicelli is divided into the following types: Cobweb(no more than 0.8), Thin (0,9-1,2), Ordinary(1,3-1,5), Amateur(1.6-3.0). Vermicelli is produced depending on the length Short(short cut) – at least 1.5 cm long, and Long(double bent or single) - at least 20 cm long, and if there are more than 20% of noodles in a batch with a length of less than 20 cm, it is classified as short.
Rice. 1.Tubular products:
A - Pasta; B – Horns; IN- feathers
Foreign-made long vermicelli is usually called Spaghetti.
Rice. 2.
A– long; B– short-cut
Depending on the size and shape, it is available in various types and names with a smooth or corrugated surface, with straight, sawtooth and wavy edges (Fig. 3).
The width of the noodles should be from 3 to 10 mm (the width of the “Wave” noodles is up to 25 mm). The thickness of the noodles should be no more than 2 mm. By length, noodles are classified in the same way as vermicelli, and also if there are more than 20% of noodles in a batch with a length of less than 20 cm, they are classified as short.
Rice. 3.
A– long, B– short-cut
Figured products manufactured by pressing or stamping. Figured products can be produced in any shape and size, but the maximum thickness of any part of the product in the fracture should not exceed 3.0 mm for pressed products and 1.5 mm for stamped ones (Fig. 4).
It is planned to expand the range of pasta products. In recent years, much attention has been paid to the production of enriched products instant cooking, which do not require cooking, using heat treatment at the stages of kneading and molding. Before use they are filled with hot water.
Rice. 4.4. Figured products:
A- shells, B– scallops, IN– bows (stamped),
G– others, D– soup fillings
2. Nutritional value of pasta
The nutritional value of pasta depends on the type of flour and fortification additives. Pasta products are characterized by high nutritional value, good digestibility, simplicity and speed of preparing dishes from them.
The main advantages of pasta as food products:
- ability for long-term storage (more than a year) without changing properties: pasta is not at all susceptible to staleness, is less hygroscopic than crackers, cookies and breakfast cereals, and tolerates transportation well;
— speed and ease of preparation (cooking duration, depending on the assortment, ranges from 3 to 20 minutes);
- relatively high nutritional value: a dish prepared from 100 g of dry pasta is 10-15% satisfying daily requirement human in proteins and carbohydrates;
- high digestibility of the main nutrients of pasta - proteins and carbohydrates.
Pasta products contain insufficient amounts of essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, threonine. Therefore, when producing pasta, much attention is paid to creating products with a balanced composition of amino acids, vitamins and minerals . Fortified products have increased nutritional value . When egg and dairy products are used as fortifying additives, the biological value of pasta increases (the content of lysine, methionine, and tryptophan increases by 25-30%).
Table 1 shows chemical composition, nutritional and energy value of pasta.
Table 1
Chemical composition (%) and nutritional value
pasta
The quality of pasta is assessed by organoleptic and physicochemical indicators. The consumer value of pasta products is determined primarily by their appearance: color, degree of surface roughness, fracture state, correctness of shape, absence of crumbs. Indicators such as acidity and cooking properties characterize taste qualities pasta; humidity and mechanical strength - the ability for long-term storage and transportation without deterioration in quality.
Organoleptic indicators. These include color, surface, fracture, shape, taste, smell, and condition of the products after cooking.
Color pasta should be uniform, without traces of unmixing. It depends on the main and additional raw materials and operating conditions technological process production. For products of group A from pasta flour durum wheat is characterized by a more yellow color, products of group B made from soft glassy wheat flour and group B from baking flour are white or slightly creamy. Adding additives, such as tomato paste, produces a beautiful orange color.
Surface should be smooth, minor roughness is allowed.
IN Kus And Smell– characteristic this species products without foreign taste and smell.
Form must match the type of pasta. In pasta, feathers, vermicelli and noodles, bends and curvatures are allowed that do not impair their presentation. When determining the shape of tubular products, pay attention to the uniform thickness of the walls, soup fillings - to the same thickness of the plates, long products - to the same size and straightness.
Kink pressed dry products should be glassy. A white flour break indicates defects in the raw materials or processing of the dough. When cooking until cooked, the products should not stick together.
physical and chemical indicators characterize the quality of pasta in terms of their humidity, acidity, ash content, insoluble in 10% HC1, cooking properties, metallomagnetic impurities, and pest infestation.
Humidity pasta sent to hard-to-reach areas, as well as transported by sea, should be no more than 11%, the rest - 13%.
Acidity– no more than 4, with the addition of tomato products – no more than 10, dairy, soy – no more than 5.
Cooking properties pasta products are characterized by the duration of cooking until done, the amount of absorbed water, loss of dry matter, and the degree of stickiness. The loss of dry matter during cooking is associated with either a decrease in the nutritional value of pasta (when draining the cooking liquid when preparing second courses), or clouding of the broth (when using the products as soup dressings). The higher the density of the products, the less dry matter passes into the cooking water, the more durable they remain after cooking and the better they retain their shape. However, as the density of the products increases, the duration of cooking until cooked increases and the amount of water absorbed during cooking decreases.
The cooking properties of pasta depend on mass fraction gluten and its quality. With a decrease in the amount of gluten, the cooking time decreases, the strength of the welded products decreases, the loss of dry substances and stickiness increase finished products. The duration of cooking until done is affected by the shape of the product: as the wall thickness of the product increases, more dry matter is lost and the cooking time increases. The greater the surface roughness of the products, the higher the loss of dry substances, but the cooking time is somewhat shorter.
The condition of products after cooking is the main indicator of quality. When cooked until cooked, the products should not lose their shape, stick together, form lumps, or fall apart at the seams. The shape retention of welded products of group A must be at least 100%, groups B and C - 95%. Cooking water should not be cloudy, as this indicates the product has lost valuable nutrients. The loss of dry substances transferred into the cooking water should not exceed 6% for products of group A and 9% for groups B and C.
In addition to the specified organoleptic and physical and chemical parameters The standard also regulates requirements for such characteristics of pasta as strength, the presence of crumbs and deformed products.
Strength pasta must ensure the preservation of their shape. Determined using a Stroganov device. It is measured by the force that must be applied in order for a product of a certain length and thickness to break. Break-resistant pasta must withstand a load of at least 600 g.
Deformed products include products with deviations from the given shape (pasta and feathers that have a longitudinal tear, crumpled ends or significant curvatures; noodles gathered into folds; figured products that are completely or partially crumpled). Deformed products in each packaging unit are allowed no more than 2% of net weight.
Crumbs include fragments, scraps, and scraps of pasta (regardless of their size). The presence of crumbs for products of groups A and B is allowed no more than 1%, group B - 3% of the net weight of each packaging unit.
Products made from dried dough have always helped people survive. Pasta of our time is still the same canned product from dough, which has become not only popular product daily nutrition, which is convenient to store and prepare, but also an essential component of a number of dishes in many national cuisines.
In this article we will look at what types of pasta are on sale, how they differ and which ones are better to choose. Let's learn to determine quality through information available to the buyer.
Types of pasta
Pasta is classified into groups ( different varieties wheat), classes or varieties (different types of flour) and types (many forms).
From a quality point of view, the buyer should pay special attention to the product group, i.e. on what wheat the product is made from.
Table - Classification of pasta by groups and varieties
It is undeniable that only durum wheat flour (durum) can produce truly high-quality pasta. Compared to soft ones, they contain more gluten and less starch and have a lower glycemic index.
The grade of flour does not reflect the quality (in the usual sense), but the degree of integrity of the grain taken for processing, i.e. the degree of grain purification from the germ and shells before grinding. After all, it is they, the embryos and shells, that increase biological value product. Thanks to them, flour is obtained rich in fiber with preserved vitamins and minerals. We can conclude that pasta made from low-grade flour obtained from durum wheat is the most healthy.
Types of pasta are their shapes. These are tubular (horns and feathers), thread-like (vermicelli), and ribbon-like (noodles) products of various lengths, widths, diameters, and cross-sections. These are also shaped products of various types, flat and voluminous, simple and complex in configuration, and sometimes even amazing shapes, the variety of which is impressive.
You need to know that in addition to dry products, fresh ones are also made. They entered the cuisine of many peoples of the world. Noodles, dumplings, dumplings, lazanka, strapachki, gnocchi, dumplings, bakerbze, baursak - you can’t list all the types of pasta. Manufactured in production conditions Such products have a humidity of 28% and a shelf life of 24 hours.
Pasta is made from dough, usually from wheat flour, but flour from buckwheat, beans, etc. can also be used.
Often the buyer looks only at the originality of the forms, forgetting about other important factors. What to look for when buying traditional pasta, i.e. made from dry wheat flour (with a moisture content of 12%) - you can read about this below in the “how to choose” section.
Nutritional value primarily depends on the main raw material. The use of a variety of additional raw materials and additives by manufacturers makes it possible to constantly expand the range of pasta products and at the same time further increase their nutritional value, giving them certain additional properties.
Additional raw materials and additives can serve different purposes:
Enrich products with protein (mainly protein fortifiers - egg products, dairy products, casein, wheat flour gluten, etc.), essential amino acids, and vitamin preparations.
Enrich products minerals(for example, calcium by introducing eggshells or edible chalk).
Give the product taste, aroma and color. Vegetable and fruit juices and pastes can be used here. More often tomato paste or tomato powder, as well as spinach and sorrel, carrots and beets. Cuttlefish ink can be used as a dye, but artificial dyes and flavor and aroma enhancers can also be used.
Improve the quality of products by promoting better shape retention and less sticking during cooking. Of course, products made from durum wheat do not need such “improvers”. In fact, by using special substances, manufacturers are thereby trying to “save” the shape of products made from soft varieties of wheat, and this indicates the low quality of the product.
On sale you can find different types of pasta with a wide variety of additives, which should be displayed in the name of the product. These are egg products, with an increased content of eggs, or tomato, dairy, curd, fortified products, with vegetables, yeast, soy flour, fish concentrate, etc.
Be wary of yellow pasta that does not say on the packaging that it is egg-based or that natural pasta is used as an additive. An unscrupulous manufacturer hopes that the buyer will fall for the external, “egg” appearance of the product. But in fact, what you are looking at may be a counterfeit product using a chemical dye. If the water turns yellow during cooking, this indicates a low quality product, the addition of a synthetic dye, and even a possible health hazard.
Special purpose pasta:
For therapeutic nutrition those in need of a hypoprotein diet (with renal failure, gluten intolerance) can produce protein-free pasta using corn starch.
For dietary and therapeutic nutrition of patients with stomach ulcers, gastritis, cholelithiasis, dietary supplements are used in the form of apple and pumpkin paste, which also stimulate the heart.
Bioadditives from the peel enhance human immunity to radiation. Products with the addition of wheat germ, bran or whole grains, containing alimentary fiber in significant quantities.
How to choose high-quality pasta so that it is tasty and healthy
Quality is determined primarily by the composition of the product. There must be two components: flour and water. Good-quality pasta is made only from durum wheat. The packaging of such products must bear the inscription “Group A” or “Durum Wheat.” On imported packaging - “durum”.
Sometimes the packaging loudly declares “From durum wheat”, but at the same time “Group B” or “Group C” is indicated. This means that durum wheat was only partially included in the flour, but in what proportion is usually not indicated. In any case, such products cannot fully have the properties of a high-quality product.
The appearance of pasta can be deceiving
Modern technologies and equipment can work wonders even from raw materials of inappropriate quality. Remember shop windows with beauty for the eyes, but not everything can be eaten. Therefore, excuse us for repeating ourselves - be sure to look for the composition of the product on the label.
Product coloring
The color of the product should be natural, even, golden or cream (but not unnaturally white or bright yellow poisonous). Products made from durum wheat have a slightly darker color. The added additives determine the corresponding color (for example, spinach - green color). dark spots in small quantities you don’t have to worry - these are the remaining particles of grain shells, but still this does not allow the product to become high quality product. White inclusions indicate poor kneading of the dough and are considered unacceptable for a quality product: such products will lose their shape when cooked.
Surface
The surface of the product should be matte and smooth, but it may have specially pressed grooves (for good retention of sauces).
Fracture and cracking
The break of the pasta should be glassy. The manufacturer achieves this provided that the drying technology is followed. Drying too quickly leads to cracking of the product and deterioration in quality during cooking.
High-quality pasta should be weighty
The mass should be felt even with a small volume. It is these products that are not afraid of digestion. They will not stick together and will retain their shape. Be sure to test the purchased product at home.
Smell
Beware of musty or other unusual odors.
Shape - your choice
Choose the type (i.e. shape) of pasta that is needed for a particular dish or the appearance you like - whether it be spirals or horns, or products of another shape - this does not affect the quality.
Availability of additional raw materials
If the pasta contains additional raw materials, the group of pasta products indicated on the package is supplemented with the name of this additional raw material. For example, “tomato”. Eggs are usually added to products made from soft wheat varieties. The name is added to the label with the word “egg”.
After cooking, pasta will tell you a lot about its quality.
During cooking, flakes should not form, and the products themselves, having at least doubled in size, should not stick together, but should “be in the shape” corresponding to the name of the product, even after a quarter of an hour after cooking.
There must be no sediment in the drained cooking water and the water itself must be clean. Cloudy water indicates some leaching of useful substances from the product. The smell and taste should also remain pure, without foreign tastes.
Packaging must be transparent
A self-respecting manufacturer will pack pasta in a bag that should be partially transparent (then you can inspect and evaluate the appearance of the product at the point of sale), and will not be afraid to indicate its coordinates on the packaging. It's worth learning how to navigate trademarks and determine your favorite manufacturers. Study everything written on the packaging.
Flour sediment and presence of moisture
If you see flour sediment or crumbs inside the package, you should know that this is a sign of a low-quality product. Crumbness may indicate long-term storage.
Another sign of improper storage may be the presence of water droplets (condensation may appear when, for example, the bag is heated in the sun). Please be aware that increased humidity of a product makes it a product of inadequate quality and, in addition, falsifies its true weight.
Choosing a special type of pasta - products for children
Be especially responsible when choosing pasta for children:
Still, despite the higher price, prefer products made from durum wheat.
Don't buy instant pasta. Manufacturers are still working on absolutely harmless and most useful products.
If you are allergic, do not buy egg-containing pasta.
Be especially picky about colored pasta. Make sure that the dyes used are natural and healthy.
Think about what shape of pasta will be comfortable for your baby.
The main storage conditions are cleanliness and dryness. Do not store near products that have a strong specific odor. High humidity may bring mold fungus. The drier the conditions, the longer the shelf life with the guarantee of maintaining nutritional properties.
Pasta is not afraid of low temperatures, so it can be stored in unheated rooms. 30 degrees Celsius is recommended as the maximum temperature. Temperature changes during storage should be avoided.
Dry pasta is not susceptible to staleness even after long-term storage. The shelf life of pasta, if all conditions are met, can be significant - up to 2 years. For products with additives, shorter shelf life is established: with eggs, tomatoes - up to 12 months, dairy - up to 6 months, with wheat germ - up to 3 months.
Undesirable processes may occur due to improper storage. Due to oxidation, products may change color and even become grayish (this can especially affect products made from soft wheat). Due to the aging of protein gluten, microcracks can form, and then, with a change in strength, crumbs and small particles can form. Rancidity, which signals a particular health hazard, is most likely to occur in products containing dairy additives. This also needs to be taken into account when choosing pasta in the store.
Features of storing instant pasta
Special attention must be paid to the storage conditions of instant pasta. Manufacturers like to use palm oil, probably not only because it is cheap, but also because it is more long term storage – up to 12 months. Products using soybean oil – up to 6 months, – up to 3 months.
If the process of frying in oil was involved in the manufacture of instant products, then special attention should be paid to the absence of rancidity after storage - it is dangerous.
There is a technology that allows manufacturers to increase the safety of products: products are packaged in heat-resistant bags and irradiated with infrared rays. Therefore, pasta in such packaging should give you confidence in its quality.
It must be remembered that instant food products are separate species pasta, the choice of which must be taken even more responsibly.
In Italian, the word “pasta” primarily means “dough,” but this name also includes various types of small dough products. It’s interesting that Italians say about a kind person “una pasta d"uomo” - compare with the well-known expression “made from a different cloth.” By the way, another well-known Italian gastronomic term, “antipasti,” does not at all imply any antagonism towards pasta - these are just appetizers served “before pasta.” The fact is that, in accordance with Italian culinary etiquette, the first thing is usually not soup, but just pasta.
Based on readiness, there are 3 types of pasta:
Dry pasta - pasta made from durum flour and water
- Fresh pasta - pasta made from soft flour and eggs
- Full pasta - pasta filled with filling, sauce
Based on shape and size, the paste is divided into:
Long pasta (bukatani, spaghetti, mafalde)
- Short pasta (maceroni, fusilli, penne)
- Fine pasta (ditalini, campanelle)
- Figured pasta (gemelli, radiatore, farfalle)
- Filled pasta (cannellone, ravioli)
And now, for clarity and better memorization, let’s look at all this in pictures.
Almost all types of pasta are prepared from wheat flour and water. Sometimes eggs are also added (in Italian these types of pasta are called “pasta all’uovo”). There is a colored paste to which spinach, tomatoes or sepia (cuttlefish ink) have been added during preparation; in the latter case, an exotic “black paste” is obtained.
The secrets to making delicious pasta are simple:
1) do not overcook under any circumstances (the cooking time is always indicated on the packaging - “cottura”). It's best to slightly undercook it until it's al dente, when it springs back a little (especially if you plan to add hot sauce);
2) be sure to use the finished product with some suitable sauce (Bolognese, pesto, “quattro formaggi” (“four cheeses”), alfredo, carbonara, etc.), and not with roast, cutlet or, God forbid, topping ketchup or mayonnaise.
Don't forget: pasta is the body, sauce is the soul! Naturally, the sauce should match the pasta, however special rules not here. The most general rule states: the shorter and thicker the pasta, the thicker the sauce should be. To this we can add that the corrugated surface of some types of pasta (usually tubular) makes it possible to better hold the sauce, and small pieces of meat and vegetables fit into the holes.
The main thing is to remember that they are quite simple to prepare, and they are a lot of pleasure! And if you're too lazy to spend 15 minutes on the sauce, at least season the pasta butter and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
Now it's time to talk about various types pasta. First of all, we will talk only about the most famous and widespread species, because it is impossible to embrace the immensity - after all, there are several hundred of them! It should also be noted that some areas of Italy have retained their own names that differ from the generally accepted ones. In addition, almost every type of pasta is found in several variations, depending on the size. You can guess the size of the products if you pay attention to the last letters of the name: “oni” - means larger (thicker or longer) than ordinary ones; "ini" - thinner or shorter.
Overview of pasta varieties
Long pasta (pasta lunga)
- Spaghetti (“spaghetti”)- perhaps the most famous type of pasta, which, together with pizza, is a kind of business card Italian cuisine. The name comes from the Italian “spago” - “twine, twine”. These are long, round in cross-section and thin products, approximately 15-30 cm long. Some people like them completely boiled and soft, others like them “al dente”. Among the most famous dishes-Spaghetti Napoli (Naples-style spaghetti) with tomato sauce, Spaghetti Bolognese (Bolognese-style spaghetti) with tomato sauce and minced meat, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio - with hot olive oil and lightly fried garlic in it, Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Thin spaghetti is called spaghettini and needs to be cooked an average of two minutes less. Spaghettoni (thick spaghetti), on the other hand, takes longer to cook.
- Maccheroni - the same pasta that in Russian gave the name to this entire class of products. In theory, they can be the same length as spaghetti, although usually a little shorter, but the main difference is that pasta is tubular and hollow inside. For such products, liquid sauces are good, they flow inside and soak the pasta.
- Bucatini (“bucatini”, from “bucato” - “holey”) - a spaghetti-like tubular pasta with a small hole in the center running along the entire length, a kind of straw. They look like they've pierced the spaghetti with a needle.
- Vermicelli (“vermicelli”) - vermicelli familiar to all of us. In Italian its name means “worms”. Typically, it is slightly thinner and shorter than spaghetti. Vermicelloni is less common and is slightly thicker than spegettini.
- Capellini (“Capellini”) - long, round and very thin (1.2 mm -1.4 mm) vermicelli. Its name comes from the Italian “capellino” - “hair”. An even more subtle version of capellini bears the poetic name “capelli d’angelo” - “hair of angels”. Typically used with light, delicate sauces.
- Fettuccine (“fettuccine”, literally “ribbons”) - flat and rather thick noodles about a centimeter wide and about 5 mm thick. Previously, it was made by hand, cutting sheets of dough. Fettuccine goes well with many simple sauces based on cream, butter and/or cheese. In Italy they are often served with a cheese and nut sauce.
- Tagliatelle (“tagliatelle”) is a long, flat, but narrower “ribbon” pasta similar to fettuccine. It is especially common in the Emilia-Romagna region with its capital in Bologna. The porous structure of tagliatelle is ideal for thick sauces. They are often served with Bolognese sauce and other meat components. A narrower version of tagliatelle is called bavette. Another local type of tagliatelle is pizzoccheri (“pizzoccheri”), which is made not from wheat, but from buckwheat.
- Pappardelle (“pappardelle”) - in fact, these are large flat fettuccine with a width of 1.5 to 3 cm. Their name is very eloquent, because it comes from the Italian verb “pappare” - greedily eat, devour.
- Linguine (linguini) - “linguini”, they are also “lingine” and “linguine”, literally - “tongues”. This pasta is as narrow and thin as spaghetti, but flat (“flattened”) like fettuccine. Most often served with pesto sauce or shellfish (in Italy this dish is called “linguine alle vongole”).
Short pasta (pasta corta)
- Penne (“penne”) is a popular cylindrical pasta in the form of tubes with a diameter of up to 10 mm and a length of up to 40 mm, with oblique cuts along the edges. The name comes from the Italian “penna” - “feather”. Typically, penne is cooked until al dente and then served with sauces (such as pesto). Penne is also often added to salads and casseroles. A small, smooth, tubular pasta similar to penne without an oblique cut is called ziti.
- Rigatoni (“rigatoni”, from “rigato” - sliced, grooved) - a wide tubular pasta with fairly thick walls and large holes into which pieces of meat and vegetables can easily fit. Thanks to the “grooves” on the surface, rigatoni and penne hold any sauce well. In Italy, “Rigatoni alla Fiorentina” with Florentine meat sauce is popular. Like penne, rigatoni is great in baked dishes.
- Fusilli (“fusilli”) - a shaped paste approximately 4 cm long in the form of a screw or spiral. Often it comes in green (with the addition of spinach) and red (with the addition of tomatoes). Larger fusilli with a more twisted spiral are called "rotini". The spiral allows fusilli and rotini to better hold many types of sauces, making it easier to pick up pieces of meat or fish.
- Farfalle (“farfalle”) - from the Italian “butterfly”. They appeared in the 16th century in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna and resemble more a bow tie or a bow. There are also colored ones - with spinach or tomatoes. Most often they are served with bright tomato-based vegetable sauces. A larger version of farfalle is known as "farfallone".
- Campanelle (“campanelle”) - figured paste in the form of small bells or flowers. Campanelle is usually served with thick sauces (cheese or meat). Sometimes they are called "gigli" ("lilies").
- Conchiglie (“conchiglie”) are shells familiar to all of us. Thanks to their shape, they also hold sauce well. Large conchiglia (“conchiglioni”) are usually filled with filling.
- Gemelli (“gemelli”, literally “twins”) - thin products twisted into a spiral, looking like two strands twisted together.
- Lanterne (“lanterne”) - products shaped like ancient oil lamps.
- Orecchiette (“orecchiette”, “ears”) - small dome-shaped products that resemble small ears. They are often seasoned with all kinds of soups.
Rotelle (“rotelle”, “wheels”, also known as “ruote”) - a paste in the form of wheels with spokes. Excellent for meat, fish and vegetable sauces, since hard pieces “cling” to the knitting needles.
- Anellini (“anellini”) - miniature rings that are usually added to soups and salads.
- Cavatappi (“cavatappi”) - spiral curls, shaped like a corkscrew. In fact, the word itself means “corkscrew.” Any sauce goes with these curls.
In addition to the above-mentioned varieties of short pasta, there is also very small pasta (“pastina”) in the form of beads (“acini di pepe”, “pepper grains”) or stars (“stelline”), which are put in soups or salads, “alphabet” pasta for small children, etc. Let's not forget about gnocchi - traditional Italian potato dumplings. They are usually served with tomato sauce, melted butter and cheese. It's cheap and very hearty food. In Tuscany, the so-called strozzapreti (“priest stranglers”) are popular - gnocchi with spinach and ricotta.
Stuffed pasta
Some known species The pastes are not used on their own, but as a kind of dough for the filling. This pasta is called pasta piena.
- Lasagne or lasagna (“lasagna”) is a special flat pasta. Quite large thin and flat plates are used to prepare the “multi-story” dish of the same name in a variety of variations. Bechamel sauce, meat filling and Parmesan cheese are widely used. Unlike most other types of pasta, lasagna is cooked in the oven (called pasta al forno).
A variation of lasagna is Lasagne verde ("green lasagna"), made from dough with added spinach. A narrower version of lasagna is called lasagnette.
- Ravioli (“ravioli”) is a kind of small Italian dumplings with a variety of fillings (meat, fish, cheese, vegetables and even chocolate) between two layers of thin dough. These “envelopes” are square, rectangular, round or crescent shaped (“mezzalune”). A circle or square of dough with filling is folded in half and the ends are sealed. Then the ravioli is boiled in salted water. Semicircular ravioli made from thin dough (usually filled with meat) are often called agnolotti (“agnolotti”, “priest hats”) in Piedmont. Ravioli and agnolotti are usually served with simple sauces based on tomatoes and basil, so that the sauce does not interrupt the taste and aroma of the filling. Their main difference from the dumplings we are used to is that practically no raw ingredients are used as filling.
- Tortellini (“tortellini”) - small rings with filling (meat, ricotta cheese, vegetables - for example, spinach). They are served with a creamy sauce and also in broth.
- Cannelloni (“cannelloni”, “big tubes”) is a kind of stuffed pancakes. Rectangular plates of pasta are rolled into tubes along with the filling - ricotta cheese, spinach or various types of meat. The cannelloni are then topped with a sauce - usually tomato or bechamel - and baked. Sometimes they are also called "manicotti" ("sleeves").
- Cappelletti (“cappelleti”) - pasta in the form of small caps or hats, inside of which there may be filling.
That's probably all about pasta.
All types of Italian pastas are made from unleavened dough and cooked in liquid (water or broth), which is how they differ from other types of flour products. At the same time, there is a strict classification according to the type of preparation and composition of the dough. Dry pasta (pasta secca) is made, as a rule, from the simplest dough: semolina flour (coarsely ground durum wheat - semolo di grano duro) is kneaded with water (not an ounce of salt!) mechanically, since it is almost impossible to do this manually. The dough is also mechanically shaped various products, which after drying can be stored for many months and even years.
Dry pasta, in turn, is divided into long (lunga, for example spaghetti), short (corta or tagliata, for example penne), small products (pastina or minestrina), intended for seasoning soups and broths (for example, stars (stelle)).
Dry pasta is most typical of Southern Italy, where once upon a time “pasta” hung on special stands was dried sea breeze. Raw or fresh pasta (pasta fresca), often called "egg" (pasta all "uovo), is made from soft wheat flour with the addition of eggs or egg powder. The dough is kneaded (can be done by hand), and then also shaped by hand (or using simple devices) to be cooked immediately or frozen. Most often, this type includes pasta with a filling - such as dumplings (pasta ripiena), such as ravioli or tortellini. Raw pasta is more typical of Northern Italy.
Nowadays, there are dozens of types of pasta, many of which are only suitable for a certain sauce or dish. Often recipes contain unfamiliar names for pasta, and you want to know what they really look like and what they are eaten with. It is for this purpose that we have selected and described the 30 most popular types pasta. If you come across an unfamiliar type of noodles or hollow pasta, look at our table; any pasta from the same category can replace it.
Long straight pasta
Capellini (capellini) makarka
Long, round and very thin. They are sometimes also called "angel hair". Only consumed hot. Served with light sauces, broths or simply mixed with olive oil and boiled vegetables.
Vermicelli (vermicelli)
Long, round, thinner than spaghetti. In Italian their name means "little worms". Consumed hot, sometimes cold. Served with light sauces or broken and mixed with vegetable salads.
Linguine (linguine)
Long, flat and narrow, slightly longer than spaghetti. Their name is translated from Italian as “small tongues.” Consumed hot, sometimes cold. Large enough to serve with thick sauces such as marinara sauce.
Spaghetti (spaghetti)
The most popular pasta in the world: long, round, of medium thickness. Their name translates as “small ropes”. Only served hot. Used with tomato sauces or in casseroles.
Fettuccine
Long, flat ribbons and wider than linguine, but can be substituted for linguine in all recipes. Only served hot. Used with thick sauces, especially good with creamy sauces.
Lasagna (lasagna)
Long and very wide, can be with straight edges or curly. A casserole using them is called exactly the same. Only served hot. They are placed in a mold in layers, coating each layer with thick tomato or cream sauce, and baked.
Curly and twisty macarons
Rotini (spirals)
Very short spirals that look like springs made from spaghetti. Served hot or cold. Used with very thick chunky sauces or in pasta salads.
Fusille (fusilli)
Longer than rotini, also curled. In Italian their name means "little wheels". There are different types: short and thick, short and thin, long and thin. Served hot or cold. There are so many uses: with almost all sauces, in soups or in pasta salad.
Pappardelle ( egg noodles)
Wide long noodles. One of the few traditional types of Tuscany. They can be bought fresh (then they are cooked for just a couple of minutes) or dry. Served hot, in baked dishes, with thick sauces.
Tagliatelle (tagliatelle - egg noodles)
Same width as fettuccine or linguine, but not as flat. Classic Emilia-Romagna pasta. Served hot. Used in casseroles and soups.
Hollow pasta
Ditalini (ditalini)
Small, very short tubes, their name means “thimble” in Italian. Served hot or cold. Used in soups or pasta salads.
Elbow macaroni (horns)
Curved, hollow cones that are traditionally used to make macaroni cheese. Served hot or cold. Used in baked dishes or in pasta salads.
Perciatelli (pechutelle)
Long, thin, straight tubes, thicker than spaghetti. Served hot. Use them instead of spaghetti with ragu sauce, other meat sauces and baked with eggplants.
Ziti
Arched tubes, but wider and longer than elbow macaroni. There is also a short version called cut ziti. Served hot or cold. Used baked, in pasta salads, with thick sauces.
Penne (penne)
Straight, medium-length tubes, often with lateral grooves. They are also sometimes called mostaccioli. Their diagonal cut resembles a fountain pen, which is why they get their name. Served hot. Used in soups, baked, with any sauces.
Rigatoni (rigatoni)
Long, short tubes, wider than penne, but also with grooves. Used with various sauces: thick creamy sauces are well retained in the grooves on the sides.
Cannelloni (cannelloni)
Large, long tubes, like manicotti, but larger; translated from Italian - “large reed”. Serve hot. They are usually stuffed with meat fillings and baked with sauce.
Manicotti (manicotti)
Longer and wider than penne, they can be grooved. Manicotti is also the name of the dish itself when this particular pasta is used, as in the case of lasagna. Consumed hot. Served stuffed with meat or cheese fillings.
Other shapes of pasta
Alphabets (alphabet)
In the shape of small letters of the alphabet, one of the most favorite children's pasta. Serve hot. Used in soups.
Аnelli (anelli)
Small rings. Serve hot. Used in soups.
Farfalle (Bow Tie Pasta, bows)
Square pieces of paste gathered in the center to form a bow; their name is translated from Italian as “butterflies”. Serve hot. Used in soups with cereals, such as buckwheat, and in other dishes.
Conchiglie
Shells with a long and narrow cavity. In Italian, their name means "clam shell." There are different sizes. Serve hot or cold. Used in soups, baked and added to pasta salads.
Conchiglioni
They look like ordinary shells (conchiglie), but are noticeably larger. They are served in different ways, very impressively, hot. You can stuff it (try, for example, a mixture of ricotta, pine nuts and spinach).
Orzo (orzo)
Both in size and shape they resemble rice, translated from Italian as “barley”. Served hot. They are used as a side dish, in soups, and in vegetable salads.
Radiator
With grooves and grooves, like a radiator. Served hot, but can also be enjoyed cold. Good with thick creamy sauces, soups and salads, including fruit ones.
Ruote
In the shape of wagon wheels. Served hot. Used in soups, goulash, salads and thick sauces.
Pasta colorata (colored pasta)
Many of the pastas listed above come in other bright colors. They are made with the addition of food coloring. Egg is a popular food additive ( egg pasta, or pasta all"uovo), spinach (green pasta, or pasta verde), tomatoes, beets (purple pasta, or pasta viola), carrots (red pasta, or pasta rossa), winter squash (orange pasta, or pasta arancione) , squid ink (black pasta, or pasta pega), truffles ( truffle pasta, or pasta al tartufo) and chili. Served hot or cold. Depends on the shape
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