Nudeln

Question 1

Bucatini

Answer 1

A little tweak in a pre-existing pasta can lead to the invention of an entirely new type of pasta. It may seem like an insignificant change, but the bucatini is proof that small differences between various kinds of pasta can change the entire eating experience when used appropriately. Bucatini gets its name from buco, Italian for “a hole”. Bucatini is essentially like spaghetti except it has an entirely hollowed center.

The hollowed center means that the sauce will also fill inside the bucatini noodles which makes it an ideal pasta for anybody that likes their noodles extra saucy. The thin pocket of sauce inside the noodle also produces a distinct noise when you’re slurping away at your pasta, further making it an amusing dining experience.

Bucatini can be served in any sauce that you would otherwise serve spaghetti in. A traditional bucatini preparation calls for an Amatriciana sauce made from guanciale, a type of Italian meat made pork cheek.

Question 2

Cannelloni

Answer 2

Cannelloni, you could say, are hollow tubes of pasta that you get when thin sheets of lasagne pasta are rolled into cylinders and stuffed with fillings inside. Some historians believe that cannelloni’s origin can be traced back to buckwheat crepe which used to be eaten in the Valtellina region of northern Italy. These crepes were stuffed with a filling of a selection of locally produced cheeses, cabbage, and béchamel sauce. Others believe that cannelloni was invented sometime in the first half of the 19th century, in Campania, when a chef named Vincenzo Corrado mentioned a large pacchero (pacchero is a smaller version of a cannelloni) in his cookbook, which he boiled, stuffed with meat and truffles, covered in a meat-based sauce and baked.

Cannelloni is still best prepared in a similar way although the fillings and sauces vary. In Campania, a mix of mozzarella, ricotta, and ham is filled inside cannelloni whereas Roman recipes call for a meat-based filling as well as a meat ragù to drizzle over the pasta. In the Umbria region of Italy, a white cannelloni with béchamel and Parmesan is preferred. A filling of spinach and ricotta with béchamel for tomato sauce and Parmesan is often used when serving cannelloni as a first course in some parts of Italy.

Question 3

Capellini

Answer 3

Capellini, more popularly known as angel hair pasta, is similar to spaghetti except it’s about a third of its size. Capellini translates to hair, which perhaps indicates how soft and thin the pasta really is. Made from a mix of flour, eggs, and water, the delicate pasta is often sold rolled in nests, requires only a small amount of time to cook, and is ideally tossed in very light sauces.

When paired with fresh flavors and light dressings, capellini can be one of the lightest types of pasta to eat. Light dressings of tomato, herbs, garlic, and oil or butter and cheese can be used to flavor capellini. The noodles can also be served cold in salads or used in stir-fries with thin slices of meat.

Question 4

Caramelle

Answer 4

Even though it sounds like a tasty sweet, this shape is actually a stuffed, savory pasta. It is so named for its visual similarity to a wrapped caramel. The caramelle, according to Geometry of Pasta,is made by filling a tube of pasta dough with a soft filling, such asricotta, and twisting the ends like a candy wrapper. The delicate egg dough is best when filled with a simple cheese filling or something very soft, like a pea puree.

According to Grub Street, caramelle is making waves in the culinary community and popping up on menus across the country. Because of the typical filling of soft cheese, this pasta can only be handmade, and the fresher, the better. To try this unique shape, you’re better off looking for restaurants with skilled Italian chefs making them by hand or trying it yourself. To make them, start with a smaller version of cannelloni, then twist the ends. You could end up with a sweet supper with a bit of practice.

Question 5

Casarecce

Answer 5

Casarecce (which translates to “homemade” in Italian) is a pasta shape characterized by a two-inch long tube shape with a groove down the middle. This shape is made by rolling small sheets of pasta dough into tubes and can be done by hand. Casarecce is excellent for holding on to some of the runnier sauces and is ideal for dishes studded with chunks of meat or vegetables. The spongy pasta tube is easily stabbed with a fork, so you won’t find yourself chasing a cherry tomato or piece of sauteed zucchini around the bowl.

Even though the very name casarecce suggests a homemade construction, this shape can be made by machine using an extruder. Many companies sell commercially-available options stateside, so you don’t have to learn how to make pasta to try some. According to Taste Atlas, Casarecce originates from Sicily, so try pairing it with some traditional Sicilian flavors, like shrimp or swordfish in a robust tomato sauce.

Question 6

Cavatappi

Answer 6

There are many options for spiral-shaped pasta out there, and one that works great in all dishes is cavatappi. Cavatappiis elbow macaroni’s longer cousin. It’s made the same way, using a die and an extruding machine, only more of the pasta is allowed through before being cut.

Cavatappi has all the same great qualities as macaroni but with a slightly more exotic flair. This makes it the perfect choice for elevated takes on mac and cheese, like this version with chicken apple sausage and sage. It works as well with thick cheese sauces that can fill the hollow tube as it does provide a springy bite to a fresh pasta salad. Simple is always best, like the super-popular pesto and chicken cavatappi at Noodles and Company. The larger size of cavatappi makes it easier to stab with a fork than macaroni, so it’s great for eating on the go.

Question 7

Colonnne Pompeii

Answer 7

Colonne pompeii sounds more like an architectural term than a pasta shape, but that’s just what this noodle is called. It’s named colonne pompeii because of its resemblance to the columns of Pompeii.This shape is very similar to fusilli or rotini and is made the same way but simply cut longer. Colonne pompeii combines the fork-twirling fun of linguine or tagliatelle with the enjoyable mouthfeel of fusilli.

Colonne pompeii had a few viralInstagrammomentson social media recently and has since become more widely available in stores across America. However, if you want to get your hands on some, you’ll probably still have to track them down from a specialty artisan pasta maker. You can pair it with any sauce you’d use for strand pasta or short curly pasta. Tomato sauces, thick, cheesy sauces, or a combination of the two (like vodka sauce) will all work well with colonne pompeii.

Question 8

Ditalini

Answer 8

There’s a whole world of smaller pasta shapes designed for dishes best eaten by the spoonful. Ditalini may be one of the most famous for its use in the classic Italian soup,Pasta e Fagioli.Sometimes called tubettini, ditalini is a shorter version of macaroni and can be made likewise using a pasta extruder. The exterior can be smooth or ridged and technically falls under the “pastina” family of pasta shapes for its small size.

GourmetSleuth reports that ditalini — which translates to “little thimbles”—is too short to hold on to much of anything for very long. This shape in a soup works because it’s small enough to fit on a spoon and any broth. Ditalini is also sometimes used in minestrone. If you want to use this shape for something outside the world of soups and stews, try pairing it with similarly shaped foods, like peas or finely chopped pancetta.

Question 9

Egg noodles

Answer 9

The term “egg noodles” can be misleading, as it doesn’t necessarily refer to pasta. Many kinds of pasta are made with eggs and thus egg noodles, and many types of egg-based noodles exist that wouldn’t be considered Italian pasta. Most often, in America, you will see egg noodles near pasta or other ethnic foods to be used for such non-Italian dishes as matzo ball soup, beef stroganoff, or casserole. Technically speaking, chow mein noodles are also considered egg noodles as they are made with wheat flour and egg.

This kind of noodle can be used as pasta in a pinch, but if you’re making Italian, you should still cook your pasta to “al dente,” meaning it still has a little bite. This shape will work with any sauce, from tomato to alfredo. The shape isn’t designed to cling to any particular sauce or provide any special mouthfeel but works well as a base for more complex dishes.

Question 10

Elbow

Answer 10

You may know this ubiquitous pasta shape as “elbows,” but the Italians know it by a different name: macaroni, or maccheroni. Of all the pasta shapes, macaroni might have one of the richest histories. Of course, in America it is most known for its starring role in macaroni and cheese (to the point that some might start looking for alternatives). The popularization of macaroni and cheese in the U.S. is credited to Thomas Jefferson, who reportedly served it at a state dinner after trying the dish abroad and bringing it home (via Escoffier Online).

While macaroni often refers to this particular shape (a short, curved, hollow tube), it may also refer to all dried pasta as a whole. Some say that macaroni pre-dates Italy and could refer to the noodles that Marco Polo first brought back from China in the twelfth century. Whatever its origin, macaroni is ideal for pairing with thick, cheese-based sauces that fill up the tube and cling to the ridged exterior.

Question 11

Farfalle

Answer 11

Farfalle pasta gets its name from the word farfalla, Italian for butterflies. Thanks to its unique shape that resembles butterflies and bow ties, the pasta also often goes by another popular name — bow tie pasta. Farfalle originated in the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions of northern Italy that are famous for making pastas with fillings inside. Consequently, it is said that farfalle was an accidental by-product of a filled pasta. Per The Pasta Project, sixth-century housewives used to make stuffed pastas and whenever they ran out of filling, they turned the leftover dough into butterfly-shaped farfalle, also known as strichetti in the region. Because of the fun shape, the leftover dough pasta became so popular that it turned into a rightful type of pasta in itself.

Made from durum wheat, farfalle tends to hold its shape particularly well and so is a good pasta option for baked casseroles as well as for creamy tomato and cream-based dishes. Farfalle can also be a fun addition to otherwise boring salads!

Question 12

Fettucini

Answer 12

You could divide pasta into two broad categories of long and short. While the shorter varieties — penne, fusilli, farfalle, and the likes — are easier to distinguish from each other, the long varieties of pasta are where things often get confusing. Fettuccine is a long pasta that is cut into thick ribbons with a width that stands somewhere between linguine and tagliatelle.

Translating to little ribbons in Italian, that’s exactly what fettuccine looks like. Fresh fettuccine pasta is usually made from eggs and flour and so has a noticeably eggy taste. Some fettuccine makers cut their ribbons long enough for a single strand to fill an entire forkful. Fettuccine can hold its shape in all sorts of cream and tomato sauces, as long as it isn’t being served in a chunky sauce. Famously served with Alfredo, fettuccine is a no-brainer if you’re craving pasta covered in a creamy white sauce.

That being said, Fettuccine Alfredo seems to be a saucy, heavy cream-based pasta of American origin because no such dish exists in Italy

Question 13

Farfalle

Answer 13

Farfalle pasta gets its name from the word farfalla, Italian for butterflies. Thanks to its unique shape that resembles butterflies and bow ties, the pasta also often goes by another popular name — bow tie pasta. Farfalle originated in the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions of northern Italy that are famous for making pastas with fillings inside. Consequently, it is said that farfalle was an accidental by-product of a filled pasta. Per The Pasta Project, sixth-century housewives used to make stuffed pastas and whenever they ran out of filling, they turned the leftover dough into butterfly-shaped farfalle, also known as strichetti in the region. Because of the fun shape, the leftover dough pasta became so popular that it turned into a rightful type of pasta in itself.

Made from durum wheat, farfalle tends to hold its shape particularly well and so is a good pasta option for baked casseroles as well as for creamy tomato and cream-based dishes. Farfalle can also be a fun addition to otherwise boring salads!

Question 14

Fileja

Answer 14

The south of Italy is famous for giving its pasta peculiar shapes — take the orecchiette, shaped after the human ear, for example. Fileja comes from the southern Calabria region of Italy and has a swirly shape which makes the pasta look like an elongated screw. About three to four millimeters in thickness, fileja is almost always made fresh and at home, rather than bought in a dried form from a store.

To make fileja, a dough of wheat flour, salt, and water is rolled into strings of small ropes that are no longer than three inches in length. The rope of dough is then pressed onto a small metal stick traditionally called danaco or dinacolo, which is rolled a couple of times till the fileja gets its shape. The stick is removed from the dough and the fileja is then tossed in a sauce. In Calabria, fileja is typically eaten on Sundays and holidays, soaking in a sauce of tomatoes or minced pork. When rolled fresh, fileja also goes well with meaty, heavy, and spicy sauces, especially those made with a spicy ‘Nduja sausage from Calabria.

Question 15

Fusilli

Answer 15

Fusilli gets its shape from a particular method of spinning strips of pasta on a spindle rod till they turn spiral Due to the comparatively tricky method of making fusilli, it can be a difficult pasta to make at home. However, the key to fusilli is precisely in its method where the spiral creates hollow gaps in the surface of the pasta. This makes it a particularly good type of pasta to choose when you want the pasta to really hold in the sauce in each bite — anything from chunky, meaty sauces, to light vinaigrettes in a pasta salad. Delighted Cooking also notes that because most store-bought fusilli are made from hard durum wheat, they tend to hold their shape well even when reheated after refrigeration. You might want to swap out other pastas for fusilli if you’re making pasta meal preps weeks in advance and don’t want your pasta to become mushy when reheated.

While the traditional fusilli is essentially a strip of dough in a twisted form, there also exists a variety of fusilli called fusilli bucati wherein the spiral pasta has a hollowed center. Fusilli lunghi on the other hand, is like normal fusilli except in a longer, ribbon-like form.

Question 16

Garganelli

Answer 16

Even though garganelli may look a lot like penne, it’s an ancient pasta shape that all mechanical pasta manufacturing. While penne is made by being forced through a metal die, garganelli starts as square sheets of pasta rolled around a dowel or wooden stick and pressed closed. As the story goes, a cardinal in the seventeenth century hired a chef for a dinner party who ran out of filling for his cappelletti. So he rolled his pasta sheets around a wooden spoon, and garganelli was born.

This pasta shape is made with a softer egg dough, as opposed to the semolina and water dough used for shapes like macaroni and fusilli. Traditionally, garganelli is best when paired with meat sauces, either a ragu or with some kind of pancetta or sausage. In addition, small foods like peas will find their way into the tube for a pleasant eating experience.

Question 17

Gemelli

Answer 17

Gemelli is named after the Italian word for twins because of its appearance which looks like two separate strings of pasta that are intertwined together into one piece of pasta. On the contrary, however, gemelli is made out of a single piece of pasta that is given a twisted shape.

According to Instacart’s grocery trends report for 2021, gemelli pasta saw a 457% increase in popularity last year. Part of the pasta’s popularity can perhaps be credited to its versatility. Much like penne, gemelli can be used in all sorts of sauces and cooking preparations. The small crevices on the surface, created from the twisted shape of the pasta, mean that gemelli can trap all kinds of sauces well. You could use it in tomato-based sauces, cream-based ones, or even meaty sauces. Gemelli also goes well with pesto and oil-based dressings and can be used in casseroles, cold salads, or even in soups.

Question 18

Gigli

Answer 18

Gigli pasta also goes by the name of campanelle, which translates to bellflowers or little bells, the objects that the pasta is shaped after (via The Pasta Project). Although some dispute gigli’s origin, it is widely believed that the pasta comes from Tuscany and is inspired by the lily flower that is the national emblem of Florence. This is why gigli often goes by the name of gigli Toscani in the region.

Fresh gigli is typically made from a dough of semolina, eggs, and salt, which is then shaped like a bell with ruffled edges (via Foods Guy). Because of its unique shape, gigli has a deep cavity on one side just as a bell does, which can hold sauce inside it. In Tuscany, gigli is usually served in a venison ragù due to the penchant for game meat in the region. The pasta does go well with cream- and vegetable-based sauces too. Another popular dish called pasta tordellata combines a mixture of ricotta and Swiss chard that is stuffed inside the tiny cavity of gigli, which is then covered in a meat ragù.

Question 19

Gnocchi

Answer 19

Gnocchi is different from some of the other types of pasta on this list as they are not a noodle or a stuffed pasta but rather a dumpling. Gnocchi is made using cooked potato and if made right, hearty enough to sear to a crisp yet light enough to dissolve in your mouth. This dough also calls for flour and egg in just the right balance, though you can also use ricotta cheese to bind instead of the egg.One key factor in nailing the texture of gnocchi is not to add too much liquid to the dough. Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson opts for baking the potatoesinstead of boiling them not to add any extra moisture to the dough.

If you opt for store-bought gnocchi, there might be one big mistake you’re making. The texture will be different, so consider skipping boiling the gnocchi altogether and just sauteing or roasting them.

Question 20

Lasagna

Answer 20

While lasagna — the singular of lasagne — refers to the saucy baked dish with layers of pasta sheets, cheese, meat, and vegetable, lasagne is the name of the thin pasta sheets that are used in its making. The first signs of the lasagna as we know it dates back to the 1800s when tomatoes became popular in Italy, but some believe that a baked dish of “lasana” or “lasanum” was eaten by the ancient Romans, making lasagne one of the oldest types of pasta that exists.

In northern Italy, lasagne sheets are made from eggs and are layered with bolognese and béchamel sauces with Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. In the south, lasagne sheets are often made without the eggs whereas in Campania, the sheets tend to be layered with meatballs, ragù, ricotta, pecorino, and provola cheese. In some areas, lasagne sheets are layered with a meatless, vegetable-based ragù and in others, the ragù is skipped for pesto sauce. Some regions also make a white version of the lasagna which skips the use of tomato altogether.

Alternatively, sometimes lasagne sheets can be rolled into cylindrical tubes of cannelloni or manicotti pasta when in a pinch. There also exists a thinner variety of lasagne sheets with wavy edges called lasagnette. Lasagnette is often used in place of lasagne to make a smaller and narrower version of lasagna.

Question 21

Linguini

Answer 21

From the same family of long noodle pastas as spaghetti and fettuccine, linguine could be thought of as a flattened version of spaghetti (via The Pasta Project). Meaning “little tongues” in Italian, linguine is usually made from a dough of durum wheat and water. Unlike fettuccine that pairs well with thick sauces, or the more delicate spaghetti that needs smooth and light sauces, linguine is best served in cream-based sauces.

Linguine comes from the northwestern region of Liguria in Italy where the pasta is tossed in green pesto Genovese with potatoes and beans, but it is also one of the few kinds of pasta that is famously served alongside seafood in various coastal regions of the country. While other noodle pastas are best served with meat, linguine can be prepared with clams, mussels, prawns, calamari, and all sorts of seafood. In Tuscany, linguine is served with shrimp and tomatoes; a mix of creamed salmon, mussels, and pumpkin is preferred for

Question 22

Mafaldine

Answer 22

Some say that mafaldine was invented by the people of Naples to welcome the king of Sicily and his family when they moved the court to Naples in 1258, according toPasta Nostra. The pasta was so loved by the king that it gained a firm place in the culinary history of Naples. Others suggest that a certain manfredine pasta already existed in Naples when it was renamed to mafaldine to mark the birth of Mafalda, the second daughter of the Italian king, Victor Emmanuel III (via The Pasta Project). Consequently, mafaldine is also known as reginette or little queens.

Mafaldine is a long string of flat pasta with ruffled edges and is made from durum wheat semolina. In Naples, mafaldine is usually served in simple sauces like ones made from lard, ricotta, and pecorino cheese, or served alongside winter vegetables like artichokes. In Puglia, a dish called la barba di San Giuseppe is cooked on St Joseph’s day (the same day as Father’s Day), where mafaldine pasta is supposed to represent St Joseph’s beard.

Question 23

Manacotti

Answer 23

Manicotti is similar to cannelloni in that both are large, hollow tubes of pasta meant to be stuffed with cheese or other fillings (via The Pasta Project). Manicotti, loosely meaning “little sleeves,” according to Share the Pasta, are typically found ridged, whereas cannelloni is not. In America, manicotti is often prepared in a classic recipesimilar to lasagna. It starts by stuffing the pre-cooked manicotti with a seasoned ricotta cheese mixture and then layering it with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese before being baked in the oven.

Unlike its smooth-sided cousin cannelloni, manicotti can’t be made by hand and is made like other tube-shaped pasta using a pasta extruder.Due to the tube size, even a thick sauce is unlikely to stay inside. For experimenting beyond the classic manicotti recipe, you’re better off making a hearty filling of cheese, meat, vegetables, eggs, or a combination, then adding a sauce to the top. Think of this shape as an open-ended ravioli.

Question 24

Mezzelune

Answer 24

Ravioli isn’t the only stuffed pasta out there. Originating from Northern Italy, mezzelune gets its name from its shape, a “half moon.” This shape may even pre-date the ravioli and shares many similarities with other types of dumplings from both near and far. Mezzelune comes from a northern region of Italy that neighbors Austria, and just across the border, they have another name for this shape: schlutzkrapfen.

The effects of food and trade can easily be seen worldwide, and mezzelune is the perfect example of how varying dishes can appear in different parts of the world and are beloved by a variety of cultures. From Polishpierogiesto Chinese wontons, many cultures worldwide have taken a circle of dough, stuffing it, then folding it in half and crimping the edge. Unlike ravioli, which are often made using a mold or a specialized stamp, these can be made freehand and use only a drinking glass as a cutter.

Question 25

Orecchiette

Answer 25

Orecchiette pasta is extremely easy to spot in a supermarket aisle filled with rows of pasta boxes. Shaped like little ears, Orecchiette comes from the word Orecchie, Italian for ears (via Italy Bite). Of the many theories around the origin of orecchiette pasta, some say that the pasta is a culinary invention made by the Jews who had settled close to Bari in southern Italy. This is because of the similarity between the appearance of orecchiette and the Jewish dessert hamantash, also known as Haman’s ears.

Regardless of its origin, making orecchiette pasta requires skill and patience as each pasta needs to be rolled out one by one, and then needs the application of gentle pressure by hand to give it its ear-like shape. The outer surface of the pasta should have a rough texture so that it can hold the sauce and each orecchiette should be no bigger than the tip of the pinkie finger. Traditionally, orecchiette is served with turnip greens and used to be known as Sunday pasta as it was meant to be eaten on special occasions. Now, orecchiette is often served alongside all sorts of greens and vegetables, including broccoli. Its concave shape also makes orecchiette an excellent choice for anybody who likes their pasta extra saucy as the little wells hold lots of sauce in each bite

Question 26

Orzo

Answer 26

To the untrained eye, orzo may look like an unusual type of rice. Even more confusing, orzo in Italian translates to barley (via Eat This, Not That). Upon looking closer, you’ll notice that orzo has the texture of pasta and in reality, is made out of semolina flour. Orzo is a type of pastina — a category of pasta that is very small in size.

This pasta, however, is widely used even outside of Italy with various dishes in Greek, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines, depending on the use of orzo. Chicken and orzo, in particular, is a popular soup. Orzo is unique in that it tends to absorb other flavors very well and cooks quickly. Orzo is also often used like rice in pilafs, can be added to baked casseroles, or used as stuffing in dishes where you would otherwise use rice (via Delighted Cooking). The pasta can be tossed in butter and used as a base for salads or used in soupy and heavy sauces with pieces of meat. Because orzo pasta is made from hard durum wheat, it can hold its shape well even when cooked for a comparatively long time in dishes like soups and stews.

Question 27

Paccheri

Answer 27

According to popular legend, the government of Prussia — modern-day Austria — had once banned the trade of Italian garlic between Italy and Prussia (via Delighted Cooking). Italian farmers who thought that Prussia’s garlic was nowhere near as flavorful as Italian garlic, found a way to smuggle Italian garlic with them when they were crossing borders. To do so, they created a pasta that was shorter in size than a rigatoni but with a larger diameter in which at least four garlic cloves could be squeezed in and smuggled!

Fitting of its legend, paccheri pasta tends to be cooked in sauces that are extra garlicky and are often served tossed in a red wine sauce with a stuffing of garlic and sausage. Seafood — lobster, octopus, and shrimp in particular — too is a popular choice of filling for paccheri. Alternatively, because of its tubed shape and hollowed center, paccheri is also an excellent pasta for chunky meat and vegetable sauces as well as ragù and bolognese. The pasta can be stuffed with ricotta and served as a baked lasagne of sorts with layers of cheese and sauce. Oftentimes, paccheri is also served as a first course with zucchini, squash, and cabbage.