A bit wider than capellini, spaghetti is another of the most well-known pastas in America. In fact, it’s probably the most familiar. I think it’s so popular because of its average shape and size. Pappardelle may be too wide for some people, capellini too narrow for others, but spaghetti is always a safe bet, making it the most versatile pasta. Ideal for tomato sauces, it’s also a good—though in most cases not the best—choice for sauces based on everything from seafood to braised meats.
Serve with: Sautéed Calamari with White Wine, Garlic, and Clam Broth, Chicken Hearts and Gizzards in Italian-Style Tomato Sauce.
Fresh Pasta
Fresh pasta usually involves long, flat noodles, such as linguine, fettuccine, and pappardelle; filled pastas such as tortellini and ravioli; and shapes including my nominee for Best Name Ever, strozzapreti, which translates to “strangled priest.” (Gee, I wonder what Sunday school was like for the chef who created that one.)
I usually use fresh pasta as an accompaniment, rather than stirring it into a dish. When it comes to leftovers, however, fresh pasta can turn yesterday’s dinner into tonight’s main course by stretching a surplus of stew, sauce, or meat into another meal. This is usually done by removing the poultry or meat from its sauce, roughly chopping it into bite-size pieces, returning it to the sauce, reheating, and tossing with freshly cooked hot pasta.
What follows are the fresh pastas referred to in this book, and examples of when I’d be most likely to call on them in the kitchen.