“Pasta” means a whole slew of things. It is not just a fancy term for spaghetti. An Italian word, “pasta” can mean simply “dough.” It can also mean fresh noodles, and it can refer to the dried noodles in boxes on supermarket shelves. “Pasta” can mean the exotic jet-black strands flavored with squid ink as easily as the familiar curved golden tubes we all know as “elbows.” In fact, “pasta” describes all types of noodles—dry and fresh, Asian and Western.
Dried pasta refers to all the types of pasta that are made fresh, then dried and kept without refrigeration. The best type of dried pasta is made from durum-wheat semolina. In my first book I said I preferred DeCecco, an Italian imported brand that holds up after cooking, but I’ve discovered that DeCecco isn’t the only possibility. I taste-tested a variety of American pastas made with a mixture of semolina and finer durum-wheat flour. Then I tested Italian brands made of semolina. Finally I tested Pasta LaBella, an American brand made from pure semolina. I have to say that I found the results fascinating.
The most popular brands of American pastas, even when cooked only until al dente (“firm to the bite”), were softer and starchier than I like. They didn’t have as firm a texture or as wheaty a flavor as the two Italian brands I tested them against. I also noted that the instructions on the package directed the cook to boil the pasta for too long a time.
Of course, you may not care for the wheaty flavor and firm texture of pure semolina pasta. The domestic part-semolina pastas are certainly good enough, and they absorb more of the sauce than all-semolina varieties. The most popular and widely available domestic brands are also less expensive than both imported pastas and premium domestic brands.
Of the Italian brands, my favorite is still DeCecco, but it is not better than Pasta La-Bella, which is made in the U.S. by the American Italian Pasta Company (AIPC). This company markets their product under names that vary from one part of the country to another. In the East I found it packaged under both “Pasta LaBella” and “Master’s Choice,” a local supermarket’s private label. When shopping for pasta, take a close look at your supermarket’s private label. If you find a small red stamp with the initials “AIPC,” you have found this excellent manufacturer and you are in for a treat.
When buying colored pasta, make sure the coloring comes from a natural ingredient, such as spinach or mushrooms, not from anything synthetic.
To discourage opened pasta from becoming soggy, reseal the box with heavy tape or transfer the pasta to an airtight glass container. Keep the pasta out of the sun, preferably in a cool, dry place.
In the 1980s the notion took hold that the only good pasta was fresh pasta—and that the only good fresh pasta had to be made at home. We saw dried pasta go out the window as pasta machines and pasta-making attachments to food processors came on the market. I became as enamored of these gadgets as anyone else. But after I struggled to learn how to make it, the fresh pasta I turned out at home was never worth the effort. All my attempts, whether made by hand or with the help of a machine, produced a pasta that tasted sticky and felt like lead in my stomach. And so I decided that, along with millions of Italian housewives, I would leave the making of pasta dough to the professionals. Today I am perfectly satisfied with pasta meals made from the excellent varieties of dried pasta I can buy in my corner grocery store. And on occasion, if the mood strikes me, I buy a good brand of fresh pasta.
Because it isn’t easy to make excellent fresh pasta, and especially because of the time it takes to make the dough, Monday-to-Friday cooks shouldn’t even consider it. Therefore I’m not including directions for making fresh pasta from scratch.
If you are lucky enough to discover a good source of fresh pasta, or if you know an elderly housewife with thirty years’ experience in turning out fresh dough, then do it justice and cook it on the day you buy it. Fresh pasta tastes best when you cook it shortly after it’s made. The longer it sits and dries, the less “fresh” it is. Of course it’s hard to tell when a batch of commercial fresh pasta was made. One clue is its flexibility: the longer fresh pasta stands around, the more brittle it becomes. If there are shards of dried pasta in the package, chances are that it isn’t really fresh at all.
If you can’t use the pasta right away, then freeze it. But remember that even in the freezer the ingredients will continue to deteriorate, so try to use it within a couple of weeks. If you have bought a large quantity of fresh pasta, repackage it in smaller portions suited to your needs before freezing it.
Some pastas are made from flours other than durum wheat. The main thing to remember about these is that they will have a very different texture. Whole-wheat pasta, whether made in Italy or in the U.S., has a slightly softer texture than regular pasta and a flavor three times as intense. Pair this type of noodle with an equally lusty sauce. I usually choose meat sauces, or ones that have a distinctly Mediterranean or Middle Eastern accent, or that include the earthy flavors of wild mushrooms, garlic, or legumes.
Pastas made from grains other than wheat, such as buckwheat pasta, have a powerful grainy flavor. And because they are made from a flour that is gluten-free, buckwheat noodles are flabby, with none of the chewiness people love about wheat pasta. These noodles should also be combined with robust sauces, such as Asian or Eastern European ones, or used in soups.
No doubt you’ve seen—and maybe tried—some of the elegantly packaged “boutique” pastas displayed in gourmet shops—pastas flavored with everything from tomato to squid ink. I sampled a number of them for this book, and except for the saffron and squid ink pastas (which are gorgeous to look at), most special boutique pastas were not worth the price. In almost all the ones I sampled, the flavor of the added ingredient did not come through. The only flavors that were easy to recognize were black pepper, garlic, and tomato—and these flavors are better brought into play in the sauce. The one exception to this is the more familiar spinach pasta—it’s terrific for dishes where you want the chewiness of durum wheat as well as a color other than the regular tawny pasta hue.
Stuffed pastas, such as ravioli and tortellini, come in a variety of styles: Some are dry, some are fresh, and some are fresh-frozen. The plain ones are stuffed with cheese or ground meat, while other “boutique” varieties are stuffed with unusual ingredients such as Gorgonzola cheese or dried porcini mushrooms.
I stay away from dried stuffed pastas because it seems they must contain a huge quantity of preservatives in order to keep a dough stuffed with perishable meat or cheese from spoiling.
I do, however, like the stuffed pastas that are readily available in the refrigerated case at the supermarket. About once a month I buy a pasta stuffed with pesto, or cheese, or wild mushrooms, either to use right away or to store in the freezer. Stuffed fresh pasta makes a welcome change from the plain dried variety and because the stuffings are rich, a splash of chicken stock or a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of cheese turns them into a meal.
If you are lucky enough to live in an area that gets imported stuffed pastas, do experiment with the more exotic types, such as tortellini stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese or ravioli stuffed with sweet squash. These are good to serve to guests because they add a festive note without requiring any extra work on your part.
Just as Western-style pasta comes in dry and fresh forms, so do Eastern-style noodles. There are many types of dried Asian noodles, but only certain ones are commonly available.
Japanese wheat noodles: Japanese wheat noodles come in a variety of shapes, lengths, and even flavors. Soba, perhaps the best known of the Japanese varieties, is a thin flat noodle, made from a mix of wheat and buckwheat flours; it has an earthy flavor with a somewhat brittle texture. Somen is a thin, hard wheat noodle, chuka soba a wheat noodle that is long and curly, and udon a flat, white wheat noodle that comes in various widths. Ramen, a Japanese contribution to convenience foods, is actually a pre-cooked skinny soup noodle that rehydrates almost instantly when added to hot liquids. They are quick lunch favorites.
Chinese wheat noodles: Dry and fresh egg noodles are known as mein. These noodles are made fresh but are available only in Asian markets. It is a shame they are not more readily available because freshly made Chinese egg noodles are often better than the fresh egg pasta available in supermarkets. Boil them as you do fresh Western noodles; they cook in record time. Linguine and spaghettini make satisfactory substitutes if Chinese noodles are unavailable.
Rice noodles: Rice noodles are made from rice flour. They come in different thicknesses, ranging from thin sticks to broad ribbons. These are wonderful for anyone who is allergic to wheat. But because there is no gluten in rice, the noodles don’t hold their shape as do those made from wheat; they are good in soups, where soft noodles are best.
The skinny noodles, also termed “rice sticks” or “rice vermicelli” (mi-fen or mai fun), can be boiled, or presoaked and then boiled. Skinny rice sticks are wonderful deep-fried and served as a snack.
Substitute capellini or vermicelli for the rice sticks, linguine or fettuccine for the broader rice noodles.
Bean starch noodles: These noodles are made from mung-bean starch (or potato starch or pea starch). They are transparent when cooked, and are slippery and chewy. They are also sold under various names such as “bean threads,” “glass noodles,” sai-fun, fun si, or “transparent,” “shining,” or “cellophane” noodles. These are another variety to keep in mind for people who are allergic to wheat, although you should alert diners that they have a somewhat sticky quality. The way to prepare these is to rehydrate them.
How do you decide what pastas to have on hand? Three main types of pasta at one time is enough for my family, but to keep things interesting, I change the three types constantly. How much pasta you decide to store in your cupboard, and what shapes and brands of pasta you prefer, can be determined only by your palate, by how avid a pasta fan you are, and by your family’s preferences.
I like to stock up on two types of long noodles, a flat “ribbon” noodle such as linguine as well as a round noodle such as spaghettini (I happen to prefer the thinner version of these two shapes). Sometimes I’ll alternate with a box of vermicelli, fedelini, or capellini because our daughter likes skinny noodles the best. On occasion, for the sake of variety, I’ll buy the fresh, egg-enriched version of linguine or fettuccine.
I keep two types of short shaped pastas on hand. The first is a medium-size shape, either twisted or tubular, which will match well with a chunky pasta sauce. The other might be a smaller shaped pasta like orzo, tubettini, or couscous. These offer a change of pace and are useful in side dishes and soups.
To complete my pasta pantry collection, I buy one pound of something special, such as whole-wheat fettuccine. Or I might buy buckwheat soba, saffron egg noodles, or pesto ravioli.
The following list will give you an idea of the wide variety of Italian pasta shapes available. With so many to choose from, there’s no need to ever fall into a pasta rut.
In Italy flat ribbons of pasta are traditionally coated with buttery or creamy sauces which, so they say, adhere better to wide surfaces. I interchange strand and ribbon pasta with successful results. Many are found in both fresh and dried form.
Name |
Description |
Taglierini, or Tagliolini |
Extremely thin fresh egg pasta |
Linguine fini |
Little tongues; very thin |
Linguine |
Small tongues; thin |
Fettuccine |
Small ribbons; medium wide |
Mafalda |
1-inch wide, rippled edge |
Margherita, or Margaretta |
Medium-wide, with one straight edge and one rippled edge |
Pizzoccheri |
Medium-wide, made with eggs and some buckwheat flour |
Tagliatelle |
Medium-wide fresh egg pasta |
Pappardelle |
Wide, with crinkled edge |
Lasagne |
Widest ribbon shape, with straight or rippled edges, used in baked dishes |
Strand, or string, pasta goes best with thin sauces that don’t have too much texture. The sauce can include minced or finely ground ingredients that almost disappear into the sauce and can be easily captured on the strands as they are wound around the prongs of a fork. The thinner the noodles, the smoother the sauce should be.
Name |
Description |
Capelli d’angelo, or Capellini |
Angel’s hair; very thin strands |
Fedelini, Fidelini |
Thicker than capellini |
Vermicelli |
Thinner than spaghettini |
Fideos |
Coiled strands, about as thick as vermicelli |
Spaghettini |
Thin spaghetti |
Spaghetti |
The basic |
Perciatelli, or Bucatini |
Heavier spaghetti strands with a narrow hole down the middle |
Fusilli lunghi |
Curly long spaghetti |
Tubular and hollow short-shaped pastas include curved and straight varieties as well as medium to large sizes. The name of a shape is sometimes followed by the word rigati, which means ridged. These shapes are great for catching chunky sauces. Included here too are the large tubular shapes that are suitable for stuffing or are used in baked dishes.
Name |
Description |
Ditali |
Thimbles; hollow tubes, usually ¼ to ½ inch wide |
Mezzo ditale |
Medium thimbles; squat tubes, ½ inch long and ⅓ inch wide |
Tubetti |
Little tubes; like ditali, although sometimes shorter |
Maccheroni |
Elbows; medium-size curved tubes (maccheroni refers to other hollow tubes as well) |
Pipe rigati |
Ridged elbow twists |
Cavatappi |
Spiral macaroni; look like two elbow lengths in one piece |
Penne, or Mostaccioli |
Quills, mustache; 1-inch-long tubes, ¼ inch across, cut on the slant |
Sedani |
Celery; long macaroni shapes, ridged like celery |
Ziti |
Similar to penne but with straight edges, cut into varying lengths, sometimes curved, used in baked dishes |
Mezzani |
Fat, hollow tubes, wider than ziti, used in baked dishes |
Rigatoni |
Very large, ridged, hollow tubes, used in baked dishes |
Cannaroni, Zitoni |
Wide tubes |
Manicotti |
Hollow tubes, 3 inches long, wide enough to stuff |
Name |
Description |
Agnolotti |
Stuffed flat pasta, crescent-shaped, larger than ravioli |
Cappelletti |
Little hats; stuffed flat circular pasta, look like rounded hats |
Ravioli |
Squares stuffed with meat, cheese, or vegetables |
Tortelli |
Rounded shapes stuffed with cheese or vegetables |
Tortellini |
Smaller rounded shapes stuffed with almost anything |
Tortelloni |
Large version of tortellini, usually stuffed with cheese |
These are very small shapes, often the diminutive version of a shape listed in one of the other categories. Use them in soups or as side dishes.
Name |
Description |
Acini de pepe |
Peppercorns; tiny beads |
Anellini |
Little rings; tiny circles |
Ditalini |
Little thimbles; tiny thimble shapes |
Conchigliette |
Little shells; tiny seashells |
Couscous |
Tiny beads |
Farfallini |
Small bow-ties |
Orzo |
Rice-shaped pasta |
Pastina |
Refers to all the tiny shapes used in soups; the American version is star-shaped and often made with egg |
Perline |
Little pearls; beadlike shapes |
Semi de melone |
Melon seeds; tiny melon-seed shapes |
Stelline |
Little stars; tiny stars |
Tripolini |
Tiny rounded bow-ties |
Tubettini |
Little tubes; tiny tubes |
Included in this list are all the odd-shaped short pastas that don’t fit into other categories. These include twisted shapes, and others with nooks and crevices that make them perfect partners to chunky sauces and to thick creamy sauces.
Name |
Description |
Conchiglie, or Maruzze |
Seashells; medium-size shells, grooved or plain |
Conghigli |
Large seashells; jumbo shells, used for stuffing |
Farfalle |
Butterflies; big, flat bow-ties |
Fusilli |
Twists, spirals; corkscrew shapes |
Gemelli |
Twins; ½-inch lengths, look like two strands of spaghetti twisted together |
Gnocchi |
Not the potato dumpling gnocchi, these are long, narrow, ripple-edged shapes |
Orecchiette |
Little ears; roundish flat disks |
Orecchioni |
Large ears (bigger than orecchiette) |
Radiatore |
Radiators; roundish pasta shapes, corrugated with ridges |
Rotelle |
Wagon wheels, cartwheels; wheel-like shapes; can also refer to corkscrews or spirals |
Rotini |
Corkscrew shapes, larger than fusilli |
Ruote |
Wheels; wheel shapes, larger than rotelle |
