Cut Dried Why It’S Irresistible, Again and Again
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IN ITS MANY VARIETIES, DRIED PASTA HAS BEEN A STAPLE FOR GENERATIONS OF ITALIANS. DISCOVER CUT DRIED WHY IT’S IRRESISTIBLE, AGAIN AND AGAIN. 4 3 5 2 1 6 8 12 7 11 10 13 9 LONG PASTA 1 TAGLIOLINI 2 FETTUCCINE 3 LINGUINE 4 SPAGHETTI ALLA CHITARRA 5 TRENETTE 6 PICI 7 TAGLIATELLE 8 PAPPARDELLE 9 ZITI LUNGHI 14 10 PERCIATELLI 11 SPAGHETTI 12 CAPELLI D’ANGELO 13 LASAGNE RICCE 14 MAFALDINE PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTOPHER BAKER TEXT BY LESLEY PORCELLI SHORT PASTA 15 GNOCCHETTI 15 16 TROFIE 17 CAVATELLI 18 CROXETTE 19 STROZZAPRETI 16 20 CHIOCCIOLE 21 PIPETTE 22 PENNE 23 PENNONI 24 TRENNE 18 25 RIGATONI 17 26 ZITI CORTI 27 ROMBI 28 GARGANELLI 29 CONCHIGLIONI 19 30 RADIATORE 23 31 FARFALLE 22 32 CAMPANELLE 33 LANTERNE 34 FUSILLI 35 ORECCHIETTE 36 CONCHIGLIETTE 37 TUBETTI 24 20 38 SEMI D’ORZO 21 39 STELLINE 27 25 26 28 29 37 30 31 32 34 36 33 38 35 39 83 case of PERCIATELLI, which translates roughly as “little holed things”), and long ZITI. Many long shapes, such as TAGLI- Most commercial dried pasta ATELLE, thin PICI, and is made from durum wheat, broad PAPPARDELLE, a hard flour that gives pasta are available in “nidi”: dried, a golden color. A few contain portion-size nest shapes. eggs and white flour in place Some pastas are “ricce,” or of durum wheat; these mimic curly, including MAFAL- the delicate texture and DINE (which was named flavor of homemade noodles, for Mafalda, a Savoy prin- and should be treated as cess) and LASAGNE. such. For the widest array Among the wealth of short of shapes (see glossary on shapes are CROXETTE, page 82), shop in specialty an Italian wedding pasta, Italian stores. Keep in mind which were traditionally that for specific shapes, imprinted with family crests. names vary; the ones listed Commercial croxette bear here are some of the most cultural images, such as well known. In its earliest grapes and sheaves of wheat. days, durum-wheat pasta Cut ZITI and PENNE come was street food. Walking in “lisce” (smooth) and through eighteenth-century “rigate” (ridged) styles. Like Naples, one would encounter spaghetti, tubular shapes stalls with jungles of strands are usually extruded; GAR- draped over dowels to dry. GANELLI are an exception. A customer would order a For these, squares of egg bowl of pasta, then eat with pasta are rolled against a his fingers, lifting strands comb to form a ridged tube. over his head and lowering Soup pasta is often referred them into his mouth. This to as pastina, “little pasta.” pasta was most often The smallest shapes, SEMI SPAGHETTI, which means D’ORZO and STELLINE, “little strings.” To make it, are used in broth for babies; dough is extruded—pushed larger ones, including through a pierced die. This TUBETTI and CONCHIG- is the most common method LIETTE (shells), are best used for commercial pasta, for hearty soups. For thick but there are exceptions. sauces, the chunky shapes Flat pastas, such as FET- of CAMPANELLE (gigli), TUCCINE and LINGUINE, FARFALLE, and LAN- are sometimes rolled out TERNE are ideal. The literal and cut into strips. MAC- translation of STROZZA- CHERONI and SPAGHETTI PRETI is “priest stran- ALLA CHITARRA are glers”—a tongue-in-cheek made on the instrument remnant of a time when called a “guitar,” for which TO BE ITALIAN is to measure restaurant owners resented they are named. A guitar is a lifetime in bowls of pasta. Italian babies fill their cheeks priests’ eating for free. The a wooden plank with metal “little ear”of ORECCHI- with buttered pastina; toddlers slide rigatoni onto forks and strings suspended above it; ETTE is traditionally nibble them in tiny bites. Italians learn to twirl spaghetti as dough is rolled out on the formed by pushing a thumb strings, then cut strands children but take years to master doing so neatly; by ado- into each piece. fall onto the wood beneath. lescence, they know the wisdom of raising a napkin to the Some long shapes are hol- chest during a spaghetti course, regardless of their expertise. low, made by dies with pins We owe the hundreds of shapes of pasta to this phenom- in the centers. Such is the enon—that in much of Italy, pasta is eaten daily. Every shape 84 DISKS AND TWISTS Bumpy rounds of croxette (this page) are often served with tomato sauce and basil. Pastas that jux- tapose smoothness with ridges or holes, as croxette do, catch bits of tomato beautifully. Twisted trofie and pesto sauce (opposite), served here with potatoes and green beans, is a Lig- urian specialty. feels different in the mouth, and interacts with sauces dif- flavors of olive-oil-based ones. (Fresh pasta, made from ferently. It is a food that’s hard to tire of, and indeed, one that eggs and white flour, has a subtler taste that can be easily many Italians couldn’t imagine going too long without. overwhelmed.) Some sauces demand a specific pasta shape— There is a common misconception in America that fresh, an unctuous carbonara must be slurped on spaghetti, while homemade pasta is better or of higher quality than dried. In a spicy, “angry” arrabbiata would seem somehow less irate if Italy, a respect for both runs deep, with fresh pasta serving dressing anything other than pointy penne. Beyond the clas- one purpose and dried another. Dried pasta, made from sics, the rule of thumb is that, in both texture and flavor, light durum wheat, or semolina, is the more versatile of the two, sauces go with delicate shapes, and robust with sturdy ones, pairing well with almost anything; it carries the refined rich- but the art of pairing a pasta with a sauce goes further: A cook ness of many butter-based sauces as well as the assertive has to rely on her inner paesana. Close your eyes and think 85 SWIRLS AND WHORLS Spaghetti is the time-hon- ored partner for carbonara sauce, a Roman favorite made from pancetta, gar- lic, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and eggs—which are tossed, uncooked, into the hot pasta just before serving. Spaghetti is properly twirled with only a fork, no spoon needed. Your other hand should be oc- cupied, anyway—holding a napkin against your chest to protect against splatters (tucking it into your collar is for casual family dining only). 86 RR about it, using your appetite as a muse. Don’t the beans the moment it hits the water to the moment it hits the in a fagioli soup just beg to nestle in the beckoning curves sauce. Keeping the noodles moving is key, with frequent stir- of little shells or to burrow inside curling pipette? A meat ring and boiling water. Fill the pot with a lot of water—at least ragù that has simmered for hours could barely ask for more four quarts per pound—and bring to a rolling boil. Gener- than to coat ridged egg garganelli, which catch so much fla- ously salt it, at least one tablespoon for every pound of pasta, vor in their cavities and grooves. Making Mom’s tomato but don’t add oil; this would hinder the absorption of sauce sauce? Why, you could hardly go wrong with any shape. later on. Add all the pasta at once, and give it a stir to prevent To understand what the fuss is really all about, you must sticking; cover to return to a boil as quickly as possible (keep think like an Italian. Pasta, while it’s cooking, cannot be for- an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over). Then remove the lid, gotten. It must remain on your proverbial front burner from and stir once more. Shortly thereafter, begin tasting it. There 88 LONG AND SHORT Breadcrumbs give garlicky linguine with anchovies unexpected crunch (this page, left). White-flour garganelli (right) are just right for the subtle flavors of a slow-simmered pork ragù. Any bean will work in pasta e fagioli—pasta and bean—soup (opposite), but tubed pasta or shells make for the best mouthfuls. strange myths about how to know when pasta is done; pasta is cooked through yet still pleasantly chewy; a fam- some involve throwing it, or examining it under a bright light. ily’s preferred level of al dente is imprinted on the Italian Disregard all of them. Fish out a strand to taste a few min- child’s palate at a young age. But one technique isn’t sub- utes before the box says it will be done. Delicate pastas, such jective: The pasta should be drained just before it’s done, since as angel hair (capelli d’angelo), can cook in less than a minute; it will continue to cook in the sauce. Unless making a baked thicker ones can take more than ten. Better yet, adopt the Ital- pasta, do not rinse—the starch on the noodles helps sauce ian-grandmother method: Dip a few samples in the sauce adhere to them. Instead, toss pasta immediately with the and give them to your favorite person to taste (you’ll also warm sauce, until every piece is evenly coated. And then get a second opinion on whether the sauce needs salt). There waste no time. Sit down and eat it while it’s hot and the curls are many degrees of al dente, that perfect doneness at which of steam that rise from it make you happy to be alive. 89 BREADTH AND DEPTH Broad pappardelle are often reserved for special- occasion dishes—this lobster-and-mint sauce definitely qualifies.