Pasta and the basics
Oil and vinegar is a staple in Italian recipes using pasta as an ingredient. Quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar accentuate even the most simple pasta dish. Determining which type pasta to use for which dish need not be difficult.
For most Americans pasta is synonymous with Italian food. Each region of Italy has its distinctive type pasta and even within the various regions there is remarkable variations. A true pasta connoisseur will distinguish long thin strands of pasta by the millimeter. The thinnest strands are capellini or fidelini. Next would be capelli or speghettini. With another millimeter or so you have spaghetti. Flatten the spaghetti pasta and it becomes linguine. Broaden the linguine pasta and it becomes fettuccine or tagliatelle. Widen the fettuccine pasta even further and it turns into pappardelle.
Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes.
The names of cost of come from their shape and what they look like. Apostate can appear to resemble a thimble, (ditalini) a butterfly (farfalle) a pen point (penne) or a little ear (orecchiette). Stuffed pasta is recognized as ravioli, tortellini, and cannelloni. Layered pasta is called lasagna, but if made in two tubes is called rigatoni and mostaccioli. The same layered pasta curled like a corkscrew is called fusilli. The preceding pasta names are the most nominal and recognized pastas used in Italian food recipes. There are numerous other varieties and variations.
pasta types, oil and vinegar, Italian food
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