Amo Tutti I Tipi di Pasta: I Diversi Tipi e Come Distinguerli

"I love all types of pasta: the different kinds 

and how to tell them apart"

Thursday's 101 Lesson

No joke... the view from my bedroom
window in Florence... Il Duomo!

Ahhh, the beautiful romance of the Italian language rolling off of your tongue with a multitude of vowels and syllables.  I studied Italian for 7 years and completed my dream to study abroad in Italy in the spring of 2008.  I didn't really want to study in Rome because growing up in New York City made me feel like I'd sort-of done the big city thing.  So I settled (settled... yeah right) on Florence.  Ahhhh Firenze--one of the reasons I chose to be in the Florence was the spectacular food and no hangover wine Tuscany is so famous for!
The city was amazing... full of history, breathtaking architecture, beautiful Renaissance art, and food food food!  Everywhere I turned in Florence there was either a delicious-looking Gelateria (the Italian equivalent of an ice cream store) or a Pizzeria (I think you can figure that one out) with outdoor seating overlooking the Ponte Vecchio.  But there were a few staples that I essentially lived on for the 4 months I was there (and trust me, it showed!): cheese, margherita pizza, gelato or nutella crepes for dessert, little sandwiches served with wine, and pasta.

My man Cillo... making
the best Nutella Crepes
anywhere in Florence!

While in Florence, I made a point to "explore" the local foods and apparently made it my mission to try and continue to try them all.  Some highlights: the freshest and most amazing cheese I've ever tasted to date from the open market in town; gelato from Gelateria Cilo's (Cilo also made AMAZING nutella crepes... heaven!) or Grom  which was practically at my doorstep; my favorite little sandwhich shop around the corner, I Fratellini (the little brothers), which made rustic sandwiches with prosciutto, arugala, and mozzarella - to die for - and served it with a glass of Chianti for lunch (you know a place is good when the locals are lining up before it even opens!); and pasta pasta PASTA! 

I Fratellini - best panini and Chianti to go!  

Pasta is everywhere in Italy and I saw types and names I'd never heard of, let alone could pronounce.  There is such a variety and the Italians pair specific pastas with a dish because each has a unique characteristic that makes it good for that dish.  So I've decided to give a rundown of all you should know about pasta: Italian name (it just sounds so much better), shape, description and the translation of the Italian name (they can be pretty funny)!  There are about 350 different types of pasta so I obviously won't be getting into all of them, but I'll hit the highlights grouped by type of pasta!

LONG NOODLES

Spaghetti

Spaghetti (Little Twines)

Capellini di Angelo

Capellini di Angelo - very thin
spaghetti (Little Angel Hairs)

Vermicelli

Vermicelli - thin spaghetti, but thicker than capellini
(Little Worms)

RIBBON-CUT NOODLES

Fettuccine

Fettuccine - ribbon pasta
(Little Slices)

Fettucce

Fettucce - wider version of Fettuccine
(Little Slices)

Lasagna

Lasagne - very wide noodles with fluted
edges (Cooking Pot)

Linguine

Linguine - flattened spaghetti (Little Tongues)

Pappardelle

Pappardelle - thick, flat ribbon (derived from the
verbe pappare - to Gobble Up)

Tagliatelle

Tagliatelle - ribbon; thinner than fettuccine
(Little Cut Ones)

Taglierini

Taglierini - thinner version of tagliatelle
(previous)

Ziti

Ziti - long, narrow hose-like tubes
(Boys)

SHORT-CUT PASTA

Cavatappi

Cavatappi - corkscrew-shaped
macaroni (Corkscrew)

Fuselli

Fuselli - tightly wound coils
(Little Spindles)

Gemelli

Gemelli - S-shaped strand of pasta
 twisted in a loose spiral (Twins)

Gomiti

Gomiti - bent tubes; like ditalini
(Elbows)

Manicotti

Manicotti - large stuffable ridged tubes
(Sleeve-like things)

Penne Lisce

Penne Lisce - penne with smooth sides
(Smooth Pens)

Penne Rigate

Penne Rigate -penne with ridged sides
(Lined Pens)

Pennette

Pennette - short thin version of penne
(Little Pens)

Rigatoni

Rigatoni - large & slightly curved
tube (Large Lined Ones)

DECORATIVE SHAPES (the fun stuff)

Ballerine

Ballerine - wider & less-tightly wound
version of campanelle (Ballerinas)

Campanelle

Campanelle - flattened bell-shaped pasta with
a frilly edge on one end (Little Bells)

Chifferi

Chifferi - short, wide, & ridged elbow
(Macaroni)

Conchiglie

Conchiglie - seashell shaped
(Shells)

Cresto di Galli

Cresto di Galli - short, curved & ruffled
(Roosters' Combs)

Creste

Creste - longer & bigger than previous,
still with ruffle (Combs)

Farfalle

Farfalle - bowtie or butterfly shaped
(Butterflies)

Farfalle Rotonde

Farfalle Rotonde - rounded farfalle
(Round Butterflies)

Gnocchi

Gnocchi - round in shape, almost like
a seashell (roughly A Knot in the Wood)

Gnocchi di Patate

Gnocchi di Patate - gnocchi made
with flour and potatoes 

Lumaconi Rigati

Lumaconi Rigati - ridged snail-shaped
pieces (Lined Snails)

Lumaconi Giganti

Lumaconi Giganti - large snail-shaped
pieces (Large Snails)

Orecchiette

Orecchiette - ear-shaped pasta
(Little Ears)

Quadrefiore

Quadrefiore - small squares with rippled
edges (Square Flowers)

Radiatore

Radiatori - shaped like radiators, often tri-colored
in tomato, spinach, & plain pasta (Radiators)

Rotini

Rotini - 2-edged spiral, tightly wound
(Twists)

Rotelle

Rotelle - wagon wheel shaped pasta
(Little Wheels)

Stelline con Buco

Stelline con Buco - small, 6-pointed stars with
a hole in the middle (Little Stars with a Hole)

Strozzapreti

Strozzapreti - rolled across their width &
with the best translation (Priest Chokers)

STUFFED PASTA

Agnolotti

Agnolotti - semi-circular or rectangular-shaped
pockets; can be stuffed with ricotta & meats,
or pureed vegetables (unknown)

Fagottini

Fagottini - a "purse" or bundle of pasta, made
from a round dough gathered into a ball-shaped
bundle; often stuffed with ricotta & pear
(Little Cloth Bundles)

Mezzelune

Mezzelune - semi-circular pockets
(Half-moons)

Ravioli

Ravioli - square pockets with frilled edges; stuffed
with cheese, ground meet, pureed vegetables (unknown, but thought to be from rapa -turnip) 
*also Ravioloni - big ravioli*

Tortellini

Tortellini - ring-shaped; stuffed with a mix of cheese and meat (Little Pies)
*also Tortelloni - big tortellini*