Pasta has become the ambassador of Italian food. We all know just how easy it is to make pasta. But did you know that there are not just five, or ten kinds of pasta? There are about 350 shapes!
Now, word has it that gnocchi reigns supreme because it is the forefather of all kinds of pasta. We know that the shape of the gnocchi pasta was designed to allow it to hold as much sauce as possible! But it is also the oldest shape, which gave rise to several local variations.
For marketing reasons, these shapes may be named differently depending on the region where they are sold. These are long, short, stretched, tubular, ribbon, stuffed or dumpling-like pasta shapes.
Here, we list some of them —
1. Long Pasta: Capellini
Capellini is a thinner version of spaghetti. As these really long kinds of pasta are served in light sauces, thus the capellini is said to go very well with olive oil. The thinner variant of capellini is known as angel hair pasta. But it is considered to be the "slimmest" pasta, and that’s why very heavy sauces may not stick onto the strands.
2. Short Pasta: Nuvole
If you are really frustrated about having ordered angel hair pasta, perhaps you’ll be amused by this shape of pasta. It looks like a cloud when you observe for very long. Nuvole pasta is used in salads.
3. Stuffed Pasta: Pansotti
These are your absolute beautiful go-to pasta shapes that are stuffed with greens like spinach and chard along with ricotta. They are a kind of ravioli! They must always turn out looking like a large, protruding belly.
4. Stretched: Corzetti
If you want a pasta shape that looks equally beautiful as pansotti, then corzetti is the pasta you should know about. Originally, a coin was pressed on the pasta to create a design. Later, it was perceived as an art, and people started to stamp important symbols. It is an ancient practice, and the wood used is taken from apple, pear or orange trees. Many people strive to preserve the art, by continuing to make corzetti stamps.
So, if you are a true pasta lover, we know you may have heard of these shapes. Can you give us another 10 names, with some interesting trivia behind them?
