Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Pastas

Pasta Glossary

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UDON

Udon are thick, wheat-based Japanese noodles. They differ from ramen, the thin Japanese noodles, in their width; but both are served in a variety of preparations. Both were brought to Japan by Buddhists priests returning from voyages to China (as was tea). Udon noodles are generally served in chilled dishes in the summer and in hot dishes like soup in the winter.
Photo of tempura udon courtesy of Wikipedia.org.

UMBRIA

A hilly region in central Italy, bordered by Tuscany to the west, the Marche to the east and Lazio to the south. The capital is Perugia.
Map courtesy of Wikipedia.

VENTAGLI

Specially cut pasta, short wide ribbons with a ruffled edge (vehn-TAHL-yee).

VERMICELLI

A round pasta slightly thinner than spaghetti but thicker than angel hair, vermicelli means “little worms,” from the Latin “verme,” worms. As versatile as spaghetti but not as hearty, for those who prefer less of a “mouthful,” it works with the same sauces (tomato, broth-based, lighter cream sauces), except for super-thick sauces. Like spaghetti, it is also broken and cooked in soups (vair-mee-CHELL-lee).

WAGON WHEELS

See ruote.

WHOLE GRAIN PASTA

Whole grain pastas are available in brown rice, kamut, quinoa, soba (buckwheat), and spelt, whole wheat (see below). Read our article on whole grain cereals for more information on whole grains.

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA or INTEGRALE

Many short and long pastas are made with whole wheat semolina, which provides valuable extra fiber and nutrients as well as a distinctive nutty flavor.

00 FLOUR or DOUBLE ZERO FLOUR or DOPPIO ZERO (DOUBLE ZERO) FLOUR

In Italy, flour is classified either as 1, 0, or 00. This scale refers to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. Double zero or doppio zero (DOE-pee-yo TSAY-roe) is the most highly refined—the consistency of talcum powder. Since semolina, the hardest and most suitable flour for pasta, requires professional-strength kneading machines, 00 flour is the best for making pasta at home. It will stand up in cooking better than pasta made with all-purpose or other flours.

ZITI

A popular shape, ziti (zee-tee) are a medium-sized, long, thin tubular pasta. The tubes are often ridged. The word is Italian vernacular for “bridegrooms,” and in Campania and Sicily, baked ziti is traditionally served at wedding banquets.

ZITONI

Long pasta tubes (zee-TOE-nee).

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