 One of the most popular pasta cuts, penne rigate. The tubes are ridged (rigate) to help the sauce adhere. Photo courtesy of ParmaHam.com (the recipe is on the website).
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Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / PastasPasta GlossaryPage 5: M, N, O
Click on the letter of the alphabet in this bar to get to a term a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Semolina-and-water pasta without eggs (see FDA definition of macaroni products below). Many macaronis are tube-shaped, but there are other forms including shells, twists and ribbons. Among the best-known tube shapes are: elbow (a short, curved tube), ditalini (tiny, very short tubes), mostaccioli (large, 2-inch-long tubes cut on the diagonal, with a ridged or plain surface), penne (large, straight tubes cut on the diagonal), rigatoni (short, grooved tubes) and ziti (long, thin tubes). Most macaronis almost double in size during cooking. The Italian spelling of the word is maccheroni. A secondary meaning for the word macaroni or maccheroni is a well-traveled young Englishman of the 18th and 19th centuries, who affected foreign customs and manners, i.e., a fop or dandy. In those times, it was typical for a young man to go on a “grand tour” of the Continent to finish his education, prior to settling down. Many young Brits came back enamored of Italy, speaking particularly of the macaroni in Italy—hence the word association. In the mid-eighteenth century, “macaroni” described an overblown hairstyle as well as the dandy wearing it. Later in the century, the popular song, Yankee Doodle Dandy, was written and sung by the British in derision of the American colonists, who adopted it in self-defense. The song is believed to have its origins in the French and Indian War (1756–1763). In contrast to the spit and polish of the British army, the colonials were a motley crew, some wearing buckskins and furs. Dr. Richard Schuckburg, a British Army surgeon reportedly wrote the tune. The colonials kept adding verses to it: Some 190 have been counted. “He stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni” means that the man who came to town for a good time, riding on a little pony—not a horse—thought himself a stylish dandy, although the song ridicules this feather-sporting pony-rider for thinking himself so when he was instead quite a sight to behold. “Doodle” comes from a German word meaning “simpleton.” MACARONI PRODUCTS As classified by the FDA, these are the class of food, including spaghetti and vermicelli, MACCHERONI AL TORCHIO A “torchio” is a press, and these strips of pasta are pressed into attractive curls. A popular preparation is to serve them with “con pomodoro e rucola,” tomato and arugula. Make the sauce by combining 4 cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 7 ounces of diced tomatoes (preferably San Marzano tomatoes) and 7 ounces of arugula in a sauté pan. Cook slowly, mashing the ingredients together with a fork. The maccheroni al torchio shown at left are made by artisan pasta maker Rustichella d’Abruzzo, and can be purchased from SalumeriaItalia.com. These are half-inch-long ridged Sardinian pastas that look a like like small worms. They also are known on the island of Sardinia as gnocchi, though they are nothing like actual gnocchi (see gnocchi description). This cut is absolutely delicious, in part due to the wonderful chewy texture of the tightly-rolled shape, and in part due to the aesthetic of the beautiful rolled and ridged appearance. A stuffed, baked pasta manicotti (mah-nih-COAT-tee) means “muffs” or “sleeves” in Italian. The large, tube-shaped noodles are about four inches long, and one inch in diameter. One of the oldest forms of pasta, in ancient times the dough was cut into large rectangles, filled with flavorful stuffings, then rolled and baked in the oven (what today is known as cannelloni). Today, pre-shaped tubes are boiled, then stuffed with a meat, cheese or seafood mixture, covered with a sauce and baked. MARITATI A mixture of two pasta shapes, orecchiette, ear-shaped pasta, and cavaturi, a short rolled pasta (mah-rih-TAH-tee). See also Orecchiette Maritate. Literally, “half moons,” a crescent-shaped stuffed pasta. MEZZI RIGATAONI Literally, “half rigatoni,” a shorter version of rigatoni, this cut is a versatile pasta shape, combining the heartiness of traditional rigatoni with a fun, smaller size. MEZZI TUBETTI Small, short tubed pasta, generally used in soups. MOSTACCIOLI Mostaccioli (must-a-CHO-lee), literally “small moustaches,” are a specialty of the Campania region of southern Italy, which includes the cities of Capri, Naples and Sorrento. Large, 2-inch-long tubular pasta, they are cut on the diagonal (slanted or angled ends), with a plain surface, similar to regular penne. Both are designed for chunky tomato, meat and cream sauces. From the German word “nudel” meaning paste with egg. In America, the term refers to egg noodles as well as Asian forms of pasta. Noodles can be made of wheat, rice, soybean, potato, or other flours like oat; sweet potato or arrowroot starch; bean curd skin and tofu; and mung bean threads. Polish pierogi, Italian gnocchi, and German spaetzle are considered forms of pasta. They may also be referred to as dumplings. NOODLE PRODUCTS According to the FDA, the class of food which is prepared by drying formed units of dough made with semolina, durum flour, farina flour (or any combination of two or more of these) with liquid eggs, frozen eggs, dried eggs, egg yolks, frozen yolks, dried yolks (or any combination of two or more of these), with or without water and with or without one or more of the optional ingredients specified. By law, egg noodle products must contain 5.5% egg solids by weight. Pasta made in shapes reflecting everyday items, cultural icons, logos, etc. Shapes are available that celebrate seasons (leaves, sun, pumpkins), holidays (Santa, ghosts, hearts), hobbies (pets, sports equipment), flora and fauna. For inspiration, read our review of Pasta Shoppe novelty pastas (shown in photo at left). Literally, “eyes of the wolf,” large, square-cut penne-like pasta (OH-key dee LOO-poe). Generally, this cut is paired with tomato or cream sauces. Literally “little ears,” the Italian, word for ear is orecchio. Orecchiette are one of the three traditional cuts from the Puglia region (along with cavatelli and cavaturi). Orecchiette (oh-reh-KYEH-tay) work well with chunky meat and vegetable sauces. Literally “married” orecchiette, a Pugliese blend of the round orecchiette and the long, thin casarecci, which consummate their “marriage” in the pot when cooked them together.
Continue To The Next Page, P & Q Go To The Glossary Alphabet Index, Above
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which is prepared by drying formed units of dough made from semolina, durum flour, farina, flour or any combination of two or more of these, with water and with or without one or more optional ingredients specified. See also Noodle Products.
Orzo, the Italian word for barley, is a small, grain-shaped pasta. It looks more like a grain of rice (or barley) than like pasta; however, it is made from semolina. In addition to plain semolina orzo, varieties are available flavored with black bean and red chile. Orzo is frequently used as a substitute for rice.
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