Pasta: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

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The English word pasta generally refers to noodles and other food products made from a flour and water paste, often including also egg and salt. Less frequently, the term macaroni is used for the same products. Pasta can also denote dishes in which pasta products are the primary ingredient, served with sauce or seasonings. The word comes from Italian pasta which means basically "paste", and by extension "dough", "pasta", or "pastry" as in "small cake". As recently as 1918 the English word "paste" was used instead of or alongside the Italian pasta[1].

Wheat noodles are by far the most common noodles in Asia (c.f., Chinese noodles and the Japanese udon and somen) and Europe (c.f., spaghetti), while rice noodles tend to be rare outside of Asia. In English-speaking countries, Italian noodles are the kind most often referred to as "pasta". In Italy, pasta with sauce (sugo) is often called "pastasciutta" ("asciutta" means "dry," indicating that the pasta is not served in broth).

While it is often said that Marco Polo brought the concept back with him from China, pasta had been known in Europe for many centuries before his voyage. The earliest known records are found on Etruscan tomb decorations from the 4th century BC.

Thomas Jefferson is credited with bringing the first macaroni machine to America in 1789 when he returned home after serving as ambassador to France.

Common pasta sauces include pesto, tomato sauce, and alfredo.

Pasta varieties

The only basic difference between these names is the shape of the pasta.

Shaped Pasta

• Campanelle - small cones
• Casarecci - short lengths rolled into an 'S'
• Cavatelli - sea shell shaped with rolled edges
• Conchiglie - sea shell shaped
• Conchiglioni - large stuffable sea shells shapes
• Creste di galli - short curved and ruffled
• Farfalle - bow tie or butterfly shaped
• Farfallone - larger bow ties
• Fiori - shaped like a snowflake
• Fusilli - short lengths of twisted pasta
• Fusilli Bucati - a more spring shaped variety
• Gemelli - two short stands of pasta twisted together
• Gigli - cone or flower shaped
• Gnocchetti - smaller version of Gnocchi
• Gnocchi - potato pasta
• Gramigna - short curled lengths of pasta
• Lumache - snail shaped
• Lumaconi - jumbo Lumache
• Maltagliati - flat roughly cut triangles
• Orecchiette - bowl or ear shaped pasta
• Pipe - larger versions of macaroni
• Quadrefiore - square with rippled edges
• Radiatori - shaped like radiators
• Ricciolini - short wide noddles with a 90 degree twist
• Rotelle - wagon wheel shaped pasta
• Rotini - pasta twisted into a spiral
• Spiralini - more tightly coiled fusilli
• Strozzapreti - rolled across their width
• Torchio - torch shaped
• Trofie - thin twisted pasta

Tubular Pasta

• Bucatini - hollow spaghetti
• Calamarata - wide ring shaped pasta
• Calamaretti - smaller Calamarata
• Cannelloni - large stuffable tubes
• Cavatappi - 'S' shaped macaroni
• Cellentani - corkscrew shaped tube
• Chifferi - short and wide macaroni
• Elbow macaroni - most common type of pasta
• Elicoidali - slightly ribbed tube pasta
• Fagioloni - short narrow tube
• Garganelli - square egg noodle rolled into a tube
• Gomiti - wide 'C' shaped pasta
• Macaroni - any narrow tube pasta
• Maccheroni - longer macaroni
• Maccheroncelli - hollow pencil shaped pasta
• Maltagliati - short wide pasta with diagonally cut ends
• Manicotti - large stuffable ridged tubes
• Mezzani - short curved tube
• Mezze Penne - shot version of penne
• Mezzi Bombardoni - wide short tubes
• Mezzi Paccheri - shorter version of paccheri
• Mostaccioli - longer version of penne
• Paccheri - large tube
• Pasta al ceppo - shaped like a cinnamon stick
• Penne - medium length tubes with diagonally cut ends
• Penne rigate - penne with ridged sides
• Penne Zita - wider version of penne
• Pennette - short thin version of penne
• Pennoni - wider version of penne
• Perciatelli - thicker Bucatini
• Rigatoncini - smaller version of rigatoni
• Rigatoni - large and slightly curved tube
• Sagne Incannulate - long tube formed of twisted ribbon
• Trenne - penne shaped as a triangle
• Trennette - smaller version of trenne
• Tortiglioni - narrower rigatoni
• Tuffoli - ridged rigatoni
• Ziti - long narrow hose like tubes
• Zitoni - wider version of Ziti

Strand Noodles

• Angel Hair - thinner than vermicelli, thicker than capellini
• Barbina - thin strands often coiled into nests
• Capellini - even thinner than angel hair; thinnest spaghetti-like noodle
• Chitarra - similar to spaghetti, except square rather than round
• Ciriole - thicker version of Chitarra
• Fedelini - thinner than spaghettini, thicker than vermicelloni,
• Fusilli lunghi - very long fusilli
• Spaghetti - most common type of noodle, long, round, and thin. Thicker than spaghettini, thinner than spaghettoni
• Spaghettini - thinner than spaghetti, thinker than fedelini
• Spaghettoni - thicker than spaghetti
• Vermicelli - thinner than vermicelloni, thicker than angel hair
• Vermicelloni - thinner than fedelini, thicker than vermicelli

Ribbon Pasta Noodles

• Bavette - narrower version of tagliatelle
• Bavettine - narrower version of bavette
• Fettuce - wider version of fettuccine
• Fettuccine - ribbon of pasta approximately one centimeter wide
• Fettucelle - narrower version of fettucine
• Lasagna - very wide noodles that often have ridged sides
• Lasagnette - narrower version of lasagna
• Lasagnotte - longer version of lasagna
• Linguettine - narrower version of linguine
• Linguine - flattened oval shaped spaghetti
• Mafalde - short rectangular ribbons
• Mafaldine - long ribbons with ruffled sides
• Pappardelle - thick flat ribbon
• Pillus - very thin ribbons
• Pizzoccheri - ribbon pasta made from buckwheat
• Reginette wide ribbon with rippled edges
• Sagnarelli - rectangular ribbons with fluted edges
• Stringozzi - similar to shoelaces
• Tagliatelle - ribbon fairly thinner than fettuccine
• Taglierini - thinner version of Tagliatelle
• Trenette - thin ribbon ridged on one side
• Tripoline - thick ribbon ridged on one side

Soup Pasta

• Acini di pepe - small spheres of pasta
• Alphabets - pasta shaped as letters of the alphabet
• Anelli - small rings of pasta
• Anellini - smaller version of anelli
• Chilopitta - a squared-shaped pasta
• Conchigliette - small shell shaped pasta
• Corallini - small short tubes of pasta
• Couscous - the smallest of all pasta varieties
• Ditali - small short tubes
• Ditalini - smaller versions of ditali
• Farfalline - small bow tie shaped pasta
• Fideos - short thin noodles
• Filini - smaller version of fideos
• Funghini - small mushroom shaped pasta
• Occhi di pernice - very small rings of pasta
• Orzo - small rice shaped pasta
• Pearl Pasta - spheres slightly larger than acini di pepe
• Quadrettini - small flat squares of pasta
• Risi - smaller version of orzo
• Seme di melone - small seed shaped pasta
• Stelle - small star shaped pasta
• Stelline - smaller version of stelle
• Stortini - smaller version of elbow macaroni
• Trachana - star-shaped pasta
• Tubetti - longer version of ditali
• Tubettini - smaller version tubetti

Stuffed Pasta

• Ravioli
• Tortellini and Tortelloni

Asian Noodles

• Udon – thick, wheat-based.
• Somen – thin, wheat-based.
• Ramen.
• Soba – medium, buckwheat-based.

• Chinese noodles (names too complex to list here).

Commercial Pasta

• Kraft Dinner
• Spaghetti O's

• Boiled pasta
• Italian cuisine
• List of recipes
• Cooking
• Couscous
• Food