What are the types of pasta most loved by Italians?

Pasta is one of the most common foods in the world and is consumed on all continents.

There is no doubt that this food has become one of the main foods in Italian cuisine, and that it is known and appreciated all over the world.

Today, there are hundreds of types of pasta, used in many different recipes, each of which has a different shape, size and texture.

Region you are going to, type of pasta you can find

L&' origin of the different pasta formats is linked to the history and culinary tradition of each region d& #39; Italy.

Each pasta format has a story and a &' a specific origin and they owe their name to the resemblance to objects, animals, tools necessary for their production, or to anecdotes and historical figures.

The spaghetti

Spaghetti was probably invented in Sicily during the Arab period.

Some historians claim that their real inventor was Marco Polo, who would have brought the recipe from &' Asia during his return trip to Italy.

The word 'spaghetti' comes from the Latin 'spago', which means 'fill'. In fact, spaghetti is a type of long, thin pasta made of durum wheat semolina and water

They have been spread all over the world since the 19th century and today they are one of the most popular pasta formats in the world.

Excellent with sauces based on meat, fish or vegetables, they cannot be missing on the table of pasta lovers.

The fettuccine

Fettuccine is a long, thin pasta format that seems to have been designed in Tuscany.

The origin of the name is ambiguous, for some it derives from the Latin 'fasciulus', which means 'small bundle', others associate it with the Italian term 'fettuccia', which means' ribbon ', in reference to their elongated and narrow shape.

They are excellent with butter and cheese sauces and are usually made with soft wheat flour and eggs. Thanks to their roughness and porosity, they go perfectly with meat ragù and seafood sauces, rich and full-bodied sauces

The Bucatini

Bucatini are a popular pasta format in Rome and are often served with sauce all&' amatriciana, a sauce made with tomato, onion, guanciale and pecorino Romano cheese.

Similar to spaghetti, they have a hollow section inside them, their name in fact derives from the verb 'puncture', that is, 'to make a hole', which makes them ideal for holding the sauce and the dressing.

This pasta format is also known as “perciatelli”, depending on the region d&' Italy in which it is consumed.

I Paccheri

Paccheri are a pasta format native to Campania.

The story tells us that this particular type of pasta was considered the pasta of the poor. Given the cylindrical shape and the very large size, a few were enough to fill the plate up to &

Another peculiarity of this pasta is the origin of the name: The term derives from the Greek, 'pas' which means everything and 'keir' which means hand, therefore literally 'all the hand', 'full hand' and refers precisely to the exaggerated size of the cylinder.

In particular, in Naples, pacheri are also called 'paccari', which means' slaps', since they have a diameter similar to that of a slap. Excellent with meat sauces, they become irresistible with fish.

The nobility's pasta format

The story of the queens or Mafaldine is also very curious: flat in the center and wavy on the sides, they seem to recall the curls of the crowns and laces of the dresses of the princesses Margherita and Mafalda of Savoy.

Not only that, this type of pasta is usually served to queens and princes on special occasions.

And what about the Strozzapreti? Invented in Emilia-Romagna at a time when there was a pressing church tax on the population and an ecclesiastical life centered on earthly pleasures such as food

Strozzapreti are said to have been invented by the nuns' cooks, who called them that because they were so tasty that they “suffocated” the greedy priests who ate them.

Animals and tools

Not only anecdotes and characters, pasta shapes are also linked to the resemblance to objects and animals, such as butterflies that owe their name to the shape that recalls the animal of the same name or long, lumpy vermicelli like worms.

Or more simply, the pasta format is named in homage to the tool used to make it, as in the case of penne, rigatoni and fusilli.

But what are the most common pasta formats in the world?

As we said, the popularity of different pasta formats varies depending on the country and region.

In general, the best-selling pasta formats in the world are: spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, penne, farfalle and macaroni.

In Italy, long pasta such as spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliatelle or scialatielli typical of the Amalfi Coast are very popular, while in the United States, short pasta formats such as penne and rotini are much more common.

There are really hundreds of types of pasta and to list them all would be a &' undertaking. But we are sure of one thing, whatever format of pasta you choose to bring to the table, with Spaghetti & Mandolino you will always look great!

S&M