What's your favourite pasta and why ?

I know your answer will probably be - 'well it depends on what you're cooking. Spaghetti goes with Bolognaise, Fettucine goes with Marinara .... blah blah.....'

Well I could never really follow this convention. I seem to like just one or two types and I put this with every dish I cook no matter what recipe.

My fave pasta is rigatoni or what is also called elbow. I just love the shape and the hole size (ie ratio of air inside to pasta thickness). It seems to catch (or cradle) the food particles within its dimensions. You can eat just one, or fork in a few, depending on your craving. It's clean to eat, no sloppy sauce spashing like you can get with the string pastas. It goes great with parmasen cheese or other Italian cheeses. It's easy to re-heat when you have left-overs.

I also went through a big gnocchi phase several years back when I was a vego. I am a huge carbo junky so combining pasta with potato is pure genius in my book.

So what about you, do you crave just one pasta shape or appreciate many varieties. Following is a chart to help you name them if you get stuck.




Peace Out - Happy Eating Foodies

Pizza. Thats pasta, too.

It's even a vegetable...

No, seriously, it really depends on the ingredients - I myself and my family really like pastas, okay, the kids like anything with tomatoe sauce (not KETCHUP, real tomatoes mashed!). Usually I take the first pasta upon which my eyes fall when I open that drawer.

Tagliatelle, with a blue cheese sauce, and some chives.

vvv

Originally posted by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep
Tagliatelle, with a blue cheese sauce, and some chives.

vvv

I'm a big cheese lover, but can't go near that blue stuff. Any food that requires the consumer to hold their nose while consuming it is simply un-cool. How is Tagliatelli different to Fettucine, they look the same to me ?

Peace Out

reply to post by nimbinned


Tagliatelle, is a little bit "fatter" than Fettucini.

Otherwise its the same thing really.

vvv

To me , pasta is pasta regardless of the shapes and sizes. It has more to do with who can eat what?( An older or younger guest might not have the teeth to chew angel hair or spaghetti) and i look for whole grain, veggie, organic pastas. Pasta ia made out of the same ingredients, the difference is the shape. I have found all pastas to be completey interchangeable in any recipe.

reply to post by missvicky


That's cool. I know that all pastas are essentially made from the same ingredients (if it's not filled), but I just have this weird thing for how the shape influences the taste and feel of the food in your mouth. Is it just me ? Am I wack ?

Peace Out

Rigatoni's are too fat and beefy. Give me a mostacholi macaroni errr pasta any day.
Perfect size.

I like so much pasta that I don't know that I could narrow it down to just one. I like penne over rigatoni because it isn't so dang big. I really like radiatori, orzo, and cellentani because they are good for salads. I use farfalle and macaconi for my kids. Those are just the dried pasta! If it is fresh that is a whole nother ball game!~ Fresh pasta I'd have to say my favorite are home made egg noodles, but a good ravioli and it has to be good is a second runner up! No wonder I'm 30lbs overweight! LOL

reply to post by nimbinned


My favorite pasta is (whole wheat pasta)...it has protein and fiber in it...really healthy!

The new Brown Rice Gluten Free Pastas.........YUM!!!!

I like tagliatelli and canneloni.

Tagliatelli with bol, yum. My daughter used to cry "aw noooooooooo, I HATE tagliatelli, I want spaghetti." Took me months to convince her it's the same stuff and she's okay now.

Canneloni recipes look scrumptious, especially with a cheese sauce poured over the top. Nice alternative to lasagne. I've only bought that a couple of times but doing shopping today and I'll add that to my list. Hungry now.

Originally posted by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep
Tagliatelle, with a blue cheese sauce, and some chives.

vvv

Um..that sounds like heaven on a fork. Never seen blue cheese sauce.


My favorite pasta is penne. I love the size because it easily fits on a fork and into my mouth. I also love that it holds the sauce inside the little tunnel. I don't care what it is meant for. I use it in anything.

My husband hates it for whatever reason. He likes angel hair.

reply to post by tport17

Um..that sounds like heaven on a fork. Never seen blue cheese sauce.

No no, its pretty easily actually.

Take a frying pan, meduim heat. Pour some cream into the pan, then take some blue cheese, and crumble it into the cream. Keep stirring it, till it becomes a little thicker.
Then when your pasta is al dente, just pour it into the frying pan, and mix it in with the cream and blue cheese. If you like, you can put some finely chopped leeks into it too.

Viola! its so easy, and quick to make. Try it some time

vvv

We talking just the pasta or a dish? If dish gotta be lasagne. Pasta on it's own? Fettuccine.