The many shapes of pasta in Italy
Italy’s history is as rich, colourful and fascinating as the amazing pasta shapes that have evolved there over centuries of wars, changes, and cultural interactions.
With more than 350 different shapes of pasta: thick, thin, short, long, hollow, smooth, ridged and wavy, the Italians have literally created a shape of pasta that works with every sauce on the face of the earth.
When your average Italian nonna is planning a meal, the decision of which type or size of pasta to cook is almost totally dependent on the sauce that it is served with. It is no coincidence that Carbonara is served with spaghetti or that Ravioli tasted great with butter and sage. Sauces in Italy vary from region to region.
You will find tomato sauces are most common in Southern Italy where they are prepared in a spicier manner by adding garlic and hot spices. In Central Italy tomato sauces are also popular, but also there are also egg sauce variations. In Northern Italy creamy, cheese sauces are more popular.
Centuries of strict cooking traditions, painstakingly handed down from one generation to the next, have installed the importance of matching pasta the correct shape of pasta to the most appropriate sauce. Some pasta is formed into complex shapes, that are designed to grab sauces. Penne for example, have ridges or indents on the surface to hold the sauce.
What is pasta?
Made from the flour of durum wheat, the word pasta means ‘paste’ in Italy. This is in reference to the dough that the pasta shapes are made out of. Many of the pasta shapes are named after the figures that the dough is molded into.
Fresh pasta is often mixed, cooked, and eaten right away, whereas the alternative is dried in order to be stored and prepared later, by cooking it in boiling water.
Fresh pasta can be made with slightly different ingredients than the dried variety. Northern Italians prefer all-purpose flour and eggs whereas the southern regions prefer to use semolina and water.
Where did pasta originate
The tangled origins of pasta have long been debated, but one thing is certain: Italy has made the dish its own.
Some historians suggest pasta was eaten by the Etruscans in the 4th century B.C., while others point to the Middle Ages as the true birthplace of the beloved noodle.
Regardless of its origin, pasta arrived in Italy via the Sicilian ports in the Middle Ages, when the island was an Arabic colony. The Sicilians, ever the culinary adventurers, welcomed the Arab-imported tastes, including dried pasta.
It’s no wonder the Arabs valued pasta — it was easy to carry and preserve, making it the perfect travel food for long sea trips and warfare.
And as for the word “macaroni,” it actually comes from the Sicilian expression for kneading dough with vigor.
Pasta shops quickly emerged throughout southern Italy during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions heavily influenced by Arabic culture.
By the 13th century, pasta-making factories sprang up in Naples, Genoa, and Salerno, with Puglia and Tuscany following suit in the 14th century.
It was around this time that the first Italian pasta laws were established, controlled and regulated by none other than the Pope himself.
This was because, for centuries, pasta was considered a dish for the wealthy classes, taking pride of place in aristocratic banquets. It was thanks to the advent of mechanical press machines, that pasta spread to the masses during the Industrial Revolution.
And in Naples, where residents were once known as “leaf eaters,” the rise of pasta as the principal dish led to a new moniker: the “mangia macaroni,” or pasta eaters.
Tomatoes and pasta: a love story that began in the 17th century.
It is said that the pairing of pasta and tomatoes was first harmonized by Sicilan ship dockers, who boiled pasta (probably spaghetti or macaroni), drained it and added diced tomatoes on top before they ate a meal.
After tomatoes were discovered in the New World, it took until the middle of the 19th century for the fruit to be considered edible. As the tomato plant is a member of the nightshade family, wary Italians were understandably doubtful about whether this strange fruit was fit for human consumption.
Neapolitans caught on to the tomato trend quickly though — and soon they were growing tomatoes to make pummarola. Within only a hundred years, vermicelli with pummarola was the staple dish for many Southern Italians.
Pasta is big business for Italians
From the Arabic colonies in Sicily to the aristocratic banquets of the Middle Ages, pasta has come a long way, and yet it remains a staple of Italian cuisine and a symbol of the Italian way of life.
Italy produces around 4 million tons of pasta per year and (unsurprisingly) is the country with the highest consumption per capita in the world. The average Italian eats more than 25 pounds of pasta per year. They are closely followed by the Germans, French, British, Americans and the Japanese, who alone purchase 61% of all Italian food exports, a whopping 995 million euro worth each year.
As the Italians say, “La vita è troppo breve per mangiare male” (life is too short to eat poorly), and with so many delicious pasta dishes to choose from, there’s no excuse not to enjoy every bite. So go ahead and indulge in a plate of your favourite pasta, and remember to savour each moment with gusto. Buon appetito!
