There are 500 pasta formats, but only about 10 are the most popular around the world. With #PastaDiscovery, IPO is launching a virtual course to promote the meeting between pasta and sauce and rediscover its versatility.
Unione Italiana Food pasta makers and the IPO (International Pasta Organization) are dedicating the second #PastaDiscovery event to the marriage between format and condiment. An event aimed at learning to make the most out of all pasta shapes and to rediscover the versatility of this food following its popularity boom. #PastaDiscovery is a cycle of virtual meetings dedicated to the ABC of pasta for those who have always loved it, for those who are rediscovering it and for the absolute beginners in the kitchen.
But which are the most loved pasta formats? The Top 10 list is headed by Spaghetti, representing one pasta dish out of 3 worldwide, ahead of Penne Rigate and Fusilli. Fourth place was awarded to Rigatoni. Followed by, Farfalle, Linguine, Lumachine, Bucatini, Mezze Maniche and Lasagne.
According to Carl Zuanelli, President of the IPO: “Choosing the right pasta for a sauce is fundamental in bringing out the most in every recipe, over centuries, pasta makers have developed more than 500 formats, children of diversity, of the territory and of the creativity of pasta… With such a varied palette our pasta is never boring, yet only 4-5 formats are found on average in our kitchens. With PastaDiscovery we want to give everyone the tools to master the rules of perfect pairing and inspire people to get involved in this game of rediscovery. And to make a daily habit more enjoyable than ever.”
Shape, wire drawing, intensity and capacity to hold sauces: the secrets of the perfect match – Long, short, grooved, smooth, holey, thick or thin… pasta is architecture for the mouth, where the shape is material that must first be observed and then tried, chewed. The combination is perfect when we perceive a balance between pasta type and sauce. Generally, “softer” formats (such as Farfalle) are better matched to light and fresh condiments, such as a cold pasta dish with vegetables. More structured formats (Tortiglioni or Bucatini) need robust sauces, such as a meat ragù or Amatriciana. Large formats, such as Paccheri and Ziti, are ideal for condiments that combine elegance and consistency, while Mezze Maniche is a more “daily” and versatile pasta, perfect for practical and quick sauces but also for the richness of a Carbonara. What’s more, a porous or ribbed surface better captures runnier sauces, while a smoother texture is perfect with more “enveloping” sauces. The width of Tagliatelle and Pappardelle tends to “spread” over the tongue and therefore calls for a rich and flavoursome sauce (such as a wild boar ragù). While Conchiglie, just like a treasure chest, perfectly collects light sauces inside its shell shape.
(Pasta) Design thinking: innovation also switches between formats – Innovation in pasta also focuses on the design of new formats. According to the Unione Italiana Food and IPO survey, there are about 300 formats produced and consumed in the world. Names and shapes represent the territory, popular culture, production techniques, art and imagination of the pasta maker, always on the lookout for different cooking behaviours, textures and palatability. Over the years, designers from all over the world have taken on the pasta challenge, with mixed results. Because the format must not only be “beautiful”, but also functional, a true pleasure for the consumer. And so, between square Spaghetti, even larger Conchiglie and Paccheri that shrink, perhaps the next step will go in the opposite direction, that of total personalisation. Such is the case of the 3D printer, which has made it possible to construct unique and customised shapes, not obtainable by hand or through wire drawing, but designed and produced in just minutes by a software. You insert the dough – which is also customisable – into the machine and the game is over. Or rather, evolution continues.
10 perfect recipes for the 10 pasta types most loved by Italians, here is the Unione Italiana Food and IPO guide – To move from theory to practice, pasta makers are offering this mini-guide of 10 perfect recipes for the most common pasta formats we usually have in our kitchens. With a clear invitation to experiment…
- Spaghetti al Pomodoro – Spaghetti is the epitome of all pastas, as is the tomato sauce of all sauces. This marriage gives birth to the top most loved dish, which can even be explained by sensorial science: the sweet tone of the pasta combines with the typical umami of the tomato sauce and parmesan dusting, a mixture of flavours that our organism naturally welcomes. Especially when the Spaghetti greets the tomato sauce with a sensual embrace and balances its textural intensity.
Spaghetti is also good with: garlic and olive oil, oil-based sauces, fish sauces, Carbonara
- Penne Rigate all’Arrabbiata – Another perfect and foolproof union: the simple and welcoming ridged Penne pasta brings out the spiciness of the Arrabbiata sauce without dragging it out.
Penne Rigate also works well with: Pasta alla Norma, cold pasta salads, baked pasta.
- Fusilli alla Puttanesca – When all you have left in the kitchen are tin cans, it’s time to resort to a traditional Puttanesca. Mixing green and black olives, cherry tomatoes, capers, anchovies and chilli pepper makes for a very tasty sauce, just toss it in a pan with very al dente pasta. Mezze Penne is normally used, but Fusilli can make this pasta even more fun by holding the ingredients in its coils.
Fusilli is also good with: pasta salads, pestos, ricotta-based sauces
- Rigatoni al Ragù – A powerful format, that is rough enough to capture the sauce and hold it within the tubes, and persistent enough not to be dominated by the richness of the sauce.
Rigatoni is also good with: full-bodied sauces, vegetables, sausages, baked pasta with meat sauce
- Cold aromatic Farfalle with tuna, capers and lemon – A pasta format that manages to retain the sauce on its wings, while the central knot offers a thicker consistency that prolongs chewiness and enhances the sauce. That is why it is perfect at any season. Try this cold version for a summery pasta salad with tuna, olives, capers and lemon zest, flavoured with thyme and wild fennel. A Mediterranean triumph for the nose and the taste buds.
Farfalle is also good with: simple oil-based sauces, fresh spring sauces, cheese and vegetable sauces.
- Linguine alle Vongole – A gift from Naples to Italy, in which the Linguine absorbs all the natural flavour of the clams sautéed with garlic, oil and parsley. Linguine and not Spaghetti: the flatter shape offers a larger surface to combine with sauces and pestos, and the thinner part along the edges (the so-called “wings”) releases the perfect amount of starch to blend with olive oil and create a creamy consistency.
Linguine is also good with: simple fish sauces, Genovese Pesto
- Lumachine al Formaggio – A popular pasta type for its ability to enclose sauces and other condiments in small tasty morsels, and whose flavour explodes in the mouth. Best enjoyed eaten with a spoon. Try with a tasty melted cheese sauce flavoured with béchamel and nutmeg, for an Italian version of the popular “Mac ‘n’ Cheese”, much loved by English and Americans alike.
Lumachine also works well with: Meat and vegetable sauces, vegetable and legume soups.
- Bucatini all’Amatriciana – This recipe was born using Spaghetti, but Romanesque tradition along with Bucatini pasta took care of the rest, adding a touch of grace. An impressive format, which wraps around and is at the same time wrapped by the tomato, with a powerful, chewy and filling structure that responds with intensity to the flavour of the pig’s cheek.
Bucatini also works well with: Gricia, thick tomato and cheese sauces
- Mezze Maniche alla Carbonara – Mezze Maniche is the third wheel in the historical derby between Spaghetti and Rigatoni that has something extra: while Spaghetti holds the sauce in its twists and turns, and Rigatoni in its deep ridges, Mezze Maniche creates a wonderfully complete mouthful: a shape that is rough enough to attract the egg, large enough to capture the pig’s cheek, thick enough to make every forkful perfect without being overpowering.
Mezze Maniche is also good with: fresh tomatoes or simple butter-based sauces
- Lasagne di Carnevale – Bologna to the North and Naples to the South have forever argued over the birthplace and orthodoxy of layered pasta, which when combined with a sauce becomes an all-in-one dish, that is currently living a second youth in numerous green and anti-waste recipes. Unione Italiana Food looks at the tradition of the Neapolitan Carnival Lasagne, which conceals an entire world within its layers: Rich, transgressive, exaggerated, a popular tradition that for centuries has challenged poverty and social hierarchies, at least for one day.
Lasagne is also good with: rich sauces full of meat, cheese and vegetables.
