Pasta Recipes and Sauces
Pasta comes in an amazing variety of shapes and forms, which can be sauced in an equally varied number of ways, from refreshing pesto to hearty meat or Alfredo. And then there are the stuffed and baked varieties, gnocchi, and sauces that will work well in other parts of the meal...
Pasta al Forno, or: Baked Pasta
As anyone who visits Italy rapidly realizes, pasta may be the national dish, but it's not a monolith: In adapting it to suit local traditions and ingredients, the cooks of the Peninsula have produced an infinite variety of forms and preparation methods. This is especially true for baked pasta, where the kind of pasta used and the sauces used to season it vary greatly from place to place.
As anyone who visits Italy rapidly realizes, pasta may be the national dish, but it's not a monolith: In adapting it to suit local traditions and ingredients, the cooks of the Peninsula have produced an infinite variety of forms and preparation methods. This is especially true for baked pasta, where the kind of pasta used and the sauces used to season it vary greatly from place to place.
How to Cook Pasta
From pot to plate in a few quick, easy steps.
From pot to plate in a few quick, easy steps.
Home Made Pasta
Making pasta at home takes effort, but can be lots of fun.
Making pasta at home takes effort, but can be lots of fun.
Pasta Sauces On Site
Most of these sauces will also work very well with gnocchi or polenta. The categories aren't hard-and-fast (egg is with meat, for example), but should help you find what you're looking for.
Most of these sauces will also work very well with gnocchi or polenta. The categories aren't hard-and-fast (egg is with meat, for example), but should help you find what you're looking for.
On Cooking and Serving Pasta
Cooking pasta is quick enough, and easy enough, that one can reduce the process to a quick set of steps. However, as with all simple things, there's more to the subject if you look at it closely, and if you keep a few simple rules in mind you will achieve much better results.
Cooking pasta is quick enough, and easy enough, that one can reduce the process to a quick set of steps. However, as with all simple things, there's more to the subject if you look at it closely, and if you keep a few simple rules in mind you will achieve much better results.
The Pasta Shapes Glossary
Pasta comes in all sorts of shapes, which are similar but not completely interchangeable. A photographic golssary, with recipe suggestions for the various kinds.
Pasta comes in all sorts of shapes, which are similar but not completely interchangeable. A photographic golssary, with recipe suggestions for the various kinds.
Lasagna & other Baked Pastas
Lasagna is the best-known baked pasta, but there's quite a bit of variety: timballos, timpanos, and much more.
Lasagna is the best-known baked pasta, but there's quite a bit of variety: timballos, timpanos, and much more.
Pasta al Cartoccio
Baking pasta in an aluminum foil packet may sound odd, but it's guaranteed to stun your guests. And romantic as well.
Baking pasta in an aluminum foil packet may sound odd, but it's guaranteed to stun your guests. And romantic as well.
Pasta Salads
Refreshing when it's hot, and perfect at a picnic or barbecue.
Refreshing when it's hot, and perfect at a picnic or barbecue.
Ravioli and other kinds of stuffed pasta
They're easy to make, and extremely varied.
They're easy to make, and extremely varied.
The Pasta Shapes Gallery
There are a great many kinds of pasta in Italy. Here's an expanding list of the most popular kinds, with suggested recipes, possible substitutions, and alternate names for them.
There are a great many kinds of pasta in Italy. Here's an expanding list of the most popular kinds, with suggested recipes, possible substitutions, and alternate names for them.