Pasta Glossary
Gnocchi
Type: Cooked potato and flour create these precious soft little pillows.
Region: Lazio
Pair with: butter & parmesan, creamy cheeses, pesto Genovese.
Translation: Stems from nodo meaning “knot” as in wood.
FARFALLE
Type: Hand cut pasta typically made from an egg based dough. Sometimes referred to as “bow-tie.”
Region: Lombardy
Pair with: light vegetable sauces, typically eaten during the summer.
Translation: “butterflies”
Recommended Class: Hand Cut Pasta or Gluten Free Hand Cut Pasta
TORTELLINI
Type: Filled Pasta made from an egg based dough.
Region: Emilia-Romagna
Pair with: filled with pork en brodo (in broth), butter & sage
Translation: “small little pies”
Recommended Class: Filled Pasta
RIGATONI
Type: ridged, tubular, extruded pasta made from a semolina and water based dough.
Region: Lazio
Pair with: Spicy meat sauce.
Translation: Stems from rigato meaning “ridged or lined.”
ORECCHIETTE
Type: Disc like, and springy hand rolled pasta made from semolina and water.
Region: Puglia
Pair with: broccoli rabe & sausage
Translation: “little ears”
Recommended Class: Pasta 101
PAPPARDELLE
Type: Wide, ribbbon like, hand cut pasta made from an egg based dough.
Region: Tuscany
Pair with: meat ragù
Translation: Stems from papparsi meaning to “gobble up” or “stuff oneself.”
Recommended Class: Hand Cut Pasta or Gluten Free Hand Cut Pasta
MALLOREDDUS
Type: Hand rolled pasta, traditionally made with a semolina/water based dough & saffron. Sometimes referred to as “gnocchetti sardi.”
Region: Sardinia
Pair with: fennel sausage, saffron and tomato sauce.
Translation: “fat little calves”
Recommended Class: Pasta 101
CAPPELLETTI
Type: round, filled pasta made from an egg based dough.
Region: Emilia-Romagna
Pair with: typically filled with ricotta and lemon and served in a meat broth.
Translation: “little hats”
Recommended Class: Filled Pasta
CAVATELLI
Type: Hollow, hand rolled pasta made from semolina and water.
Region: Puglia
Pair with: any vegetable under the sun, local if possible.
Translation: “little hollows”
Recommended Class: Pasta 101
Tagliatelle
Type: Long, hand cut pasta made from an egg based dough. Sometimes referred to as fettuccine.
Region: Emilia-Romagna
Pair with: Ragù Bolognese,
Translation: Stems from tagliare meaning “to cut.”
Recommended Class: Hand Cut Pasta or Gluten Free Hand Cut Pasta
RAVIOLI
Type: Filled Pasta made with an egg based dough.
Region: Possibly Liguria, up for much debate.
Pair with: al brodo (in broth), a simple tomato sauce or ‘a culo nudo’: with a little cooking water and dash of red wine.
Translation: Stems from rabilole meaning “thing of little value.”
Recommended Class: Filled Pasta
penne rigate
Type: hollow, cylindrical, extruded pasta made from a semolina and water based dough.
Region: Liguria
Pair with: any sauce, light or hearty. fresh shaved parmesan or ricotta salata. “pasta al forno” is a traditional way to serve penne.
Translation: stems from the singular form, penna meaning “feather” or “pen”