From shapes to sauces and how to combine them, few platefuls are as regionally particular as pasta. Here a Venetian native introduces us to the typical dishes from four corners of the country
That Italians love their pasta is no news. Few things unite the country like a daily bowlful of spaghetti, and few dishes are so socially and geographically pervasive, and as representative of the Italian food culture, as pasta. And yet, as often happens with Italian food, regional differences are strong and vibrantly alive. Variations arise not just from north to south but also from town to town, from kitchen to kitchen, either in the composition of the dough or, even more, in the sauce dressing the noodles.
Shapes aside, the main distinction in the realm of pasta occurs between fresh and dried. A general misconception has led people to believe that fresh pasta is superior to dried pasta, when in fact the two are very different matters. Dried pasta, made with durum wheat and water – first produced in the area around Gragnano in Campania, and now consumed all over Italy – can be just as excellent. Look out for phrases such as trafilata al bronzo (bronze-die) and pura semola di grano duro (pure durum wheat semolina) as signs of superior quality.
From shapes to sauces and how to combine them, few platefuls are as regionally particular as pasta. Here a Venetian native introduces us to the typical dishes from four corners of the country
That Italians love their pasta is no news. Few things unite the country like a daily bowlful of spaghetti, and few dishes are so socially and geographically pervasive, and as representative of the Italian food culture, as pasta. And yet, as often happens with Italian food, regional differences are strong and vibrantly alive. Variations arise not just from north to south but also from town to town, from kitchen to kitchen, either in the composition of the dough or, even more, in the sauce dressing the noodles.
Shapes aside, the main distinction in the realm of pasta occurs between fresh and dried. A general misconception has led people to believe that fresh pasta is superior to dried pasta, when in fact the two are very different matters. Dried pasta, made with durum wheat and water – first produced in the area around Gragnano in Campania, and now consumed all over Italy – can be just as excellent. Look out for phrases such as trafilata al bronzo (bronze-die) and pura semola di grano duro (pure durum wheat semolina) as signs of superior quality.
