05/07/2024
Known for its diverse palate and regional cuisine, Italy’s culinary identity can be quite difficult to define.
But pasta forms an integral part of its gastronomical personality and comes in a variety of different shapes and sizes.
Agnolotti in Piedmont: Most commonly crimped, square-shaped, and stuffed with meat, agnolotti (or ‘priest hats’) is the primary pasta of Piedmont, in the northwestern region of Italy.
Farfalle in Lombardy: Universally recognized as the ‘bow-tie’, farfalle borrows its name from the Italian word for ‘butterflies’.
Despite its intricate design, this good-looking variety remains the signature pasta of the northwestern Italian region of Lombardy.
Curzetti Stampae in Liguria: Originating from the pastel-coloured coastal stretch of the Italian Riviera, curzetti stampae (or Corzetti stamps), are a fresh pasta unique to the northwestern Italian region of Liguria.
Strozzapreti in Emilia-Romagna: Strozzapreti, (or ‘priest-choker’), is a hand-rolled variety of pasta from the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.
Gigli in Tuscany: Gigli, (or ‘lilies’), is a type of dried pasta from the lush-green patch-worked pastures of Tuscany, in Central Italy.
Bucatini in Lazio: Bucatini (from Italian ‘buco’ meaning ‘hole’), is a spaghetti-like pasta with a hollow centre, that derives from the central Italian region of Lazio.
Spaghetti alla Chitarra in Abruzzo: Spaghetti alla chitarra is a variety of egg pasta from the Abruzzo region of Central Italy.
Penne in Campania: Penne (or ‘pen’) is a well-known variety of Italian pasta that is said to have arisen from the south of Italy, in the region of Campania.
Orecchiette in Puglia: Head southeast to Italy’s ‘heel’ and you will find the pasta specialty of Puglia: ‘orecchiette’ (or ‘little ears’).
Ziti in Sicily: Ziti (or ‘bride-grooms’) is the chunkier Sicilian version of Campanian penne, from the rugged, southernmost region of Italy.
