PASTA

Italy is synonymous with pasta and delicious pasta dishes prepared with fresh local produce. The list is positively endless withover 650 types of pasta varieties, and inumerable variations in sauces and accompaniments. However you enjoy your pasta, it's truly delicious in Italy.

The earliest known records of noodles in Europe are found on Etruscan tomb decorations from the 4th century BC. Utensils which are thought to have been used to make pasta were also found in the ruins of 79 AD Pompeii. It is often (incorrectly) stated that Marco Polo introduced pasta to the West when he brought noodles to Italy from China, but pasta was known in Europe for many centuries before his voyage.

Dried Italian-style pasta is made from durum wheat semolina or flour, which gives it a light yellow color. Asian-style noodles as well as most fresh noodles are made from regular (non-durum) wheat flour. Some pasta varieties, such as Pizzoccheri, are made from buckwheat flour. Gnocchi are often listed among pasta dishes, although they are quite different in ingredients (mainly mashed potatoes) and mode of preparation.

Common pasta sauces include pesto (a green sauce, usually from oil and basil), marinara (a red tomato-based sauce), alfredo (a white cream sauce), bolognese (a ground beef sauce) and amatriciana (a red tomato/wine based sauce, usually including onion and bacon strips).

In Italy, pasta with sauce (sugo) is often called "pastasciutta" ("asciutta" means "dry," indicating that the pasta is not served in broth).

Here are just a few of the famous Italian pasta dishes.

GNOCCHI

Gnocchi is the Italian word for dumpling, literally meaning "lumps." They can be made of potato and semolina (durum wheat) or flour, ricotta cheese (with or without spinach), or semolina. Although the dish is Italian, the word comes from a Germanic word for a knot (as in wood), possibly because of its short, squat shape. Gnocchi are often listed among pasta dishes, although gnocchi has different ingredients and mode of preparation.

Gnocchi are easy to make and can be a very satisfying meal. An example recipe: Cook two potatoes in boiling water, mash them, knead in about one and a quarter cups flour, and roll the dough into several thin (3 cm or so) tubes. Cut the tubes into short lengths. Flatten them with a fork (the grooves will help them collect sauce). Cook them batchwise in boiling water. As soon as the pieces float, they're done and can be removed to a colander. Makes four servings.

Note that gnocchi cook much faster than normal pasta and should not be overcooked. The classic accompaniments of gnocchi are a tomato sauce, burnt butter and sage sauce or melted butter and cheese.

In Argentina, where Italian cuisine is especially popular, gnocchi (known as ñoquis) are traditionally eaten on the 29th of each month. This was the day before payday, when people were at their poorest. Ñoquis made a cheap and hearty meal. On these occasions, some people leave a banknote under the plate to attract prosperity. Now in Argentine communities outside the country, Argentines gather each month for "ñoquis del 29".

SPAGHETTI

Spaghetti is a typical Italian dish comprised of long, thin, round pasta. It is frequently served in a tomato-based sauce, which may also contain olive oil, seasonings, including herbs (especially oregano and basil), and vegetables (for example green peppers, onions and mushrooms). It may also be topped with any of several hard cheeses, such as Pecorino Romano, Parmesan or Asiago. It may also be served with meatballs, or may contain meat in the sauce.

Most spaghetti sold and consumed is commercially prepared and therefore becomes hardened upon exposure to the environment. Spaghetti is cooked by boiling the pasta in water until it softens. The term describing the consistency or texture of properly cooked spaghetti is al dente which is translated from the Italian as "to the tooth" which means it is soft, but with texture. To have a perfect "spaghetti al dente", spaghetti should be derived only from Durumwheat semolina, even though spaghetti produced with other kinds of flour can be found outside Italy. Spaghetti or pasta should not be mushy when properly cooked, and should not fall apart when combined with sauces.

The word spaghetti is the plural of the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago, meaning "string," or "twine." Therefore literally, the word "spaghetti" means "little strings."

Eating spaghetti with a fork and a spoon is perfectly polite, being the traditional Neapolitan habit. However, many other Italians consider the proper way to eat it to be with just a fork, or with the help of the edge of the knife at the very most, like any other dish.

Legend has it that Marco Polo brought the recipe for spaghetti back from China; however there is evidence that pasta has been made in Italy at least since the 4th century BC.

LASAGNA

Lasagne, also lasagna, is both a form of pasta in sheets (often rippled in North America, though seldom so in Italy) and also a dish, sometimes named Lasagne al forno (meaning "Lasagne in the oven") made with alternate layers of pasta, cheese, and ragu (a meat sauce). While it is traditionally believed to have originated in Italy, evidence has come to light suggesting that a very similar meal known as "loseyns" (pronounced 'lasan') was eaten in the court of King Richard II in the 14th Century. The recipe was also featured in the first cookbook ever written in England. However, the claim is far from universally accepted, the Italian Embassy in London particularly speaking out against it for Italy.

The word "lasagna" is derived from the Greek word "lasanon" meaning chamber pot. The word was later borrowed by the Romans as "lasanum" to mean cooking pot. The Italians then used the word to refer to the dish in which what is now known as lasagna is made. The word lasagna or lasagne (plural) now simply applies to the dish itself. The British generally use the plural "lasagne" to mean both the dish and the pasta while the Americans commonly use the singular "lasagna".

Many recipes call for several kinds of cheese, most often ricotta and parmesan. The classic Lasagne alla Bolognese uses only Parmigiano Reggiano. Many recipes also add bechamel sauce (besciamella). A variant is Lasagne verde (green lasagne) which is the normal egg pasta with spinach added.

Lasagne was first recorded in the 13th century when it was used in a layered dish. This early version did not include tomatoes, which had not yet been discovered by Europeans.

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Bolognese sauce is a meat- and tomato-based pasta sauce originating in Bologna, Italy. It is typically made by simmering ground meat in tomato sauce, white wine, and stock for a long time (often upward of four hours), so that the meat softens and begins to break down into the liquid medium. The original sauce is not done with minced meat; instead, whole meat, usually beef or veal, is chopped with a knife.

Spaghetti alla Bolognese, or spaghetti bolognese which is sometimes further shortened to spag bol, is a dish invented outside of Italy consisting of spaghetti with a meat sauce. In Bologna, spaghetti is generally not served with a meat sauce, which tends to fall off the pasta and stay on the plate. Instead, the people of Bologna serve their famous meat sauce with tagliatelle or short, tubular pasta like rigatoni.

RAVIOLI

Ravioli is a popular type of pasta, comprised of a filling, commonly though not always meat based, sealed between two layers of pasta dough. Ravioli are commonly rectangular or circular in shape.

A common vegetarian option includes ricotta cheese and vegetables such as spinach in place of meat. The filling could be also potatoes, or even tofu.

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