Is Bowtie Pasta Only for a Black-Tie Dinner?

By: Katherine Montalto | May 13 2010
Posted in Cook It - Chicago

Everyone remembers learning in grade school that Marco Polo brought pasta to Italy from his voyages to China. There is, however, evidence of a Greco-Roman noodle made of wheat first being mentioned around the 1st century A.D. that was baked like lasagna. The Chinese have been eating noodles made of millet since at least 2000 BC. Pasta as we know it, dried and prepared by boiling, was most likely introduced to Italy by the Arabs during the invasions of the 8th century. Thomas Jefferson brought the first pasta maker to America in 1789.

Photo: Katherine Montalto

About 350 different pasta shapes exist with about as many names for each one. It can seem as if pasta makers create shapes for sheer whimsy, but there is rhyme and reason to all those crazy shapes. For every type of pasta, there is a pasta sauce that best suits its shape.

What's Good for What

Long, flat pastas like linguine and fettuccini are best for creamy sauces that hold well to their shape. Long, thin pastas like spaghetti and angel hair are best for dishes made with olive oil like pesto and light fresh tomato sauces. The tight, thin shape keeps the fresh sauce evenly spread through out the dish. With short pastas, like farfalle and penne, the thick goodness of meat sauces get trapped inside all the nooks and crannies, making every bite count! Flat pastas, such as lasagna are to be stuffed with cheese and meats and covered in sauce or you can get pasta that’s already been filled, ravioli and tortellini for instance.

One of my favorite places to get pasta in Chicago is Fiorentino's on Ashland. The ricotta stuffed gnocchi is probably the most popular pasta dish. There is also the amazing tortellini with porscuítto, mushrooms, and peas in a creamy alfredo sauce.

What’s your favorite pasta shape and why?