Types of Pasta ...

I am often asked what Pasta is the best in town and what to use. Pasta is for individuals and a matter choice. Also depends on the dish you are planning to cook.
I say it's more important to master the art of how to cook Pasta.

I have gathered some information from various sites and hope it clarifies and gives you more of an idea what is available in the market.

Long Pasta
Spaghetti: "Little Strings", long, thin strands of dried pasta. The standard against which others strands are compared.

Spaghettini: thinner spaghetti (but not as thin as angel hair)

Spaghettone: big spaghetti.

Capellini Tangelo (Capelin): angel hairs: the thinnest and most delicate of the spaghetti family. Sometimes an egg pasta.

Linguine: little tongues: narrow flat strands of dried pasta (usually). Sometimes a fresh pasta of the same size and shape can be call linguine.

Bucatini: pierced pasta. Slightly thicker than spaghetti with a hole in the center. Sometimes called Perciatelli.

Vermicelli: also very thin and fine Spaghetti. This term is used mostly in southern Italy.

Bigoli: a whole wheat thicker than Spaghetti pasta, common in Venice and the Veneto.

Perciatelli: same as Bucatini.

Pici (or Pinci): this is a hand-rolled pasta, primarily from the Montalcino and Pienza region. It resembles a slightly thick Spaghetti, and generally comes in nests. Ideal for Lamb and Boar Ragus.

Tubes
Penne: Quills. The basic tubular pasta. About 5/16 inch in diameter, and about one-inch long, cut on the diagonal. Can be smooth (Lisce) or with ridges (Rigate).

Garganelli: see under fresh pasta, although commercially one can sometimes get a Maccheroni version.

Elicoidali (a helix): these are tubes with ridges that have been cut squared off, not on the diagonal. The ridges curve around the tube in a raveling sort of way. Larger than Penne.

Cavatappi: not very common, but a great sauce coverer.. Really larger Fusilli (see above) with holes in the middle, therefore qualifying as tubes.

Maccheroni: now sort of an all-purpose general name for dried pasta.

Chifferi: a Maccheroni in sort of a half-moon shape, or an elbow. About one-inch long.

Rigatoni: big Penne, ribbed. Generally slightly curved. Large, fat and generally quite chewy.

Rigatoncini: slightly smaller Rigatoni.

Millerighe: (thousand lines) bigger than Rigatoni, more ridges, generally a little flatter tube, and straight.

Ziti: (bridegrooms) these are smaller versions of Rigatoni, about two inches long, and a staple of Naples.

Paccheri: a tube pasta, wide and short. About 3/4 inches in diameter and 3/4 inches in length. Made with durum. A special favorite is Paccheri Di Gragnano, from what is reputably the premier durum flour pasta making village (near Napoli). Popular as a pasta with seafood and garlic.

Mezze Maniche: (striped sleeves) a pasta very similar to Paccheri: same size and shape, but generally made from regular flour and is usually found in the north - Bologna, Genoa, etc.

Special Shapes
Fusilli: short spiral strands of pasta that resemble a corkscrew. They also seem to be shaped like a metal spring. Fusilli Lunghi are long strands of the same.

Trofie or Troffie: a Genoese home-made pasta that sort of resembles a corkscrew. Made by holding a two inch length of pasta under your fingertips, rolling it, and then hold both ends and twist it.

Troffiette: these are really Genoese Gnocchi, made with Semolina flour, not Potato. They have the twisted, squiggle-like shape.

Conchiglie: shells, pure and simple. All kinds of base: tomato, spinach, etc. And can be small to fairly large.

Farfalle: bow ties. Easily identified.

Lumache (snails): these are curled pastas, not quite tubes, that resemble snails

Orecchiette ( little ears): tiny ridged, pinched pasta discs. The little discs are pressed in the making by a thumb to create a little hollow, a perfect shape to gather in the sauce. A classic pasta of Apulia.

Ditallini: "little toes", very short tube-shaped macaroni. Used often in soups.

Strozzapreti: (priest stranglers) a tightly rolled length of pasta, about two inches, with a twisted shape

Gemelli: (twins) looks similar to Strozzapreti, but are generally doubled strands, short and thick pasta, that are twisted together to look like spirals

Cavatelli: narrow small strips of pasta, with a slit in the middle, giving it a shell-type shape

Gnocchetti Rigati: This is dried pasta, created to look like a small Gnocchi, with the ridges

Gramigna: (grass) narrow, curly small length of pasta with a hole in the middle.

Maltagliati: these are really left over scraps of pasta (poorly cut) that can be used in soups, etc.

Rotini: little spirals or twists of pasta

Pinci: handmade pasta (without eggs), made by rolling out a little piece of pasta until it becomes a long, thin string, of about 8 inches

Sedanini: little celery stalks one-inch-long maccheroni with a slight bend that resembles celery stalks

Pastina: tiny specs of pasta, like rice, used in soups

Corzetti: thin, hand-stamped (generally) wafers, or discs, found mostly in Genoa, and named after old Genovese stamped money pieces. Made from white, whole wheat or chestnut flour.

Gigli, Campanelle, Riccioli: flower-shaped small tubes of pasta. Gigli means lilies. A pasta good with hearty, chunky dishes.

Ziti: a fatter form of penne, a thick, long, hollow pasta shape. Because of their length they are usually cut into four-inch long pieces. Found in Sicily and southern Italy.

Zucchette: (little hats) a Pugliese or Sicilian pasta that is rounded, and hollow inside, like a cup or a hat. Ribbed. About 3/4 inch high. Very unusual shape: captures tomato sauce well.

Anellini: little circles of dried pasta, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Used similar to ditalini.

Radiatori: you guessed it -- radiators! Semolina pasta about 7/8 inch long in the shape of coils, or radiators.

Casarecci: shaped like a very narrow, twisted and rolled tube. About 1 1/2 inches long. Turned on end it looks like a tiny "s". Best with Meat sauce.

Spaghetti with cherry Tomatoes, Herbs and Feta Cheese...

Share a Simple Supper with me ...

Cherry Tomatoes (Fresh) - 2 bowls
Feta Cheese (Diced) -1 bowl
Fresh Basil (Finely Chopped) - 5tbsp
Garlic cloves – 4-5 large, minced
Parsley (Fresh) finely chopped – 3tbsp
Sea Salt – to taste
Pepper - to taste
Balsamic Vinegar – 1 ½ tbsp
Olive Oil – ½ cup
Lemon Juice - 2tsp
Black Olive - handful
Spaghetti – 1lb
Parmesan Fresh Cheese (Grated) – 1 chunk

Method:
In a large shallow oven proof dish, add the Tomatoes, Garlic, Vinegar, Lemon juice and drizzle the Olive Oil all over the mix and season with a pinch of Sea Salt and roast for 20-25mins until scotched.

Boil plenty of water in a large pot, with plenty of Salt. Use a wooden spoon and give it a healthy stir every now and then. Keep the pasta moving in the water. (keeps it from sticking). Remember this dish is all about the Pasta. The only way to tell when pasta is just short of
al dente as the case may be.
Drain and place in a large wide non-stick pan, and add the roasted Tomatoes with the juices, Parsley, Feta Cheese, Basil, Pepper and Salt and toss well.
Serve with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan Cheese.
Enjoy !

Chef’s Tips: For those who struggle with a facility of a Oven, you could stir fry the dish instead.
I prefer whole wheat pasta, and the slightly nutty flavour works very well with this sauce. Leftovers can be refrigerated but are best brought to room temperature before serving. They are equally good reheated in the microwave just until warm.

If you struggle in getting Cherry Tomatoes, use normal Tomatoes, deseed them and finely chop them to bite size.


For those who don’t really like Parmesan Cheese, you could use Mozzarella Cheese too.

Methi Chicken

Chicken - 1 ½ lb cut into medium sized pieces
Onions - 3 finely chopped
Cooking oil - 4 to 5 tbsps
Jeera (Shahi Black cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves (Fresh 10-12 leaves or Bay Leaves)
Salt to taste
Ginger – 5 cubes
Garlic – 3 Cubes
Ajwain - ½ tsp
Tumeric - 1 tbsp
Madras Curry Powder – 1 ½
Lemon Juice – 3 tbsps
Tomatoes (finely chopped / Pureed) or 1 tin
Tomato Puree – 1 ½ tbsp
Coriander (Fresh) Leaves - 1 ½ tsp for Garnish
Water - 1 cup (add more if required)
Yoghurt - 2 tbsp yoghurt
Methi leaves (Fresh) (fenugreek leaves) - 2 cups tightly packed (roughly chopped)
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (Optional)
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp (Optional) or the following
Cardamoms – Large Black – 3 Pods
Cardamoms – 3 Pods
Cinnamon Sticks – 3 1inch
Aniseed (Star) – 2 Pods
Pepper Corns (Whole) – 5 Corns

Method:
In a wide Non-stick bottomed vessel, heat oil. On low heat, add Jeera, Ajwain, Cardmoms, Cinnamon, Aniseed and Pepercorns, and fry for a few seconds. Add curry leaves, toss them and then add Onions and increase the flame to medium and fry till the onions turn golden brown. Add ginger & garlic paste and fry until the raw small disappears. Add Salt, Tumeric, Curry Powder and mix well. Add chicken, mix well, cover and cook for 4-5 mins stirring in between. Add Tomatoes and Tomato paste, Yoghurt and cook until the gravy begins to thicken, at this stage add water if required. Add Methi leaves and and gently mix and cook for 15-2- mins on slow fire and at this stage the oil begins to seperate from the gravy confirms the dish is ready. Garnish with Coriander and serve hot with steamed basmati Rice, Rotis or Naan.
Enjoy.

Chef’s Tip: This is a popular Hyderabadi dish, known as Murgh Methi aka Methi chicken). Protein enriched chicken cooked with fresh Methi leaves that are rich in calcium, potassium and iron!

Mandazi ~ Mahambri ...

A Popular Swahili dish ...

Receipe availbe ... Prompt me for for the receipe.

Gujiyas / Kajji Kaya ...

Originally Gujiyas are a Gujrathi dish, but I have now been enlightened that they’re also very popular in the south too, known as Kajji Kaya.

Ingredients:
Dough
Plain Flour – 1 Cup
Ghee (Purified Butter) – 2 tbsp
Milk – ¼ cup
Water – as required

Stuffing
Semolina – 1 ½ cup
Coconut (Grated) – 1 cup
Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
Raisins – ½ cup
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts (Coarse) – ½ cup
Sugar ~ 1 ½ cup
Green Cardamom (ground)powder ~ a pinch to taste
Salt ~ Pinch
Ghee ~ 1 tbsp
Sugar:-2 1/2 cup
Kohya / Mawa (Finely grated) - 1/2 cup

Oil for Frying

Method for stuffing: On med fire, In a large non-stick saucepan, add Ghee, Cashews and Raisins and sauté until raisins swell up and add the Semolina and cook for 10 mins and add the grated Coconut and mix well and roast further for 15-20 mins until a hint of golden brown. Add Cardamom powder, Lemon, Salt and Sugar and mix well and remove from fire and allow to cool.

Method for Dough: In a bowl, add plain Flour, Ghee an mix well and add a touch of water leaving the dough on the tough end and allow to rest for half an hour.

On a clean surface, make small balls of the Dough and roll out to a fine pancake and add the stuffing in the middle (Not too much) brush the water all around the edges an and fold over on the edges and pinch (design) to fine seal it completely.

In a Karahi, add the Oil and in Med / hot temp fry there dumplings to a light golden colour and remove. Gujiyas are now ready to serve hot or at room temperature.
Enjoy.

Chef’s Tip:
My Guajarati neighbours in Mombasa, always made Gujiyas on Diwali and I clearly remember they would add food colour in small portions of the dough and have pretty, yummy looking, mouth watering Gujiyas.
Kohya is an optional.
Due to allergies of nuts, you could refrain from nuts.
Stencils are available for making the Cup folds shapes.
Gujiyas can be stored in a air tight container to retain its crispiness.
I couldn’t help, but smile, when my wife asked some relatives on how to make Gujiyas.

Why don’t they simply ask first?