Historically, official mention of the term "spaghetto" can be traced back to the first dictionary of the Italian language by Nicolo Tommaseo and Bernardo Bellini (1819). The word "spaghetto" was included as the "masculine singular diminutive of spago (thread)" and mention is made of "Minestra di Spaghetti" (spaghetti soup) which is pasta the size of a long, thin thread such as sopracapellini".
Spaghetti is so versatile that it can be served with any condiment, from fish to meat, from vegetables to cheese, but is also excellent served just with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan.
Penne Rigate are part of the short, diagonal cut, ridged pasta family and are one of the most well-known type of pasta, as well as being the most versatile in the kitchen.
In Italian, the term "Penne" refers to the goose feather which was used historically to write with and was cut on a diagonal to achieve a really thin tip. The shape, obtained from a pasta tube, can be smooth or ridged, of varying length and has the typical diagonal cut of a quill.
Penne Rigate are perfect for preparing oven-baked pasta or pasta dishes served with meat sauces made from pork or beef. This pasta is equally as good with vegetable based sauces and more in general, due to its versatility, for any recipe from the Mediterranean tradition, such as the classic condiment with tomato, basil, extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan. A classic combination is with Arrabbiata sauce.
Linguine are the most well-known type of long pasta from Liguria: they resemble a small, flat, narrow tagliatella-type pasta and were created to be eaten with traditional pesto.
It is precisely the flattened section and slightly convex shape of this pasta that makes it perfect for trapping the sauce and bringing out all the different flavours.
It is excellent just with butter and sage, or combined with fresh tomato based sauces, with vegetables and aromatic herbs, or quick, spicy sauces prepared with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, red pepper, anchovies and capers.
It is also ideal with sauces made with shellfish and seafood and with "white" sauces prepared with cream, mascarpone, soft or melting cheeses with the addition of spices such as saffron, horseradish, curry and ginger.
Gnocchi is a typical dish in the tradition of Italian cooking that in different regions may differ in the shape and size of the dough. De Cecco offers you a tasty product originating from the classic recipe that combines selected potatoes and wheat flour. The difference is they only take 2 minutes to cook. Their various shapes are designed to make them the perfect choice for preparing attractive dishes every day; from recipes with meat sauce or pesto alla genovese, to more original and imaginative ones based on velvety cheese sauces or simpler ones with melted butter, sage and grated parmesan.
