Bucatini or Perciatelli?

[Sid Post]

What is the difference between these two?  Apparently, Bucatini is in short supply because some wackos think they make great straws!  😯

 

Then "Big Pasta" got US Customs to block the importation of one brand because they didn't add enough "iron" to their pasta to be legal for importation from Italy!  😲

 

Looking for some good pasta, I came across Colavita in these two styles as I don't want flat pasta or one of the other shapes.  It looks like these names are used interchangeably but, they are different pasta shapes.

 

How are these different from each other?  Is the hole size different?  Is one thicker than the other?

 

In the $2~$3 per pound range, where do I get good "dry" pasta?  What brands and shops are the better ones to shop at?  Amazon can hook me up with 20 pounds of Colavita for a reasonable price in today's inflated market but, other brands and sources might be a better option.  I am looking for quality pasta, not cheap mass-market pasta from the local grocery store that carries bland mushy Skinner and American Beauty.

 

TIA,

Sid

[weinoo]

Check out supermarketitaly.com.  
 

They have some nice brands in your price range, maybe a little bit higher. Great selection of other imported Italian stuff as well.

 

Free shipping kicks in at a not-too-crazy $70 or so.

[Chimayo Joe]

Kroger affiliates carry bucatini in their Private Selection store brand, at least my local stores do.  Private Selection pasta is bronze cut and imported from Italy. It's my "go to" pasta brand.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, Sid Post said:

How are these different from each other?  Is the hole size different?  Is one thicker than the other?

 

They're essentially the same pasta.

 

Supermarketitaly's pasta selection

Edited December 30, 2021 by weinoo (log)

[dans]

I have packages of both and the perciatelli has a larger hole.

[Sid Post]

2 hours ago, Chimayo Joe said:

Kroger affiliates carry bucatini in their Private Selection store brand, at least my local stores do.  Private Selection pasta is bronze cut and imported from Italy. It's my "go to" pasta brand.

 

Thanks!  The Kroger Private Selection looks really good and is definitely on the lower end of the price range.

 

Bronze cut and Italian makes it a really good option for me right now.  Their Gnocchi looks really good too!

[heidih]

26 minutes ago, Sid Post said:

 

Thanks!  The Kroger Private Selection looks really good and is definitely on the lower end of the price range.

 

Bronze cut and Italian makes it a really good option for me right now.  Their Gnocchi looks really good too!

 

I buy them on occasion. Little delicate so if pore-boiling and then sautee or sauce - gentle. Good price

[Margaret Pilgrim]

2 hours ago, dans said:

I have packages of both and the perciatelli has a larger hole.

Are they the same brand?

[weinoo]

20 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Are they the same brand?

 

Doubtful - I don't know of a company which makes both.

[cdh]

Maybe widen your horizons to fusili bucati as a possible shape for your purposes? Hollow like bucatini and such, but shaped like telephone cords. 

Edited December 30, 2021 by cdh (log)

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

 

Doubtful - I don't know of a company which makes both.

 

Actually you dope, Colavita makes both! I call...marketing.

 

https://colavitastore.com/products/8

[weinoo]

33 minutes ago, cdh said:

Maybe widen your horizons to fusili bucati as a possible shape for your purposes? Hollow like bucatini and such, but shaped like telephone cords. 

I'd widen my horizons even more - bucatini slash pericatelli is good for one or two sauces, in my opinion. And then, it better be cooked properly, or sauce and stuff ends up all over the place.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

1) I love both bucatini and percatelli.   And, I have just discovered Colavita...in a small country town.    Really rather good bagged fettuccine and pappardelle.   I buy multiple bags every month or so.  

[Sid Post]

2 hours ago, cdh said:

Maybe widen your horizons to fusili bucati as a possible shape for your purposes? Hollow like bucatini and such, but shaped like telephone cords. 

 

Fusilli Bucati look interesting.  I have tried the braid and various twists which work pretty well in salads and soups but, with sauces I find them a bit irksome on the plate.  Farfalle, shells, and elbows also work pretty well for something like Mac'n'Cheese.  Cavatapi (sp?) is one I tried once in some soup which was a fun shape but, a bit messy with the soup.

I'm looking for a noodle to work better on a plate with a thin sauce.  For more meat based sauces, I like a heavier noodle.  The "hollow spaghetti" shape looks like a good choice for this application, though short hollow spirals might be a good option too.

Edited December 31, 2021 by Sid Post (log)

[Sid Post]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

I'd widen my horizons even more - bucatini slash pericatelli is good for one or two sauces, in my opinion. And then, it better be cooked properly, or sauce and stuff ends up all over the place.

👍  Yep, trying to avoid mushy overcooked spaghetti from the common grocery store options.  Overly watery mush (random store brand pasta with Prego/Ragu might as well be in a blender jar with a straw) is terrible IMHO.

[Sid Post]

Any comments on Colavita versus De Cecco versus Kroger Private Selection?  Those are the main "premium" brands in the <$4 range that I have reasonable access too (reasonable quantity, reasonable shipping, or reasonably close).

 

I looking for quality at a reasonable price. Assuming they were all three the same price, which would you get and why?  Is one better for long noodles and another better for shapes?  I'm probably going to get a few shapes in addition to a few long noodle shapes to "test drive" and I want to focus on the better options initially.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

While one can argue that top priced imports will meet your needs, we've found that an eye on the pot with frequent tastings toward the end of your expected cooking range provide pretty similar results: al dente strands.   We use De Cecco, Barilla, Colavita, Rao's, Sam's Club (may be discontinued), assorted imported brands as encountered, with similarly excellent results.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

10 hours ago, Sid Post said:

What is the difference between these two?  Apparently, Bucatini is in short supply because some wackos think they make great straws!  😯

 

Then "Big Pasta" got US Customs to block the importation of one brand because they didn't add enough "iron" to their pasta to be legal for importation from Italy!  😲

 

Looking for some good pasta, I came across Colavita in these two styles as I don't want flat pasta or one of the other shapes.  It looks like these names are used interchangeably but, they are different pasta shapes.

 

How are these different from each other?  Is the hole size different?  Is one thicker than the other?

 

In the $2~$3 per pound range, where do I get good "dry" pasta?  What brands and shops are the better ones to shop at?  Amazon can hook me up with 20 pounds of Colavita for a reasonable price in today's inflated market but, other brands and sources might be a better option.  I am looking for quality pasta, not cheap mass-market pasta from the local grocery store that carries bland mushy Skinner and American Beauty.

 

TIA,

Sid

 

If you are searching for "quality pasta, not cheap mass-market pasta from the local grocery store" expect to pay more than your $2-$3 per pound limit.  This should not be a hardship.  We are not talking sashimi tuna here.  Besides, the more the pasta costs, the closer to free shipping.

 

My favorite commercial bucatini is Rustichella D'Abruzzo.  I buy from supermarketitaly.com.  Sadly I see they are currently sold out.  Always remembering the siege of Paris, thankfully I hoarded for the pandemic.  Last night's pasta was Rustichella D'Abruzzo linguini...

 

 

I also posses bucatini dies, and am not above extruding bucatini myself in an emergency.

 

As an aside, I used to be a fan of Colavita products until I read The Deadly Dinner Party.  In a way I feel sorry for the company, but more sorry for the poor people who gave up their lives.  I also recall an olive oil review that found half of Colavita olive oil samples were adulterated.  (Although Colavita was the least adulterated of any of the olive oil brands tested.)

 

[Chimayo Joe]

6 hours ago, Sid Post said:

Any comments on Colavita versus De Cecco versus Kroger Private Selection?  Those are the main "premium" brands in the <$4 range that I have reasonable access too (reasonable quantity, reasonable shipping, or reasonably close).

 

I looking for quality at a reasonable price. Assuming they were all three the same price, which would you get and why?  Is one better for long noodles and another better for shapes?  I'm probably going to get a few shapes in addition to a few long noodle shapes to "test drive" and I want to focus on the better options initially.

I've never had Colavita pasta.  I buy quite a bit of Private Selection and De Cecco but haven't had De Cecco bucatini.  Private Selection is what I usually get, but the supermarkets here carry some shapes in De Cecco that I like but haven't seen in Private Selection--rotelle and larger than typical rigatoni.  I have some De Cecco cavatappi and penne rigate in my cupboard now, too(along with a lot of various Private Selection.)  De Cecco might be a little firmer, but I can't really say that for sure, could just be cooking time variation. I'm generally happy with either brand.  The other brand I buy most often is Barilla, but just their ditalini and mini penne for soups.

[Chimayo Joe]

A couple of more fairly inexpensive bucatini possibilites are Safeway's Signature Reserve store brand and the Barilla Collezione line.  I've never had either, but Signature Reserve is a bronze cut Italian import and Barilla Collezione is bronze cut(but U.S. made, I think.)

Edited December 31, 2021 by Chimayo Joe (log)

[weinoo]

I go, once again, to the price per portion.

 

Colavita, and their adulterated crap, can kiss my ass. 

 

And if anyone thinks there is no difference between a pasta like Barilla (which I use for certain applications) vs. Faella/Rustichella et al. (which I use when i want good pasta) is out of their minds.  All one has to do is open a box of each, look and touch, and tell me there's no difference.

 

14 hours ago, Sid Post said:

I'm looking for a noodle to work better on a plate with a thin sauce.  For more meat based sauces, I like a heavier noodle.

 

For a thin  sauce, I'd suggest a thin pasta - like thin spaghetti or spaghetti (not a fan of angel hair). For more meat based sauces, or chunky sauces, thicker strands work, as does something like a flatter pasta, or rigatoni or one of my faves, mezze rigatoni.

Edited December 31, 2021 by weinoo (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

15 hours ago, cdh said:

Maybe widen your horizons to fusili bucati as a possible shape for your purposes? Hollow like bucatini and such, but shaped like telephone cords. 

One of my favorites.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

I go, once again, to the price per portion.

Colavita, and their adulterated crap...

Okay.   Thanks for the heads up, since I make a special stop to buy Colavita fettuccini nests ($3.99/16oz).    I use them for "cabbage noodles", cabbage slivered the same width as the fettuccini, both boiled until tender crisp then combined and cooked together with a huge chunk of butter until done to taste.     A family and friend favorite side dish (simple fish or chicken) shared by a NYC internet friend.     

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Email from supermarketitaly today announcing 10% off sale.

 

[Annie_H]

36 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Email from supermarketitaly today announcing 10% off sale.

I just was about to post that. My pantry is so friggin' full right now. I only ordered a couple times the past two years from SMI but excellent variety and easy to hit 70bucks with all the selections of olives, capers, etc. Pantry staples. When RG bean club posted the next delivery recently I hit the gyp-rock, but it was soon corrected to February. Fweew....