Pasta Shapes

[heidih]

34 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Mine is farfalle. I have no idea why but I just don't like it.

 

Ditto 

[Alex]

2 hours ago, Eatmywords said:

 

 

(mines ziti, not to be confused w penne)

 

I despise no pasta. Orzo is weird, but not despicable. And certainly not weird enough to keep it from making its way to my mouth.

[Katie Meadow]

Bowties and orzo. Don't like either.

[Kim Shook]

I'm not a fan of really al dente pasta, so I don't care for any of the shapes that are a lot thicker in the center.  Bowties, tortellini, rotini, fusilli.  I just never seem to be able to get them cooked right - soft and slippy, but not gooey.  

[Alex]

I grew up eating kasha varnishkes, usually at a relative's house, so I have a bit of sentimental attachment to farfalle.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2020 by Alex (log)

[weinoo]

10 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

I'm not a fan of really al dente pasta, so I don't care for any of the shapes that are a lot thicker in the center.  Bowties, tortellini, rotini, fusilli.  I just never seem to be able to get them cooked right - soft and slippy, but not gooey.  

This is pretty much brand dependent, in my opinion.  The better made pasta will allow you to cook them so the middle is properly cooked without the rest of the pasta turning to mush.

And tortellini really shouldn't be sold as a "shape;" it's a stuffed pasta. 

 

 

 

[weinoo]

8 hours ago, Alex said:

I grew up eating kasha varnishkes, usually at a relative's house, so I have a bit of sentimental attachment to farfalle.

 

 

 

Oh, those wonderful dinners trying to swallow kasha varnishkes, along with the roast chicken that had been put through the deflavorizer. 

[Alex]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

 

Oh, those wonderful dinners trying to swallow kasha varnishkes, along with the roast chicken that had been put through the deflavorizer. 

 

I guess my family had better cooks than yours.

[Eatmywords]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

Oh, those wonderful dinners trying to swallow kasha.....

 

Ooof, kasha, it's been a long time and one of the very few things I never need to taste again.  Imagine oat meal cooked in windex w a sprinkle of strong body odor.  No thx. 🤮

[weinoo]

31 minutes ago, Alex said:

 

I guess my family had better cooks than yours.

There are good Ashkenazic cooks?

😂

[Eatmywords]

14 minutes ago, weinoo said:

There are good Ashkenazic cooks?

😂

 

I heard they're good at making only one thing.....

 

Reservations 

 

(I know I know, that one is as old as the horrible taste of kasha)

[blue_dolphin]

I don't care for pasta in that awkward size range that's too small to be stuffed but too big to eat in one bite.  Rigatoni, shells and some other shapes can fall into this category.  I ordered some rather expensive lumaconi for a recipe where they were to be stuffed.  They turned out to be too small for that but still annoyingly large for a single bite.  It might do me good to smash them up to cook like orzo 🙃

[weinoo]

34 minutes ago, Eatmywords said:

 

I heard they're good at making only one thing.....

 

Reservations 

 

(I know I know, that one is as old as the horrible taste of kasha)

 

I actually like orzo, and use it in my reverse engineered rice-a-roni when I don't feel like making a mess and breaking up vermicelli.

 

RE: Kasha. So pre-pandemic, I often shopped at the Russian supermarkets (e.g. Net Cost, et al.) out in Brighton Beach/Sheepshead Bay.  Aisles of buckwheat groats/buckwheat/kasha in those places.

And I brought a bunch of different homes to see if I might've misremembered as to how, ummmm, awful the stuff is.

 

I hadn't.

 

It might be a decent vehicle for about a quart of gravy, however.

 

Edited October 30, 2020 by weinoo (log)

[Eatmywords]

Per the farfale/bowtie bashing,  I tend to agree.  And I don't think it's a matter of qlty but the shape and cut.  The ridges on the bow, the compacted knot, the non symmetrical angles, all make for an unenjoyable mouth feel. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

8 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

I actually like orzo, and use it in my reverse engineered rice-a-roni when I don't feel like making a mess and breaking up vermicelli.

 

Husband often/occasionally asks what he ca do to help.    I look innocent and ask him to break up spaghetti for "roni".    

[weinoo]

18 minutes ago, Eatmywords said:

Per the farfale/bowtie bashing,  I tend to agree.  And I don't think it's a matter of qlty but the shape and cut.  The ridges on the bow, the compacted knot, the non symmetrical angles, all make for an unenjoyable mouth feel. 

 

Yeah that's why it's (farfale) perfect for kasha varnishkes!

 

But if fusilli is something that someone might find enjoyable, then I definitely recommend the higher-quality brands. Because they can be cooked until the center is done, without the outside falling apart.

[Eatmywords]

22 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

But if fusilli is something that someone might find enjoyable, then I definitely recommend the higher-quality brands. Because they can be cooked until the center is done, without the outside falling apart.

 

I haven't found any issues w (slightly) better generic brands like Barilla or De Cecco.   (Not all us serfs have the means and access to the freshly picked good stuff off the semolina trees in Naples)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

This has become my 'go to" fusilli, close to a favorite pasta, period.    It's Walmart's house brand pasta, imported from Italy.   It has the rough surface of expensive pasta while being absurdly inexpensive, like around $1.70/500gr.This This particular shape is a spiral so has no central core.  

 

I also like this brand's pappardelle and spaghetti, again firm and rough surfaced.     All of the "Italia" brand seems to be in short or non-supply during pandemic.   I hope this is temporary.

Edited October 30, 2020 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[Eatmywords]

1 hour ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

This has become my 'go to" fusilli, close to a favorite pasta, period.    It's Walmart's house brand pasta, imported from Italy.   It has the rough surface of expensive pasta while being absurdly inexpensive, like around $1.70/500gr.This This particular shape is a spiral so has no central core.  

 

I also like this brand's pappardelle and spaghetti, again firm and rough surfaced.     All of the "Italia" brand seems to be in short or non-supply during pandemic.   I hope this is temporary.

 

Walmart!!??  Oh the horror!  Don't look Weinoo! 

 

 

 

[Kerala]

Linguine is my go-to but at the moment I'm in love with mafaldine. It's difficult to get guanciale here in Nottingham so I use bacon for carbonara and the shape of the pasta recalls the shape of the bacon.  I can't find radiatore very easily here but I do love this, too. I can't wait to go back to Italy on holiday when the Covid settles down.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

2 hours ago, Eatmywords said:

 

 (Not all us serfs have the means and access to the freshly picked good stuff off the semolina trees in Naples)

Sounds like Walmart might be the answer to your maiden prayers.

[Eatmywords]

1 hour ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Sounds like Walmart might be the answer to your maiden prayers.

 

I sure I'd be just fine with it.  Now, San Giorgio and Ronzoni? That's were I draw the line! 

[Anna N]

I have tried on and off to like what I refer to as “fat pastas”. I define these as any pasta that is larger than a grain of rice or shorter than a 6 inch ruler. Leaves out just about everything except orzo and the generic group of “spaghettis”. 

[weinoo]

39 minutes ago, Eatmywords said:

 

I sure I'd be just fine with it.  Now, San Giorgio and Ronzoni? That's were I draw the line! 

Hey, I use Ronzoni (or Barilla)...for macaroni salad, old school deli style. Especially when they're on sale at $1 a piece.

I probably draw the line at Walmart brand - since I've never been in one, and don't ever expect to be.

I just got some of this stuff  - at Gustiamo today! Where it's cheaper than they sell if at Walmart for.

 

 

(It's classy Tuscan, not Neapolitan!).

[MokaPot]

I like the 365 (Whole Foods) brand pasta, specifically, fusilli. I like both the organic and the non-organic 365 pasta. Nice texture (has a chew) and not too thick. I cook it past al dente, probably. The package says it's a product of Italy, so there's that. Also, it's inexpensive.

 

 

I do order penne (alla vodka) pasta at restaurants, but don't buy it for home use. Penne is too large / thick, in general, IMO. I also like pappardelle.