Italy is known as the home of different varieties of pasta. Besides the basic ones we know-- spaghetti, macaroni, and penne-- Italian pasta comes in thousands of types.
Each of Italy's regions has its unique cuisine. Some cuisines are influenced by history, and some by the region's climate. In the northern part of the country, you will taste the creaminess of the Gorgonzola cheese.
In the central region, cured and savory meat is what you will find. In the southern part lies one of the best artichokes and seafood in the world.
Most of these delicious ingredients are cooked with pasta. While there are different types and shapes of pasta in Italy, here are eight of the most amazingly-shaped pasta you can get.
Strozzapreti
This pasta came from a small town named Emilia Romagna, which is located in the northern part of Italy. This tiny pasta comes in little twists, which is commonly called "priest strangler." The strozzapreti originated from the legends of greedy priests back in the past.
The locals would give and provide strozzapreti to the priests, where they devour it that they nearly choke on it. This pasta works well on light sauces such as pesto.
Trofie
The trofie pasta is also twisted in shape, but it looks more like it is rolled. This pasta is also perfect for eating with light sauces such as pesto because the rolls will make the sauce cling to it. You may also add in green beans on the pasta if you like.
Gigli
This pasta has a very distinctive shape. When you take a look at it, it may look similar to a small flute. The Gigli pasta originated from the city of Florence, where its town emblem is a lily. Gigli also means "lilies" in Italian.
Orecchiette
The orecchiette pasta is tiny-shaped. It somehow looks like a small ear. This type of pasta is mostly served with a spicy sauce, anchovies, and a little bit of broccoli. This pasta originated from Puglia, a town in southern Italy.
Long ribbons
This pasta may look similar to spaghetti, but it is far different from it. Italian pasta classified as long ribbons is fettuccine, trenette, tagliatelle, pappardelle, and mafaldine.
Filled pasta
Aside from twisted and weirdly-shaped pasta, Italian pasta can also come in mini pocket shapes. Among these filled kinds of pasta are tortellini, ravioli, agnolotti, and cappelletti. These are molded to put fillings inside, such as cheese or meat.
Tiny pasta
There are kinds of pasta that come in bite-size shapes. Meanwhile, there are tinier types of pasta that you can use. These are called mini or small pasta. In this pasta category, you have fregola, Stelline, Anelli, Risi, orzo, Canestrini, and Quadrettini.
Shell pasta
This type of pasta is similar to filled pasta, but you can choose whether or not to stuff filling in it. But mostly, shell pasta has a small opening on one side. Shell pasta has different kinds, such as lumaconi, conchiglie, and lumache.
When buying pasta, it is always important to check if it is freshly made. When pasta is fresh, the better flavor it can provide in your pasta dish. To make it fresher, you can make your pasta at home.
