There are more than 300 types of pasta. The shape dictates the sauce, or vice versa, depending on which you start with. With delicate pasta like angel hair, use light sauces. Larger, heavier shapes can stand up to meaty bolognese or rich alfredo. Use dried pasta in most recipes, as sauces stick to it better than the slicker fresh types. And look for 100 percent durum wheat semolina, whose rough texture also aborbs sauces better, according to foodsubs.com.
Acini de pepe – barley-shaped pasta favored by the mothers of young children because kids like the pebble-sized little balls of pasta. Especially good for soups.
Ditalini – called “little thimbles” because their versatile shape can be used as the base of any dish. You can bake it, stir it into soups or toss it with salad.
Farfalle – Also called “bow ties”; good with creamy or heavier sauces. They also lend distinction to salad and heft to soup.
Orzo – Rice-shaped pasta is a favorite throughout the Mediterranean and is usually found in soups or as a side dish.
Radiatore – Ruffled, ridged shape adds elegant interest to any sauce. It also works well-baked in casseroles, or in salads and soups.
Ruote – “Wagon wheels” or “wheels.” Toothsome as a side dish or part of the soup pot.
Alfabeto- A favorite with children of all ages; often used in soups.
Cappellini – Also known as “angel hair”; best suited to delicate sauces.
Conchiglie – Medium shells used as an alternative to macaroni, in soups, or buttered and tossed with fresh parsley as a side dish.
Fettuccine – So-called “small ribbons” work well with heavier sauces, such as cheese, bolognese and tomato.
Fusilli – A long, spiraled shape that can be treated as spaghetti.
Lasagne – Wide, flat noodles with curly edges used for layering casseroles of meat, cheese and vegetables.
Linguine – a flattened version of spaghetti.
Manicotti – Large tubular shape best stuffed with a mixture of meat or vegetables mixed with cheese such as ricotta and Parmesan, baked and topped with sauce.
Rigatoni – Larger than ziti, with ridges and holes.
Rotini – Curlicue shape holds heavy sauces and is also a fun ingredient to salads, soups and casseroles.
Vermicelli – Also called “little worms,” it is thinner than spaghetti but not as fragile as cappellini.
Ziti – Medium-sized, smooth tubular shape larger than macaroni and smaller than rigatoni; usually baked in casseroles.
Mangia!
The second annual Italian Food and
Wine Festival is at Belmar, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Belmar,
at South Wadsworth Boulevard and
West Alameda Avenue, will host the
two-day food event as part of a week-long
celebration that will feature chef demonstrations;
a red-sauce cook-off; Italian lessons;
bocce tournaments; flag throwers
from Florence, Italy; a wine garden and
wine lectures for adults; and activities for
children. In addition to live entertainment,
the festival will present free screenings both
days of “Godfather I” at noon, “Godfather II”
at 3:20 p.m., “La Dolce Vita” at 12:15 p.m.
and “Big Night” at 3:30 p.m.
Whole Foods Market will sponsor a spaghetti
feast, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday on
Alaska Drive between Vance and Upham
streets in Belmar. The dinner will benefit
the Colorado Italian American Organization.
Chef Dustin Rupoli of the restaurant
Bloom will serve his own red sauce over
spaghetti and meatballs for a $6 donation.
The festival concludes Sunday with
Banchetto Italiano, a classic Italian
five-course al fresco dinner, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
to benefit Central City Opera. It offers 18
local chefs and restaurants: 240 Union,
Amore Ristorante, Campo de Fiori, Gaetano’s,
Il Fornaio, Luca D’Italia, Maggiano’s
Little Italy, Mel’s Bar & Grill, Mizuna,
North, Panzano, Piatti, Rioja, Solera,
Strings, Table 6, Home and Venice.
Tickets are $175 or $350 per person. For
more information, visit www.belmarcolo
rado.com or call 303-742-1520.
Ellen Sweets
Workshops
Learn to Cook Italian
Oct. 4-5, 6:30-9:30 p.m.|Introduction to Italian Cuisine: Traditional ingredients, recipes and techniques, fundamentals. Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus; Tuscan white bean dip with crostini; potato gnocchi with pesto; porcini mushroom ravioli with browned butter and sage; osso buco alla Piemontese; salmon with caponata; lemon-poppy seed biscottibruschetta with sun-dried tomato tapenade; marinated vegetable salad; risotto with shrimp and asparagus; fettuccine Alfredo; chicken cacciatore; roasted red pepper polenta; chocolate hazelnut cake with raspberry sorbetto; chocolate meringue kisses|Both classes, $110.|Nov. 3, 6:30-9:30 p.m.|Italian Appetizers Workshop: Learn to make prosciutto-wrapped grissini with spinach and artichoke fonduta; three-olive bruschetta with roasted garlic and goat cheese; crispy calamari with spicy tomato sauce and balsamic glaze; grilled shrimp with roasted eggplant “caviar”; pizza rustica|$55|The Seasoned Chef Cooking School, 999 Jasmine St., Suite 100, 303-377-3222; info@the seasoned chef.com.
Learn to Cook Like a Chef
Oct. 15, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.|Cinghiale: Demonstrations and a light lunch with Panzano chef Elise Wiggins. Demonstrations and classes followed by a light lunch with Wiggins|Nov. 12|Deck the Holidays Italian Style|$50 per person, reservations required|Panzano, 909 17th St. (at Champa, in the Hotel Monaco), 303-296-3525.
Pizza & Pasta Workshop
Oct. 20 and 27, 6-9 p.m.|Learn to prepare spinach and pine nut ravioli with goat cheese; fettuccine and red pepper pancetta sauce; wild mushroom garlic sauce with angel hair pasta; Linguini alla pescatora with shrimp and clams in tomato sauce; and blue cheese, spinach, and pine nut pizza. Learn to make quick and fragrant sauces; mix and match a variety of toppings, cheeses, and herbs and how to create authentic Italian or jazzed up American-fusion pizzas|$135|Culinary School of the Rockies, 637 S. Broadway, Suite H, 303-494-7988, ext. 20|BOULDER
Risotto and more
Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.|Learn the cooking techniques and basic broths for making a variety of risottos with ingredients from wild mushrooms and truffle oil to fall fruit|$37 (residents) $48 (nonresidents) |Sept. 30, 6:30-9:30 p.m.|Mangia & Vino: Over 21 only. Features preparation of eggplant parmesan with fresh pasta tomato cream sauce paired with wines|$62 Aurora residents/$48 non-residents|Oct. 1. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.|Pasta, Pasta: Learn to make pasta and accompanying sauces |$37 residents, $48 non-residents|Oct. 22, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.|Italian Breads: Make focaccia al rosmario, the Italian version of sourdough, and bittersweet chocolate breakfast bread|$40 (residents) $52 (nonresidents)|Dec. 5, 6:30-9:30 p.m.|Italian Family Christmas: Prepare a traditional northern Italian meal of fennel and orange salad, wild mushroom bruschetta, risotto Milanese, cioppino, walnut torta with brandied apricots|$37 (residents) $48 (nonresidents)|Aurora Kitchen on the Green, Expo Recreation Center, 10955 E. Exposition Ave., 303-326-8630.|AURORA
