Pasta Dishes

Pasta con pomodorini e basilico is a traditional dish and a summertime staple in the country. The dish is usually made with a combination of raw cherry or grape tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper, and short pasta such as trofie, penne, casarecce, lumachelle, cavatelli, maccheroni, maltagliati, or conchiglie. The tomatoes, basil, and olive oil are placed into a bowl, then sprinkled with salt and pepper. The mixture is left to sit for an hour and it should be stirred often. The drained al dente pasta is added to the bowl and it's tossed with the tomato mixture until it cools down a bit. As a finishing touch, a swirl of olive oil is added to the dish and the rim of a serving bowl is rubbed with garlic. It's recommended to pair the dish with a fruity white wine on the side, such as Lungarotti Torre di Giano from Umbria.

Pasta con pomodorini e basilico

Italy

Pasta con salsiccia e cavolo nero is a traditional pasta dish that's especially popular in Tuscany. The dish is made with a combination of pasta, cavolo nero (black cabbage), salsiccia sausage, olive oil, and garlic. If desired, the dish can be enriched with rosemary, white wine, cherry tomatoes, and onions. The recommended pasta varieties include fusilli, orecchiette, spaghetti, and tagliatelle. The cavolo nero is boiled, seasoned with salt, and drained. The pasta is cooked in the same water. The garlic is saut&eacute;ed in olive oil, and then the salsiccia, cavolo nero, and pasta are added to the pan, stirred, and the dish is ready to be served.

Pasta con salsiccia e cavolo nero

Pasta con tenerumi is a traditional Sicilian dish prepared with tenerumi - the tips, buds, and tender end leaves (tenere) of Sicilian summer squash (also known as zucchina or cucuzza in local dialect). The dish is typically prepared in the summer, and other ingredients include tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, often zucchini, and pasta such as spaghetti or similar long and thin pasta that's often broken into smaller pieces while preparing this dish. When the sauce is ready, the tenerumi are simmered in water with the pasta, and the two are then mixed and seasoned depending on personal preferences. Pasta con tenerumi is usually garnished with lots of ground black pepper and drizzled with olive oil before serving, while a topping of grated Pecorino is always a welcome addition.

Pasta con tenerumi

Also known as pasta con la mollica alla Calabrese, or in dialect, pasta ca muddicata, this traditional pasta dish called pasta e alici is made with anchovies and toasted breadcrumbs as one of the most traditional dishes of the region. Simple and quick to make, this is a typical cucina povera dish &ndash; extremely delicious and filling, although it consists of only a few basic ingredients. Crispy toasted breadcrumbs, pepperoncini, olive oil, chopped tomatoes, and anchovies, tossed over al dente cooked pasta create a dish full of strong, yet well-combined flavors - raisins, pine nuts, or a sprinkle of grated lemon zest can be added for an additional kick. In Calabria, this delicious dish was especially beloved around Christmas, when tradition requires eating di magro, meaning fish-based dishes. Those who couldn't afford the fish often prepared pasta e alici, respecting the tradition in the process, and enjoying a filling meal at the same time.

Pasta e alici

Pasta e cavolfiore alla Siciliana

Pasta e ceci is a thick Italian soup featuring pasta and chickpeas as the main ingredients. Any kind of pasta can be used in the soup, from maltagliati to cannolicchi. The dish is usually prepared with a soffrito of onions and celery that is simmered in a chickpea broth, while the pasta is added later. This classic, comforting dish is traditionally served on Friday throughout Italy.

Pasta e ceci

Pasta e fagioli is a traditional dish for which there are recipes throughout all Italian regions, and although there is no official recipe, there are numerous regional variations of the dish. Most often, the dish is made with beans and small varieties of pasta, cooked in a base of olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and stewed tomatoes, or a broth which can be vegetarian or meat-based. Pasta e fagioli can have a soupy texture, but sometimes it is much thicker, depending on the regional variations. The dish started as a meal of the poor people and as a replacement for the expensive meat. In the past, it was mostly consumed as a winter soup because it is healthy, inexpensive, and filling. Today, it is consumed throughout the country, and in Veneto, pasta e fagioli is often enriched with pork and potatoes, while in Naples, it is very popular to eat it reheated the next day, because it is believed to taste even better.

Pasta e fagioli

Pasta e fagioli con cozze

Pasta e patate is an Italian dish that's a typical example of la cucina povera, which uses leftovers and common ingredients to create new dishes. This dish is made with a combination of pasta and potatoes as key ingredients, usually alongside onions, celery, cheese rind, tomatoes, carrots, parsley, and garlic, although there are many variations on the dish and the recipes differ from one household to another. The pasta and potatoes can be served soupy or dry, depending on personal preferences. The type of pasta used in the dish is not set in stone, and it's usually made with pasta mista (lit. mixed pasta), referring to leftover pasta of any shape that's available in the kitchen. Pasta e patate is especially popular on cold winter days, ideally sprinkled with grated cheese before serving.

Pasta e patate

United States

Pasta primavera is a dish combining pasta and lightly cooked vegetables along with some fresh herbs and spices. Despite its Italian-sounding name, the dish was actually invented by Ed Giobbi during his hunting trip to Nova Scotia. He brought the recipe to New York City and gave it to his friends Jean Vernges and Sirio Maccioni, who used it in their new restaurant named Le Cirque. The original pasta primavera incorporated ingredients such as ripe tomatoes, chopped basil, parsley, and garlic, olive oil, and spaghetti. In 1976, it was the most talked-about dish in Manhattan, and it is still popular today.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta saltata is a traditional dish that originated as a result of a brief Italian occupation of the country in the 1930s. The dish is made with a combination of potatoes, oil, garlic, onions, lemon juice, penne pasta, arugula, basil, and harissa spices. The potatoes are cooked, and the sauce is made with all the other ingredients. It is then tossed with cooked penne pasta and the potatoes, while the arugula is folded in. Once done, pasta saltata is sprinkled with basil and the dish is always served hot.

Pasta saltata

Croatia

Pa&scaron;ta s krumpirom (lit. pasta with potatoes) is a Croatian dish that is often considered a poor man&rsquo;s meal. It is made with a combination of potatoes, scallions, salt, pepper, pasta, and oil. Scallions are saut&eacute;ed in oil, and small pieces of potatoes are then added to the pot with salt, pepper, and water. When the potatoes are cooked, pasta is added to the pot, and the whole thing is mixed together before serving.

Pašta s krumpirom

Montenegro

Paštrovski makaruli

Penne alla fiesolana is a traditional dish hailing from Fiesole in Tuscany. The dish is made with a combination of penne pasta, olive oil, prosciutto crudo, onions, milk, flour, peas, and butter. The ingredients are cooked together and enriched with a simple b&eacute;chamel sauce. The pasta water should be added to the pot because the starches from the water allow the sauce to thicken up. Once done, the dish is usually garnished with chopped parsley, dusted with ground black pepper, or topped with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Interestingly, penne alla fiesolana was a popular dish among the late 19th-century peasants, and it was typically prepared during the holidays.

Penne alla fiesolana

Penne all'arrabbiata

Penne alla vodka is a popular meal consisting of penne pasta, heavy cream, tomato sauce, and vodka, imparting a unique taste to the whole dish. Its origins are quite murky, so some food historians claim it was invented in Bologna, Italy, while others say that it was invented in New York. Regardless of the origins, it remains a popular pasta dish that is served hot, often garnished with a few basil leaves and grated parmesan.

Penne alla Vodka

Penne strascicate

Perciatelli con le lumache

Pici alle briciole is a simple Tuscan dish originating from the area around Siena. It's a typical example of la cucina povera, made with common ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, hot red peppers, day-old Tuscan bread, and handmade pici pasta. The pici pasta is made with flour and water, and each noodle is rolled by hand, with the final result looking similar to spaghetti, but wider and more robust. The absence of eggs in the pasta is a sign of its poor origin. The pici pasta is combined with the sauce consisting of breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil, and dried hot pepper. Once done, the dish is seasoned with ground pepper and salt, and if desired, it can be served with a sprinkle of grated pecorino on top.

Pici alle briciole

This traditional pasta dish combines buckwheat pizzoccheri pasta with potatoes and cabbage, which is seasonally replaced by swiss chard or green beans. All of the ingredients are cooked together and are typically layered with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Valtellina Casera cheese and garlicky melted butter. Before serving, pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese is shortly baked, allowing the cheese to melt and all of the ingredients to combine. Not much is known about the origin of this Italian classic, but it is presumed that it was invented following the introduction of pizzoccheri pasta in the 16th century. As the name suggests, the dish originated in the Valtellina valley, from where it spread to other parts of Italy.