Last updated on September 13, 2023
In Italy every region has a great tradition of pasta and sauces. We are Italians and we share the method and the traditional recipes for cooking it always al dente, like in our Country
On All Italian we write about many topics, which we often present as something authentic Italian: for example a recipe or a tradition.
But Italy is is a collection of different population groups and customs. For example, each Italian region originally had its own language, the dialect.
Pasta, on the other hand, is something that all Italians consider their own. As many researchers say, the tradition of pasta is what really unites the different populations that make up Italy, from south to north.
Pasta is therefore an important part of the Italian culture. We love a steaming pasta course because it reminds us of cozy moments with our family or together with friends.
When people abroad explain to us what coziness is for them, we Italians probably think of a pasta dish with ragù Bolognese. 😊
The identity of Italians is tied to pasta, to the point of stereotyping: Italians who emigrated to America became mangia pasta (pasta eaters), not always as a compliment.
Sometimes it's us Italians who contribute to the stereotype, just like this Reddit user who created the Pastaporto.
From a commercial point of view, pasta has been one of the most successful Italian products for centuries. Italy produces almost 4 million tons of pasta annually, most of which is exported.
On this page
Pasta, made with flour, salt and water, is a food of ancient origins, even before Ancient Rome. Over the centuries and in the Middle Ages, the peoples of the Italian peninsula have perfected the method of cooking, producing, storing and transporting pasta.
Each region of Italy has developed its own pasta dishes: spaghetti, macaroni, trofie and lasagne; with pesto, amatriciana, carbonara or bolognese sauce.
Italians eat pasta after boiling it in salted water and then draining it with a 🔊 scola pasta (a colander).
Once drained, the pasta dries out: that is why a pasta dish is also called 🔊 pastasciutta (literally: dry pasta) in Italy.
Even though the word pastasciutta literally means dry pasta, the Italians use it to mean a pasta dish.
For example, I can say: 🔊 Oggi mangio pastasciutta, which means «Today I eat pasta»; no matter whether the pasta is dry or fresh.
The Italian words of this page:
| 🔊 Pastasciutta | Pasta dish |
| 🔊 Pasta fresca | Fresh pasta (Not necessarily with eggs) |
| 🔊 Pasta all'uovo | Pasta made with egg |
| 🔊 Sugo al pomodoro | Tomato sauce |
| 🔊 Scolare la pasta | Draining pasta |
In early 2022, the site YouGov published the results of an online survey that was conducted into demographics of different countries around the world.
The survey measures the acceptability how acceptable some habits are in the rest of the world that Italians consider unacceptable. For example:
No pasta in the pot when the water is still cold 😥. Making pasta is very simple and this is an amateur mistake that you can easily avoid.
Check out our recipe to cook pasta like an Italian.
No olive oil in the cooking water: it is useless because oil and water don't mix. It's a waste of the oil, but it does not prevent the pasta from sticking.
See also: How do I prevent pasta from sticking?
No ketchup on pasta. Yes I know, I know. But ketchup in pasta is something we Italians have a hard time understanding. The French, on the other hand...
Pasta, the practice of mixing flour and water, developed independently in different parts of the world. The greatest pasta traditions come from China and Italy.
Pasta was already known to the Etruscans, the population who lived in the area of Tuscany before the Romans.
Pasta was also a term used in the Latin vocabulary occurs: it indicated a mixture of flour, water and salt.
The word lasagna also comes from Latin: lasanum indicated a container in which food was baked.
The production and trade of pasta spread to the Italian peninsula after the year 1000 and soon became a thriving market.
In 1300 already existed the first corporations that regulated and protected the pasta trade. According to the regulations in the city of Rome, there had to be a minimum distance of 20 meters between one pasta seller and another: this to avoid disputes between the merchants.
Two major innovations enabled the development of the pasta trade in the Italian peninsula:
The turning point in the use of pasta was in the Middle Ages, when boiling water began to be adopted for cooking in the Italian peninsula.
Of course the Romans also knew this way of cooking food; however, they used it for another dish with ancient origins: polenta; and not for pasta. Until then, pasta was mainly baked in the oven, such as lasagna.
The new cooking method led to new types of pasta, which were made in a way that binds better to the sauce. That is why pasta with new shapes is being developed, hollow like bucatini or filled like ravioli.
The ability to dry and store pasta for a long time has naturally led to a boom in the pasta trade.
The introduction of the pasta drying method is attributed to the Muslims in Sicily, when the island was reunited between 948 and 1091 in the Emirate of Sicily.
Arab merchants already dried other types of food in order to transport them into the desert; the drying method was applied to the pasta and perfected in Sicily.
Dry pasta is the one you buy at the supermarket on the shelf, not kept in the refrigerated counter. Dried pasta is not only produced industrially: it can also be made at home, although this is not very common because you need the right tools.
As the New York Times also explains, when we Italians think of pasta, we mostly refer to dried pasta: the one you buy at the supermarket. Which is by far the type of pasta we eat the most in Italy.
Of course, there is the tradition of fresh pasta, especially in the North; but we absolutely do not turn up our noses at dry pasta off the shelf, as long as it is of good quality.
In Italy the sale of dried pasta has been regulated by law since 1967. Dried pasta produced and sold in Italy must be made with Semolina (🔊 semola di grano duro, in Italian), which is different from the regular flour you use to make pies and pizzas. Not only flour, but also other properties of pasta are regulated by law:
for example the moisture and the amount of proteins;
Furthermore, dry pasta may contain only semolina and water, without added substances or coloring agents.
The law is different in Europe, where dry pasta can also contain soft wheat flour: a type of pasta that is considered to be of inferior quality in Italy.
Finally, dried pasta is not only produced industrially: it can also be made at home, although this is not very common because you need the right tools.
Italian pasta is made with flour and semolina from two types of wheat: hard wheat and soft wheat.
Dried pasta is made with durum wheat semolina, which is sold in cardboard boxes in Italian supermarkets;
Fresh pasta, whether off the counter or homemade, is made with soft wheat flour
Soft wheat needs a moist environment and grows in Italy in the north of the country. That is why the cuisine of Northern Italy has a great tradition of fresh pasta.
On the other hand, dry pasta is linked to the cuisine of southern Italy, as it is made with durum wheat semolina which is mainly found in Puglia, Basilicata and Campania.
Italian law also regulates the sale of fresh pasta: from production to sale, fresh pasta must be stored at a maximum temperature of 4°C (39.2°F).
There are (at least) three types of fresh pasta:
Fresh pasta with eggs, Typical of the cuisine of northern Italy, and especially of Emilia Romagna (the 🔊 cucina emiliana). Fresh pasta is made with type 0 or 00 flour; examples of fresh pasta are ravioli, tortellini and tagliatelle.
Fresh pasta can also be made without egg, with durum wheat semolina as in the recipes of the regions of southern Italy: for example, orecchiette and cavatelli, typical of the cuisine of Puglia.
Gnocchi, Gnocchi, which combine flour with potatoes or other vegetables.
Both fresh pasta and dry pasta can also be made with wholemeal flour or wholemeal semolina.
Whole-weat pasta (🔊 pasta integrale in Italian) contains more fiber: about twice that of regular pasta.
In terms of calories there are not many differences: of course, whole-meal pasta does not make you lose weight. However, the higher fiber intake makes you feel satiated, and therefore (in theory) helps you eat less.
Every region of Italy has at least one recipe that combines a type of pasta and a sauce that is characteristic of that area.
Italian pasta has different shapes:
Long pasta zoals spaghetti; some types of long pasta are shaped like a nest such as lasagne and tagliatelle. Others are tubular, such as bucatini.
Short pasta such as fusilli, orecchiette and trofie. Also short pasta can be tubular, such as rigatoni.
Stuffed pasta such as tortellini, ravioli and agnolotti: typical of the regions of northern Italy, made with fresh pasta.
Small pasta, usually used in soup.
In 2020 when the Italians ran to the supermarkets to stock up, all the pasta was sold out on the shelves: penne lisce bleef over - the smooth ones, without ridges.
The Italians clearly don't like penne lisce; but what is the difference between 🔊 pasta liscia (smooth) and 🔊 pasta rigata (with ridges)?
The ridges on pasta are a feast for the palate (🔊 una festa per il palato); they also hold the sauce better, it gets into the cracks between the ridges.
Originally, however, the ridges were used to hide the defects of the pasta: either the quality of the ingredients, or the sub-optimal production process.
In fact, the ridges are an addition to the smooth texture of pasta. As a result, smooth pasta is lighter than ridged pasta and also takes slightly less time to cook.
What Italians don't like are penne liscie of medium or low quality, to which the sauce doesn't stick well.
But Italian pasta makers assure that when when done right, the pasta should not need ridges to hold the sauce. The surface of good quality pasta is already rough and porous and absorbs the sauce well. The result is a much tastier pasta dish.
We recommend that you read the information on the product packaging. The information to look out for are:
The flour or semolina used to make pasta: if it is dried pasta, it must contain only durum wheat semolina.
Pasta made in Italy is preferred because its production is regulated by very strict laws, including the wheat with which it is produced.
The drying process. The best quality pasta is dried slowly with a temperature below 50°C; therefore the time and method of drying the pasta determine its quality. Often this information is not present directly on the label, you can check the manufacturer's website.
Tomato, basil, olive oil and grated Parmigiano: the classic image of Italian pasta.
Each region has its own kind of pasta; and each type of pasta has a sauce (or more) with which it pairs particularly well.
Many types of pasta and sauces are so popular that they become iconic: spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino, penne all'Arrabbiata, trofie al pesto, bucatini all'Amatriciana.
Bolognese ragù, carbonara, allo scoglio: the calorie intake of the pasta dish also depends on the type of sauce.
Italy is a large exporter of pasta: on the peninsula there are numerous producers, the 🔊 pastifici (the pasta producers), both industrial and artisanal.
Besides Barilla, perhaps the best known, there are Pasta Garofalo, La Molisana, De Cecco and Voiello.
There are also many artisan pasta manufacturers that produce high quality pasta.
The Consortium for the Protection of Pasta di Gragnano IGP was founded in 2003, in the village of Gragnano in the province of Naples.
The Consortium regulates all steps of pasta production, the organoleptic characteristics and nutritional values of the pasta.
Thanks to the Consortium, Pasta di Gragnano obtained in 2013 the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) which is the first Community quality recognition to be awarded to pasta in Italy and in Europe.
The music of the Barilla pasta commercial is so popular that in Italy we learn to play it with the flute at primary school.
The reason is not so much to sponsor Barilla, but rather because the notes of the melody are easy to play.
Barilla's slogan is also famous: in the commercia, a reassuring warm voice, with music in the background, says: Dove c'è Barilla c'è casa («Where Barilla is, there is home»).
In theory, cooking pasta is very simple: but it is one of the things in which Italians feel most misunderstood.
There are some golden rules that you can't really break for us Italians! And of course, we believe that behind every rule there is a reason.
A large pot; to contain a lot of water, which should be boiling and salted when you add the pasta.
A kitchen spoon to mix the pasta while cooking;
A colander or a skimmer, depending on the method you choose to drain the pasta.
For Italians, a portion of pasta corresponds to about 80-100 grams (2.8-3.5 oz) of dried pasta per person; it is a common and accepted quantity in Italy, also confirmed by the Italian Ministry of Health. And of course, by the Italian website of Barilla.
So 160g for 2 people, and so on. In other countries this amount can vary; for example in North European countries it often starts from 100 grams per person.
In the United States, however, the consensus seems to be different: most of the online recipes indicate about 2 oz, about 56 grams, as a portion of pasta; as also indicated by the Barilla Canada website. Seems like a small amount to us.
👉 We follow the Italian tradition and consider a portion 3.5 oz / 100 gram of pasta.
| Ingredient image | Ingredient name | Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|
Water | 1 quart | 1 liter | |
|
Spaghetti | 3.5 oz | 100 g | |
|
Salt | 0.35 oz | 10 g |
How much water to cook pasta? Usually the rule is to pour about 1 L of water for every 100 g of pasta. We'll add more as some of the water will evaporate as the pasta cooks.
In general, it is better to water abundantly: this is the first trick to prevent the paste from sticking.
Wait for the water to boil; it takes about ten minutes. In the meantime you can weigh the dry pasta and prepare the salt.
Add the salt when the water boils, not before. In fact, if you pour in the salt first, you slow down the boiling of the water.
How much salt in the pasta water?
It is usually recommended to pour 10 g of salt (about 1.67 teaspoons) for every 1 L of water (about 1 quart). Of course it depends on your preferences; and also of the sauce you use: if it is very salty, you can put less salt in the water to balance the taste.
As soon as you add the salt in it, the water will stop boiling. So before you pour the pasta, you have to wait about a minute for the water to boil again.
There are two things we do immediately after putting the pasta:
Turn up the heat a bit, otherwise the water temperature will drop when you put the pasta and stop cooking. We increase the heat to ensure that the cooking does not stop.
Stir the pasta immediately and keep stirring: this prevents the pasta from sticking.
After that you can lower the heat, otherwise the boiling water will overflow from the pot.
If you cook spaghetti or other long pastas, don't break them. Please.
Do not add any oil to the water. Some people add olive oil because they think it helps prevent the paste from sticking: however, oil and water don't mix and this is just a waste of it.
To prevent the pasta from sticking, there are some simple tricks:
As soon as you put the pasta in boiling water, mix it a bit. Turn it with a wooden spoon, just a few turns. This will prevent the pasta from sticking while cooking.
Optionally, after you have drained the pasta, you can add a dash of olive oil to prevent it from sticking. This is only if you don't put the pasta directly into the pan with the sauce, as we usually do.
Use good quality pasta: dry pasta made with durum wheat semolina won't stick.
How do you know when the pasta is ready?
Of course you should first read the instructions on the package of the pasta: there is usually written how many minutes of cooking is needed.
To get perfectly cooked pasta, we recommend tasting it from time to time. With a little experience you can easily understand how many minutes of cooking are missing.
👉 The cooking state of the pasta can also be checked from the color of the pasta itself: the dark yellow of the dry pasta tends to turn light yellow as the pasta cooks.
Is the pasta perfectly al dente? Turn off the heat, it's time to drain it. There are two ways:
With a colander. Pour the entire contents of the pot, water and pasta into a colander in the sink.
Then you have to be quick to add the pasta with sauce so that the pasta does not stick.
👉 If you let the pasta rest in the pan without sauce, pour a little oil over it: this way the pasta does not stick.
With a skimmer. This is probably the easiest method because you just remove the paste and leave the water in the pan. This way you can put the pasta directly in the saucepan.
You can also add a few tablespoons of salted cooking water to the sauce to thin it out a bit without lowering the temperature, and to make it more creamy thanks to the starch in the pasta water.
Some people drain the pasta in a colander and place it under the tap under a stream of cold water. The belief is that by rinsing the pasta under running water, some of the starch is eliminated.
We don't recommend it, especially if you like warm pasta. The best method is probably to transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the pan with the sauce, so that the sauce and pasta mix well before serving.
A plate of steaming pasta, ready to serve. Just like in Italy.
Your Pasta al dente is ready. Buon appetito! 🍝
We frequently enrich our pages with new recipes to prepare pasta like we do it in Italy.
Enjoy Italian pasta! 😄🍝
I am Italian from Trentino. I studied philosophy in Padua and worked for many years between Milan and Amsterdam in the field of media and culture.
Since 2021 I write on All Italian to practice foreign languages; meanwhile I share with you the customs and traditions of my country, and the recipes that I prepare at home.
