LESSER-KNOWN PASTAS THAT ARE WORTH TRYING
Fusilli avellinesi from Famiglia Baldassarre
These loose corkscrew shapes are made by rolling dough around a thin rod. Leandro Baldassarre uses his grandmother’s metal rod, which his grandfather fashioned from an umbrella spoke. It’s time-consuming to make, which is why it’s not often on menus.
Tortelloni from Famiglia Baldassarre
This stuffed pasta is the larger version of its more common cousin, the tortellini, and is typically stuffed with a creamy filling such as ricotta mixed with leafy greens. Since it already has a flavourful filling, Baldassarre prefers to serve it simply, tossed in melted butter and sprinkled with Parmesean.
Triangoli from Famiglia Baldassarre
As its name suggests, this stuffed pasta is characterized by its triangular shape. Like the tortelloni, a soft and creamy filling is preferred.
Tagliolini from Famiglia Baldassarre
Considered one of the more delicate long pastas, tagliolini is characterized by its cylindrical and thin shape. It’s related to the more popular tagliatelle, which is more of a broad, flat noodle. These noodles are named after the tagliare, the Italian word for cut.
Lorighitta from Buca
These braided rings from Sardinia are named after the iron rings used to hitch horses. Lorighittas are made by twisting a long, thin piece of rolled pasta around the fingers into a ring, and then twisting it a few times to achieve a braided look.
Trofie from Buca
From the northern coastal region of Liguria, trofie is typically served with pesto. Skilled Italian nonnas create the twisted shape by firmly rolling cut pieces of dough with their palms, but at Buca, pasta maker David Marcelli uses a plastic scraper to achieve a consistent shape.
Cresc' tajat from Buca
This pasta is typically a flat diamond shape but Marcelli pinches the sides to form a flower, creating little pockets to hold the white-wine tomato sauce and seafood that the restaurant serves the pasta with.
Su filindeu from Buca
Considered the rarest pasta in the world, su filindeu is currently only made by a single person in a town in Sardinia. This sheet pasta consists of three layers, each containing 256 individual thread-like strands of hand-pulled dough. Marcelli has spent years teaching himself to make it, but until he reaches that goal, the restaurant imports them from Sardinia.
Lumache from Alimentari
Literally translating to “snail” in Italian, these pasta shells are named after their resemblance to the creature. The dough is put through an extruder with a die cut to achieve the grooves in the shape.
Casarecce from Alimentari
These narrow and twisted tubes come from the southern Italian region of Sicily, where it’s served as a lighter pasta dish. Think pesto, light sauces that can find their way into the tubes, as well as diced eggplant and tomatoes.
Agnolotti dal plin from Alimentari
This stuffed pasta comes from the Piedmont region of Italy that borders France and Switzerland (its capital is Turin, where the 2006 Winter Olympics were held). It’s made by folding a long sheet of flattened dough over a filling, typically meat or vegetables with ricotta.
Cappellacci from Alimentari
These dumpling-shaped pastas resembling little hats or nun habits are from the Ferrara region in northeastern Italy. They’re quite large and the fillings vary from meat to vegetables with ricotta. Think ravioli.
Karon Liu
is the Star's food writer and is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @karonliu