Little Twine? Little Worms? Angel Hair? It's all about Spaghetti!

Once again, the 2 Prickly Pears find themselves trying to sift through a controversy. This time it has to do with the historical origins of spaghetti. We all associate spaghetti and pasta with Italy. Certainly Italy is famous for its many dishes using pasta made from semolina, which is made from durum wheat. It seems they were the first to use semolina. But were the Italians the first to mix grain flour with water to create pasta? Is there any sort of evidence of the first making of spaghetti anywhere?

In answering those questions, we look to evidence from Qinghai, China. In 2005 actual preserved remains of spaghetti-like noodles were found. They were long and cylindrical and are estimated to be about 4000 years old. They are recognized to be the oldest historical record of noodles in any culture, and they were made from millet flour. So does that mean that we found the origins of spaghetti? Are noodles and spaghetti essentially the same thing? And what about pasta? Where does that fit in to the equation?

Different kinds of pasta

To begin with, pasta in a more generic term and includes those things made from unleavened dough. It also refers to an assortment of Italian dishes. It's sort of an umbrella word, but it doesn't include noodles. Noodles are in a category all their own.

It might be best if we start with a couple of definitions.

If we are talking about spaghetti in the Italian tradition, it is made with semolina wheat grown in regions of Mediterranean. This is considered a hard wheat and makes a dried spaghetti that has a long shelf life. Spaghetti is long and cylindrical in shape, with a golden color, more elastic texture and a firmer bite. Here's a list of the types of spaghetti:

• Spaghetti - "little twine," is the spaghetti we often find in the pasta isle of the store
• Spaghettoni - "thick like twine," is thicker than regular spaghetti
• Spaghettini - "thin little twine," is much thinner than regular spaghetti
• Fedelini - "little faithful ones," is not as well known and thinner than regular spaghetti
• Vermicelli - "little worms," is much thinner than fedelini
• Capellini - "fine hair," is thinner than vermicelli
• Capelli d'ngelo - "angel hair," is the thinnest of all the spaghetti

And that's just the spaghetti's....whew!! We won't get into all the other pastas today. :)

Wide egg noodles

If we are talking about noodles, they are made from different flours including rice or buckwheat, and other softer wheat. This wheat gives the noodles a lighter color and a smoother, silkier feel. They cook quickly. They can be long and cylindrical or they can be flat. Often they contain eggs and salt. Here's a list of some types of noodles:

• Soba noodles - a chewy Japanese buckwheat noodle, often served chilled
• Cellophane noodles - referred to as glass noodles, made from mung bean starch and commonly found in Asian cuisine
• Egg noodles - based on egg and wheat dough, are chewy and mellow in flavor
• Udon noodles - fat, tender and chewy, wheat based served in soups stews and stir-fries

Does all that information on spaghetti and noodles get us any closer to knowing where it all started? No. What it does tell us is that, once again, many cultures around the world have been putting wheat together with other ingredients to make food to feed their families. We accept that the Chinese have been making noodles for centuries. We also accept that the Italians have been making spaghetti for centuries. And we are so glad that they did because we now have access to all kinds of lovely dishes that make our tummy so happy.

Because we are to the S's in our never ending desire to learn about culinary terms, today we are talking about spaghetti.  How many times have you seen in a movie or on television a plate of spaghetti that is topped with a ladle of tomato sauce?  Dozen of times, maybe hundreds depending on how many times you've seen The Godfather.  While we may think that is classic Italian, it is, in fact, NOT authentic at all.  In true Italian cuisine the sauce is always incorporated into the pasta before serving.  And the amount of sauce is just enough to coat the pasta.  We learn something new every day, right?

The wrong way to serve spaghetti with sauce

The proper way to serve spaghetti with sauce

Now that we know how to serve the spaghetti, timing becomes a major factor in our preparation.  It will important that your sauce be ready when your spaghetti cooked and hot. As will all things culinary, there are a few rules that will help you make your spaghetti perfect.  Here they are:

• Use a big pot with lots and lots of water.  You want to give your spaghetti (or pasta) plenty of room to bubble around and cook evenly.
• Bring the water to a hard boil and then add salt.  Your water should be salty like the sea when cooking spaghetti.
• Add your spaghetti to the boiling water and stir occasionally.  This keeps the pasta from sticking.
• Don't over-cook the spaghetti.  "al dente," means "firm to the bite," but still cooked through.
• DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT rinse the pasta.  Why?  Because the starch that remains on the pasta keeps the sauce in place when combined.
• Your sauce and spaghetti should be ready at the same time and served immediately.
• Reserve some of the pasta water.  When you combine your sauce and spaghetti in a pan, the water will help combine everything making it thicker or thinner depending on the sauce.
• Immediately serve your spaghetti on a warm serving plate.
• Enjoy!

Instead of the classic spaghetti with red sauce, we thought it might be nice to mix it up a bit. So today we chose a spaghetti recipe that include a herbed ricotta and garlic sauce.  Don't worry; you don't have to make your own spaghetti.  There are dozens and dozens of ready made, dried spaghetti in the store.  Go to a place that carries handmade pastas and you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality spaghetti.

Spaghetti with Herbed Ricotta and Garlic

What you need:

1 lb spaghetti

5 cloves garlic (less if you like)

1/2 cup fresh basil cut in ribbons (chiffonade)

1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves

1/2 cup chopped chives

2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

1 Tablespoon olive oil

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

What you need to do:

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente.  Drain, reserving about 1 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Combine the basil, parsley, chives and ricotta in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Thinly slice garlic cloves.  In large skillet add the olive oil and garlic and cook until garlic is soft, about 2 minutes.  Add the cooked pasta and 1 1/2 cup of the herbed ricotta and 1/4 cup of the pasta water.  Toss everything together and season with salt and pepper.  Add more of the pasta water as needed to make a nice sauce.  Heat and toss the pasta until the cheese has melted and a sauce has formed.

Transfer spaghetti to a warm serving platter and top with remaining 1/2 cup herbed ricotta.

This dish is so yummy, we can hardly stand it.  If you like spaghetti and ricotta, this is the dish for you.

Now that you know about spaghetti, get creative and make you and yours a lovely dinner that can include a little garlic bread and some wine and candle light.

Now go out and make something good.