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This is the blog of Steve Burkett of Italy, Our Italy

Italy in 3-1/2 Minutes

I was reviewing older posts recently and came across one on which I spent a great deal of time. It dealt with a video embedded in a 2015 article about Traveling With Friends.

I realized that, at the time of publication, over half of you were not subscribed to my Italy, Our Italy articles. So I thought, “OK, I’ll put it out for all of you to enjoy”. So, thought was translated to action, and here you have it.

Be sure you watch with sound available, as it is integral to the video. I hope you enjoy it.

[And Pam, in addition to several smiling faces of Italy, you’ll see a snippet in the video with your own smiling face!]

It was a lot of fun putting this video together…and it let me relive all of those fun moments with our dear friends, Debbie and Scott.

Is it time to create your own fabulous moments in Italy? Let’s do it!

Ciao for now,

Steve

If not subscribed to Italy, Our Italy, do it now!!!

Eat Here: Da Gemma

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Note the ubiquitous sfusati (bulky lemons) on the Da Gemma lamp fixtures

Today we are going to pay a lunch-time visit to a restaurant that was recommend by our concierge at Hotel Convento in Amalfi. And now, we recommend it to you, too…that is, if you happen to be on the Amalfi coast of Italy.

Since you’re staying at the fabulous Grand Hotel Convento, and it’s not too far into Amalfi town, let’s walk.

Along the way we’ll check out the small town campo, the church, and a few of the local shops.

So, join me now as, off we go to a now-favorite trattoria, Da Gemma.

Getting Into Town from Our Hotel

But, before we begin our journey into town, we need to rise-and-shine. We woke up a bit early this morning to catch sunrise from the Hotel Convento. It was spectacular, wasn’t it? You can learn a good bit more about the Hotel Convento by reading my article titled, Staying in a Convent Retreat.

A Post-Breakfast Swim

I’m sure you remember the nice swim we had after breakfast in the hotel’s cliff-side infinity pool. You looked fabulous in that new swimsuit, by the way!

Cliff-side pool of the Grand Hotel Convento

Talk about a pool with a view to infinity! Nice, huh?

To infinity and beyond…actually to Sicily

Making Our Way Into Town

OK, we’ve toweled off and changed clothes, so into town we go. Good move not wearing shorts…that’s a sure sign of a tourist in Italy.

Rather than taking the elevator down to the roadway, we’ll walk the many steps that wind their way down to town. Don’t worry, it’s all downhill from here.

There’s our destination…the red arrow points the way to the one-and-only road that pierces the heart of the ravine town of Amalfi.

[BTW: you can see the pool house about a quarter of the way into the photo from the left, and a third of the way down…and those horizontal rows of foliage below Amalfi’s mausoleum and the hillside above town, we’ll talk about those as we’re strolling in Amalfi]

As we near the bottom of the winding stairway, we look up to see our hotel poised on the edge of a cliff.

We’ve come a long way in the down-vertical direction

Wandering Our Way To Trattoria Da Gemma

Now, to work our way to our destination for lunch, Da Gemma.

In this aerial view of ravine-dwelling Amalfi, you can see Da Gemma in the blue box. But, as we are a bit early for lunch, we decide to first explore Amalfi’s charms. We’ll start with the Duomo di Amalfi (in the orange box), which is dedicated to San Andreas (aka Saint Andrew, the brother of Saint Peter). You can read a bunch about San Andreas, his relationship to Scotland, and this church, in my article titled, Transforming the Cathedral of San Andreas.

The blue box marks Da Gemma…the orange, the cathedral of San Andreas

The Piazza Duomo

As we start toward the church, there is a small piazza (more of a campo) with an age-old statue of San Andreas.

“Why the x-shaped cross?”, you ask…it’s because Saint Andrew's martyrdom by crucifixion was on a cross called a ‘saltire’ cross, which is an ‘x-shaped’ cross, like the one he is holding onto in his last moments.

You can see just a bit of the statue to the left in this very old photo of this same campo.

Here is my own rendition of the old photo, which I created using Google ‘street view’. As they say, “Close, but no banana”.

The Duomo (Cathedral)

Just across the street we see the steps of the cathedral I’ve removed all of the people from the photo except the bride, standing at the top of the steps. And, I replaced a blah sky with one of more drama. The Duomo has a rather magnificent mosaic façade.

Here you can see the exquisite detail of the mosaic, with a still-different sky.

Here are just a few interior photos, as Ellen leads us inside.

Beautiful! But, it’s time to begin our walk toward Da Gemma.

Street Life in Amalfi

This hungry, but well mannered, pup outside the butcher’s shop reminds us of just how hungry we too, are.

But, to get to Da Gemma, we have to negotiate the one-and-only street through town. Yes, this it it! Via Lorenzo D’Amalfi.

The street is so narrow that there are traffic lights that alternate traffic from north to south.

Another Google street-view photo below shows us that street light. The sign above the red light asks motorists to turn off their engines whilst waiting for a green light, rather than idling out emissions in this pedestrian laden area.

One must wait for vehicles preceding you (before you caught that red light) to travel over 1,000 feet on a green light, and then wait for oncoming vehicles to traverse that same distance before your own green light is activated…then add a good bit of pedestrian slowed time to the formula. I have no idea if this is all done automatically, or whether someone monitors the situation to change the lights at the appropriate time. But hey, it’s Italy!

See the folks in shorts? Tourists.

To avoid the occasional step-into-a-doorway routine, you can use one of the pedestrian tunnels that parallels the roadway, like this one.

A Few Street-Side Shops

Along our way, we pass shops selling this and that. This one sells mostly wine, as it is an ‘enoteca’.

And, this one features bottle after bottle of Limoncello. This sweet-tart-sweet (I’m emphasizing the sweetness, here) liqueur is made from lemons that abound along the Amalfi coast.

Limoncello is not made from your momma’s lemons, though. A single lemon is called a ‘sfusato’, and they are just a bit on the bulky side. The photo below showing sfusati hanging from the arbor was taken at our Hotel Convento. And, in the photo taken on our full-day boat trip to Capri, you can the ubiquitous terraces of sfusati layered up the hillside. Virtually all of the sfusati are destined for limoncello.

[Want to know more about having a fabulous day traveling along the Amalfi coast on your way to the Isle of Capri? See my article titled, “One Fine Day”]

And, did you notice the prosciutto hanging in that limoncello laden shop? What is that smeared on the cut-end of the leg? You can learn more about prosciutto in my previous article on Italian meats titled, “Eat This: Italian Meats - Part 1”.

Trattoria Da Gemma

Ahhh, we’ve reached Da Gemma, which means that it’s time for lunch!

Da Gemma is not a flash-in-the-pan restaurant. This trattoria has been around since 1872…and we’re glad of it.

It’s not located on the street, but thankfully, above it. Your al fresco dining is on a lovely terrace, above the hustle-and-bustle of Via Lorenzo D’Amalfi.

We’ll take those steps up to the right to get to our lunch.

As we typically do, we start our meal by enjoying a bit of the bubbly…prosecco. Cold and refreshing!

The waitstaff are super helpful and friendly…as is everyone we encountered in Amalfi. Here is Alfonso, who took great care of us.

And here are the two handsome young men behind the glass who man the pasticceria.

We’ve now ordered, and Ellen has been given a rather dangerous looking tool. We’ll have to see what that’s for.

But first, it’s time for a refreshing white wine. Alfonso recommended this Greco di Tufo. It is much like a Gavi…rich, refreshing and light…we like it! And of course, it’s a DOCG wine.

This is some sort of amuse-bouche, and at this seven-years-past-the-event stage, I have no idea what it was. But it was well plated, presented, and it tasted yummy.

As is customary for a meal in Italy, the pasta course is a ‘primi’, or first course, which is typically followed by a meat course. Notice the beautiful plating. And that tomato-heaven sauce on the pasta…bellissimo.

One most always gets a presentation of the prepared fish course

For us, the secondi meat course is a nice branzino (sea bass), cooked perfectly. It was presented table-side (above), and then Alfonso and helper began the deconstruction needed to plate the dish for us.

And, here is our fish course, complete with potatoes and a superb buttery-lemony sauce.

This dish is typical of seafood-dish presentations you will find in Italy. As proof, here is another sample of a superb fish course, this one enjoyed the next day on the Isle of Capri.

Do they do dolce in Italy? Yes, they do. The one of the left is the one we ordered. The one on the right…with limoncello…is house-provided…just in case one needs more sweets in one’s life.

All so very satisfying. Will we have room for this evening’s dinner? Always!

Along with the presentation of il conto (the bill), Ellen is presented with a couple of souvenirs of Da Gemma.

As we depart, we say a fond, “Grazie e arrivederci” to the friendly, competent kitchen staff.

La Fine

I hope that you enjoyed tagging along with us on our Amalfi adventure today.

Now, two questions:

What was that tool for that Ellen was holding? I have no remembrance of that. And I have no photos of a food item needing such a treacherous tool.
Who is going to help us get back up to our cliff-side hotel? We need a lift…literally.

If you find yourself in Amalfi town, please pay a visit to Da Gemma…you will not be disappointed. If it’s OK with you, we’ll walk with you from the hotel, high on the hillside.

And, until our next adventure…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Transforming for Light Within

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Kind of a mysterious title, isn’t it?

“Even with my iPhone, I crop the ‘keepers’ by clicking on that ‘Edit’ text”

It’s not some sort of Zen thingie, but one of my photo transformations…this one taking a daylight scene, converting it to night, but adding a bit of light spilling out into the night.

Enough said…let’s get started.

The Original Snapshot

As always, we start with the raw snapshot that I captured “in the field’…this ‘field’ being the charming Piemonte town of Barolo.

As I often do, I captured my subject as a panorama…this one being composed of these 3 shots.

And alas, the three photos combined into a panorama…but a very small panorama, I must admit.

Oh my, why did I bother?! But, I had something in mind at the time. So, trust me…and stick with me for just a couple of minutes to see where this is going.

Mailbox Removal, Please

Let’s remove that large, ugly mailbox from the door.

Done…no mailbox.

Crop It

Now I’ve cropped in to my satisfaction. I recommend cropping almost any photo one takes. It is not often that when we snap we get a desirable composition. Even with my iPhone, I crop the ‘keepers’ by clicking on that ‘Edit’ text to work on the crop of the photo. There is most always a significant improvement.

Saturate It

Now it’s time to work on the color, contrast, and such. So, just below, you see a more colorful scene.

Day to Night and Cast the Light

For the finished image, I wanted to darken the photo into an early evening timeframe. That means that I added a bit of blue to any part of the photo that would not be lit from within. And there is that mysterious light within that I mentioned earlier. And that light had to spill out in a warm way onto the brick pavers just outside the doors.

So, here you have the finished photo…going from that ugly panorama to today’s completed transformation.

So that’s it for today. I took a blah scene and transformed it into the way that I would have wanted to find it in the quaint town of Barolo…and yes, that’s from whence ‘The King of Wines’ (Barolo) hails.

We’ll add this to the list of completed transformations that you saw just last week collected into one place.

Until next time…

Ciao for now,

Steve

A Plethora of Transformations

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Garnering a Sense of Accomplishment

Have you ever looked back at something that you had accomplished and thought, “I can’t believe I did that!”? Maybe it was preparing a particularly complicated Italian dish. Perhaps it was a feat of strength or endurance that you had thought to be beyond your abilities. Or, you painted a masterpiece that you had no idea was within you. Or, even more daring, perhaps you took a huge leap of faith, moved to Italy, and created a fabulous wine empire…right?

“I was recently looking over my transformations, and I thought, ‘Wow! I did that!’.”

Whatever it might be, there is often something that stretches you beyond your comfort zone to do that which, when accomplished, gives you a sense of pride. And with that pride, you have a sense of satisfaction and even awe that you did it.

Transformations Generated Thus Far

Today, I want to share with you my own recent sense of accomplishment. One that encourages me to keep going with my photography. You’ve seen the various transformations that I’ve performed over the past 6 years. I was recently looking over those transformations, and I thought, ‘Wow! I did that!’. And, as I looked back, I was a bit self-impressed in what I had done. So, I thought I’d just share with you a retrospective of transformations.

Below, I give you both the very raw snapshot with which I started, as well as the completed photo . And as usual, you can click on any image to get a larger view. Each subject is presented from oldest published, to the more recent publications. And, if you want to know more about the circumstance surrounding a photograph, just click on the dated title of the transformation (and you can access all of the transformations from the Index of Articles).

Enjoy.

June 16, 2015 — Serendipity, Stakeouts & Targeting - Part 2

A transformation by assembling a composite of various elements.

June 2, 2015 - The Venice That Isn’t There

August 11, 2015 — Before and After

September 1, 2015 — Transforming the Copse

One original with three variations of transformation.

September 15, 2015 — Transforming the Pieta

Simply transforming a snapshot of a glass-encased masterpiece, complete with reflections.

October 6, 2015 — Transforming the Bee Fountain

The subject: a 17th century street-side sculpture by Bernini.

October 13, 2015 — Securing Your Haven

This door has a plethora of locking mechanisms installed.

October 27, 2015 — Transforming L’Uomo Della Pizza

Just what is that pizza man thinking?

November 3, 2015 — Transforming A Sunken Door

Seems to be an ill-conceived doorway, just welcoming high water in Venice to enter the premises.

November 30, 2015 — Transforming the Cathedral of San Andreas

What does this church in Amalfi, with its breathtaking mosaic front, have to do with Scotland?

February 9, 2016 — Transforming the Punta della Dogana

This is the point where the Grand Canal of Venice joins the Bacino San Marco (St Mark’s Basin), with Santa Maria della Salute sitting proud.

March 1, 2016 — Transforming the Pozzi

Many years ago, these water wells were Venice’s source of fresh drinking water, collected during rainfalls.

March 8, 2016 — Transforming a Blue Boat

A blue boat with modern motor and an unbalance scene due to a single balcony…all resolved.

March 22, 2016 — Transforming a Water Gate #1

March 29, 2016 — Iron-Bar Windows

Each of the windows along three sides of the campo-level of this building has a uniquely patterned iron-barred window. I’ve compiled them into on collage.

April 12, 2016 — Transforming a Water Gate #2

April 26, 2016 — Major Renovation

August 30, 2016 — Rome Tunnel Composite

I saw the car on a street and envisioned putting it into a Roman tunnel. Done!

January 24, 2017 — Transforming a Corte

Yes, the basketball hoop was there…no, the basketball wasn’t.

October 15, 2019 — Transforming a Barolo Door

February 25, 2020 — Transforming an Abandoned Water Gate

I removed a gondola, and inserted a gondola.

March 17, 2020 — Transforming a Venetian Glassblower’s Door

Gas lines abound in this Murano-based glass factory.

March 31, 2020 — Transforming the Courtyard of the Blacksmith

A very small portion of the original photo is featured in this Murano canal-side scene.

July 7, 2020 — Transforming a Venetian Palazzo Door

August 25, 2020 — Transforming with a Flip-Flop

I envisioned symmetry…I got symmetry.

September 29, 2020 — A Transformation with Substantial Alteration

This was delicate work, as the brickwork was crumbling before my very eyes.

October 27, 2020 — Transformation x2

December 22, 2020 — Transforming Double Windows

December 29, 2020 — Two Quick Transformations

February 2, 2021 — A Promised Transformation

We saw this door desperately needing transformation on our quiet walk through Dorsoduro, remember?

February 17, 2021 — Transformation at the Church of San Vidal

March 9, 2021 — Head On!

Like the very first transformation above, here is a composite of separate images.

April 6, 2021 — Haiku on a Blue Door

Thanks to Connie for the Haiku, which inspired publication of this transformation.

May 11, 2021 — Lamplight on a Blue Door

A lonely, unplugged lamp just sitting/standing there, wanting to cast its light.

I hope that you enjoyed seeing the retrospective of transformations that I’ve published to date. Rest assured that more are on the way and that a future retrospective will be in the offing.

Ciao for now.

Steve

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Pasta, Pasta, Pasta

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I really can’t believe that I’m attempting this expose on the many shapes/types of pasta! Egad, what a huge subject!

And, all we’re talking about is flour and eggs, and/or water…all worked into different shapes…over 175 of them!

And why so many shapes? Well, I guess I have to say, ‘Why not!’. Or maybe, ‘Because it’s fun’. Or, how about, “I don’t have any idea!’.

“The pasta-type naming issue is a morass tangled up in a muddle sinking into a quagmire.”

Then, I have mixed emotions about getting into the nitty-gritty of what clings well to each shaped pasta. Yes, like wine pairings with food, there is the ‘proper’ coating/sauce for each type of pasta…thus the different shapes…but I’ll surely get into that. And, just what coating is ‘proper’ for each shape?…that depends on with whom you are speaking, or reading, just like with food-wine pairings.

Is this an Italian subject? Yes, most definitely. Let’s dive in!

THE SHAPE OF THINGS

Here are the very basic shapes of pasta that one might encounter: long & skinny or long & wide, shell, twisted, tubular or short-cut, stretched, itsy-bitsy, and filled/stuffed pastas. You can probably put in gnocchi as a different shaped pasta altogether, as it has distinctive ingredients for its preparation, e.g. potato is often used…its more like a dumpling.

Wikipedia has a nice list of pastas with photos.

Here are some examples of each, using common terms with which you might be familiar.

Long Pastas

These are like what you think of as spaghetti, of which there are many types…just head up to your grocery store to see that for yourself. They are made either by extruding them through a die, or by rolling them out and hand cutting them.

Here is a semi-comprehensive (is there such a thing as ‘semi-comprehensive’?) list of these ‘long’ pastas…and I’ll provide just a few photos.

NOTE: I’m going to be making a point with the next few paragraphs, so please bear with me.

PASTAS IN THE LONG CATEGORY: barbine (1), bavette (3), bigoli (1), bucatini (8), busiate, capellini (7), fedelini, ferrazzuoli (1), fettuccine (4) (I’ll explain why I’ve bolded fettuccine, below), fileja (6), linguine (5), lagane (2), lasagna (8), lasagnette, lasagnotte, maccheroni alla molinara, maccheroncini di campofilone, mafaide (9), matriciani, pappardelle (3), perciatelli (4), pici (3), pillus (1), rustiche, sagne ‘ncannulate, scialatelli, spaghetti (6), spaghetti alla chitarra (2), spaghettini (1), spaghettoni (1), stringozzi, su filindau, tagliatelle (15), taglierini (3), trenette, tripoline (1), vermicelli (1), ziti (5).

REGIONAL PASTA NAMES: That’s 32 names for for long pastas. But, those are the common names for the long and skinny pastas. But, guess what? There are regional names, also…the number of which is shown in the parenthesis following each name type above. I count over 100 names for the long and skinny pastas that are used regionally. Add the two together and there are 130 names for long and skinny pasta. Do we really need that many names for long, skinny mixtures of flour and eggs and/or water?

Here’s an example of the regional-names issue. I’ll use the well known Tagliatelle, as an example (that’s it in the bottom right of the group of photos just below).

REGIONAL NAMES FOR TAGLIATELLE PASTA SHAPE: tagliarelli, reginelle, fresine, nastri, fettuccelle, fettucce romane, fiadi, tagliolin, taglatelle smalzade, lesagnetes, bardele, fettuccine (again!?), pincinelle, tagghiarini, and taddarini (you should see all of the red-underlined-spell-checker warnings I’m looking at right now!).

So, ‘fettuccine’ in the regional names for tagliatelle?!…that alone is a completely separate type of long and skinny pasta as you can see above in the list of 32 long pastas, but it’s listed here as a regional version of tagliatelle. Go figure.

I’m not going to belabor the point of the pasta names (well, not any more, at least), and I’m not going to list them for the remaining pasta shapes. In my research, it is suggested that names are often created for marketing purposes And, as there are reportedly 34 different languages or dialects spoken in Italy, that is most likely the main reason for so many regional-name equivalents.

Churchill said of Russia that “It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. You can quote me in the future as I say that, “The pasta-type naming issue is a morass tangled up in a muddle sinking into a quagmire.”

PHOTOS OF LONG & SKINNY PASTA: In the first two photos (ziti and bucatini respectively), you will see holes in the long strands that can only be imparted with extrusion through a die. Buca means ‘hole’ in Italian, so this is where bucatini gets its name (the -tini diminutive would make it a small hole), as there is a hole all the way through each strand. Other strands have a square cross-section, while some are flat. Also, note the different colors of each pasta, which is related to the type of flour used in the creation of that pasta.

Tubular/Short Cut

Here we find cheese’s famous partner, macaroni. The short tubes of pasta might be smooth, or there may be grooves. They might be straight, or they may be curved. Some are spiraled and some look like wagon wheels. There is even a cute little bow tie for your pasta salad. There are 70 types of short, tubular pastas, with over 160 regional names associated with them.

Stretched or Shelled

These are usually small disks of pasta that are stretched on a board, and it is a small category with only 5 pasta shapes. Orecchiette, those little ear-shaped pastas are in this category. There are around 17 regional variations in naming.

Itsy-Bitsy

You will find these in soups, like minestrone. I use the term itsy-bitsy, but in Italian they are called ‘pastina’ (again, the -tina is a diminutive ending), or small pasta. There are 38 pasta shapes in the pastina category, with a plethora of regional shape names. The first of the six photos below is orzo, which has 24 regional names for that diminutive shape.

Filled

Enter Chef Boyardee and his canned ravioli…I remember it well. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten that canned delicacy, and I’m glad of it. But yes, you will find ravioli in this category, as well as cannelloni (the first photo below) and tortelloni/tortellini. And, let’s not forget cappelli, shown below in the second photo…those being hand made by none other than your writer/host. There are 21 shapes named in this category, with Cannelloni itself owning 17 regional names, like ‘tagliati di zitoni’. Now, The Godfather movie wouldn’t be the same with the line, “Leave the gun, take the tagliati di zitoni”, would it? No, it wouldn’t.

Gnocchi

It’s just ‘kinda’ in the pasta category. Yes, it is usually made with flour and eggs, but there is most likely something else involved, like cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, herbs, cocoa, prunes, ricotta, spinach, and of course, the kitchen sink. They are actually more like dumplings, and they are usually cooked fresh, rather than in a dried form. BTW, they are ready to remove from the pot when they float.

MAKING PASTA

We’ve seen pasta being made in Italy in many places. It’s fun to watch it being made and then shaped into whatever meets one’s fancy.

Hand Made at a Ristorante

Here is a woman in a viewing window of a ristorante near Campo di Fiori in Rome, who appears to be making a fileja pasta (which could also be known as filleda, filateddhi, filatelli, fusilli avellinesi, maccaruni aru ferru, ricci di donna, depending on where one is in Italy). Note the well-floured surface on which she works. In the four photos below, here is what she’s doing (from top-left to bottom-right):

Cutting a rolled out and folded sheet of pasta into fettucine shaped long and skinny pasta.
Separating the cut strips.
Laying them out in preparation for twisty-rolling.
Using a stiff wire as a form (hard to see in the fourth photo), she rolls the flat pasta around the wire in a quick and fluid motion.

Here is what her final product might look like after the wire is slid out.

Hand Made With Our Own Hands

You may remember seeing my article titled, “Learning to Cook Italian”, where we joined my in-laws Leslie and Criag at a cooking class in Piemonte. Here are some photos from that experience, where you can see wife Ellen’s hands deftly working the pasta.

I’m inspired to produce an article soon on how to make your own pasta, with but a few of the 170 or so shapes.

Pairings by Pasta Shape

As crazy as it may seem, one is supposed to coat a particularly shaped pasta with a particular coating. I can get into elbow macaroni being coated with a few melted cheeses, but come on. But, I promised that I would work this into today’s article, so here goes.

Thin Long Noodles Like Spaghetti: You don’t want to inhibit wrapping these pastas around your fork, so keep it light…nothing heavier than a thin Bolognese. Use sauces like light cream or olive oil, add chopped fresh herbs, diced tomatoes, crumbled crisp pancetta. And light seafood works well.

Long Tube Pastas (like ziti and bucatini): Since they have a long hole through the pasta, use thinner, loose sauces, so that the sauce can run down the center for more flavor in each bite.

Flat Long Pastas: Due to the large surface area, you can use heavier, richer sauces. The wider the pasta, the heavier the sauce. Pappardelle: use a rich, meaty sauce, like ragù, Bolognese, mushrooms, or a chunky tomato sauce.. Fettuccine: use a simple cream sauce like Alfredo.

Short Tube Pasta: These are super versatile shapes that you’ll even use in casseroles . The bigger the hole, the heavier/chunkier the sauce. When the tubes have ridges, a pesto will find it easier to well-coat this pasta shape.

Twisted Pastas: The unique twisty shape encourages pesto, crumbled meat, and sauces to hang around in there.

Small Pastina/Soup Pastas: These tiny varieties are best served in soups, stews, or broth. They also go well in a pasta salad.

Filled Pastas: You went to a lot of trouble to get a tasty filling stuffed into these pastas, so lets don’t overwhelm them with the coating. Try a light butter- or oil-based sauce. We like to brown up some butter with a bit of sage…yummm.

Gnocchi: Try a nice creamy sauce, or a cheesy-creamy sauce, or a brown-butter sauce. It’s gonna be good!

OK, after spending time putting the pairings together, I guess that most of it makes some sense. However, I never ran across anything involving meatballs. I like meatballs. Now I’m stuck, not knowing what to do. Using my own judgement, I’ll be pairing them with long, skinny pastas, whichever of the 32 or so is readily available.

Closing Arguments

I know that this was a lot to digest (no pun intended). But again, it seems like much ado about just a little bit of flour and eggs, and/or water.

If you are purchasing your pasta at your local grocery, then you are limited to what is available there, and it won’t be 170 different shapes. Go with what is available and enjoy your time cooking, and then eating. Add some wine to the picture, right?

If you purchase pasta at a specialty store that has a large inventory, then use the guidelines above…or use your common sense!

If you order on-line, you will have a wealth of choices…but then, you will have plenty of time to think about the appropriate coating as you wait a couple of days for delivery. Unless of course you subscribe to Amazon-Super-Duper-Primo-Instant-Tele-Transportation, in which case you’ll have to think faster.

A Bit of Charming Fun!

But now, for a bit of charming fun! I doubt that you’ve ever heard of Pasta Grannies…but, now that you have, you’ll be hooked if you visit the You Tube site. It’s mostly octogenarians-to-centenarians making pasta as they were taught by their own grannies. They are oh, so charming. These beautiful women create pasta in all shapes and sizes in their own kitchens, all by hand.

See over 300 grannies busily making pasta by hand on the You Tube channel…take a look here.
You can get a short introduction to the types of flour used by the grannies by clicking here.
There are short snippets of their tireless working on Instagram here.

Try it…you’ll like it…and you will get inspiration for making your own, handmade pastas.

And speaking of that, in the not-to-distant future, I’ll be writing about making your own pasta at home, which is what we do.

And Finally…Some Pasta Drama!

From oldsters to youngsters. What kid doesn’t like pasta…right?! Well, here’s one. This bit of drama unfolded before our very eyes at the same ristorante where the woman was making hand rolled pasta, above.

So, who wonthis battle? When the bread arrived at our table, I suddenly lost interest as my own bread-and-olive-oil drama began. Sorry to leave you hanging like that.

So, there you have the many shapes of pasta…and I’m guessing that there are a good many more than shown or described, above. We’ll be making some pasta together soon. But, in the meantime…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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