According to Wikipedia, the first reference to pasta was in 1154. Put that in your gluten bowl and eat it. Since then it’s been sold in many packages, colors, wheats, and shapes. It has been made from scratch by daring people who are confident in properly mixing wheat, water, eggs, grains or whatever else they dare as kitchen conquerers. It’s a worldwide staple. That’s certain.
Below the list we have included a list of recommended Italian fine dining you may want to try or return to.
We’ve been served pasta probably more than other meal. The noodle. Think about…spaghetti, lasagna, farfalle, orzo, mac n’ “cheese” from a blue box or any quick noodle your parents could put sauce on and get to the table. It’s for the rich. It’s for the poor. It’s for the people, which lead us to wonder, “What’s the most loved pasta in Utah?” We asked and over 400 people answered. Maybe those sociology classes in college paid off after all. We present the definitive list of most loved pasta in Utah (descriptions via Wikipedia unless otherwise noted):
1. Lasagna – “Lasagne are wide, flat-shaped pasta, and possibly one of the oldest types of pasta.”
2. Spaghetti – “a long, thin, cylindrical, solid pasta.”
3. Penne – “is a type of pasta with cylinder-shaped pieces.”
4. Macaroni – “a variety of dry pasta in the shape of narrow tubes, originating from Italy, made with durum wheat, usually without egg. It is normally cut in short lengths; if cut in lengths with a curve it is usually called elbow macaroni.”
5. Ravioli – “a type of dumpling composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough.”
6. Tortellini -“ring-shaped pasta, sometimes also described as ‘navel shaped’, hence their alternative name of ‘belly button’.”
7. Manicotti – “are an Italian-American kind of pasta. They are very large pasta tubes usually ridged, that are intended to be stuffed (filled) then baked topped with a traditional Italian white besciamella that is usually made with Romano or Parmesan cheese or red sauce or both.”
8. Linguine – “like fettuccine and trenette, but elliptical in section rather than flat. It is about 4 millimetres (0.16 in) in width, which is wider than spaghetti but not as wide as fettuccine. The name linguine means ‘little tongues’ in Italian.”
9. Alphabet Pasta – A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z…now you’ve said those letters with me, how about you come and eat with me. Usually comes in a can.
10. Cavatappi – macaroni (typically rigid) formed in a helical tube shape (sometimes described as a ‘tubular corkscrew’). It is known by other names, including cellentani, amori, spirali, tortiglioni, fusilli rigati, or scoobi doo. It usually has rigati (lines or grooves on the outside surface of pasta).”
11. Egg Noodles – Noodles made with eggs – wide, likely found in stroganoff in a mushroom-based sauce. The Hamburger Helper folks have done wonderous things with this one.
12. Farfalle – “Commonly known as ‘bow-tie pasta’, the name is derived from the Italian word farfalla (butterfly).”
13. Ziti – “Also known as perciatelli, is a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center. The name comes from Italian: buco, meaning ‘hole’, while bucato means ‘pierced’.”
14. Fusilli – “Are long, thick, corkscrew shaped pasta. The word fusilli presumably comes from fuso, as traditionally it is ‘spun’ by pressing and rolling a small rod over the thin strips of pasta to wind them around it in a corkscrew shape, much like a modern Turkish spindle.”
15. Acini di Pepe – “are a form of pasta. Their name is Italian for ‘small parts of the pepper’.”
16. Rigatoni – “A form of tube-shaped pasta of varying lengths and diameters. They are larger than penne and ziti, and sometimes slightly curved, though nowhere near as curved as elbow macaroni. Rigatoni characteristically have ridges down their length, sometimes spiraling around the tube. And unlike penne, rigatoni’s ends are cut square (perpendicular) to the tube walls instead of diagonally.”
17.Farfalline – Wikipedia didn’t have an entry for this one, but all research leads toFarfalline being Farfalle with the wings slightly bent in. Go figure.
18. Ditalini – “Shaped like small tubes. The literal translation from the Italian language to English is ‘small fingers’. It has been described as ‘thimble-sized’ and as ‘very short macaroni’.”
19. Casarecce – “a term that also means ‘home made,’ are 3/4-inch wide strips of pasta about 1 1/2 inches long that are loosely rolled up around their long axes. They work nicely with chunky sauces.” via AboutFood.com.
20. Orzo – “also risoni or ‘big rice’, is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice.”
21. Campanelle – “A type of pasta which is shaped like a cone with a ruffled edge, or a bell-like flower. It is also sometimes referred to as gigli or riccioli.”
22. Rotini – “A type of helix- or corkscrew-shaped pasta. The name comes from a 17th-century Italian word meaning “small wheels”. Rotini is related to fusilli, but has a tighter helix, i.e. with a smaller pitch. It should not be confused with rotelle (‘wagon wheel’ pasta).”
23. Bucatini – “Also known as perciatelli, is a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center.”
24. Cavatelli – “The term cavatelli has two meanings: the most common meaning is small pasta shells that look like miniature hot dog buns. The name is less frequently used for a type of dumpling made with ricotta.”
25. Riccioli -” Unique short pasta shape is great at capturing sauce, making it perfect with a thicky or meaty pasta sauce!” via Barilla
Here are some places we recommend to eat pasta in Salt Lake:
- Michelangelo’s on Main (132 South Main Street) – 3.5 stars on Yelp ($$)
- Michelangelo’s in Sugarhouse (3005 South Highland Drive) – 3 stars on Yelp ($$)
- Cucina Toscana (282 South 300 West) – 4 stars on Yelp ($$$)
- Cannella’s (204 East 500 South) – 3.5 stars on Yelp ($$)
- Café Trio (680 South 900 East) – 4 stars on Yelp ($$)
- Brio Tuscan Grill (80 South Regent Street, in City Creek) – 3.5 stars on Yelp ($$)
- Per Noi Trattoria (1588 East Stratford Avenue, Sugarhouse) – 4 stars on Yelp ($$)
- Café Molise (55 West 100 South) – 3.5 stars on Yelp ($$)
– Mangia Bene!
