2: http://www.italymagazine.com/dual-language/so-how-many-pasta-shapes-are-there. They are also used in pasta salads and baked pasta recipes. Although penne pairs well with almost any sauce, it works brilliantly with chunky sauce, big hunks of meat, and vegetables. In Italy, penne is traditionally boiled for 12 minutes until al dente then combined with sauce in a shallow pan. Pour in the passata, then add tuna and tomato paste. The Italian word ‘elica’ translates as helix or spiral . In the U.S. ziti are tubes that are about 2" long although you can find imports of the longer pasta. These two kinds of pastas have a similar taste and it would be quite acceptable to substitute one for the other in a recipe. Elicoidali: A medium sized tube pasta similar to rigatoni. Two pasta shapes that are commonly confused are ziti and penne. Notably, its ends are cut straight rather than at a diagonal, making it possible to distinguish it from penne without pulling out a ruler. But before we look at each of them, first let’s find out what each of their names mean when translated. In fact, some recipes, and even stores will use the two interchangeably. Nevertheless it’s always useful to know the difference when travelling in Italy and ordering pasta in restaurants. ZITI. Cjarsons ravioli from Friuli Venezia Giulia. Pasta is traditionally eaten at weddings which explains the association. Alla Mediterranea (Mediterranean sauce and celebrations! For this particular pasta dish, using ziti … Pappardelle pasta with walnut sauce and black truffle shavings, Pesto Pasta Liguria with Potatoes and Green Beans, Tuscan pici pasta all’etrusca with asparagus, Cinnamon Butter Gnocchi: Recipe from Veneto, Lasagna bianca with mushrooms and burrata, Spaghetti al limone with ricotta, basil and lemon, Spaghetti/Maccheroni alla Chitarra with 4 meat ragu Abruzzese, Stuffed Lumaconi (Lumache) snail shell pasta, Pasta al forno (pasta bake the Italian way), Tagliolini with Taleggio and Black Truffle, Agriturismo Il Romitorio, Tuscania, Lazio, Restaurant Dei Cantoni, Longiano, Emilia-Romagna, The Best Italian Pasta Ever: Pastificio dei Campi. Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes. A whopping 0.12 inch shorter and 0.25 mm thicker than penne, ziti is a smooth-exteriored pasta that hails from Naples, Italy. Tuscan Gnudi (ricotta and spinach gnocchi). In Southern Italy, tortiglioni is actually the name given to a totally different short spiral pasta which looks very similar to fusilli bucati or fusillioni. Similar to penne, ziti pairs well in baked dishes with chunky sauces and meat. Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes. I don’t blame you! Cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Heat a large pot of salted water on high heat until boiling then reduce the heat to medium and add the ziti pasta. Ziti also makes a smart addition to stir-fries and salads. The difference being that when looking for elicoidali recipes these will be more typical of Southern Italy and hence ingredients more commonly found in the south like Tropea onions and peperoncino, whilst tortiglioni recipes will make use of traditional Northern Italian ingredients. References: Its name originated from the word zito, which can be translated as “bridegroom”. Filed Under: Campania, Elicoidali, Pasta Types Tagged With: dried pasta, elicoidali, […] pasta ( I used Elicoidali)120g purple sprouting broccoli, chopped into small florets½ tablespoon of olive oil1 garlic clove, […], Your email address will not be published. Ziti is both shorter and thicker than it’s quilled counterpart, and typically has a smooth exterior—though there are “rigate” variations on ziti. Pour the oil into a frying pan on medium heat. It is slightly narrower and the ridges on the surface of elicoidali are slightly curved around the tube, rather than straight as on rigatoni. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Yes, elicoidali look like rigatoni but on closer inspection they are quite different. As our hunger for pasta increases, so too do the variety of pasta types. If you’ve only got penne in the pantry and your recipe calls for ziti don’t stress; you can use the two interchangeably. Though there is a multitude of varieties in different styles and shapes, pasta can seem quite similar. I actually bought this pasta without looking at the name as I assumed it was a small rigatoni. Penne is thicker and can tolerate longer cooking times. With an estimated 350 pasta types² in Italy, it’s not surprising that some of them will look quite similar.