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Is it illegal to break pasta in Italy?
In short, no. But Italians place a lot of weight on etiquette and custom, especially when it comes to food. So, it definitely feels like breaking pasta is prohibited or at least heavily frowned upon. But I can assure you that there is no pasta police in charge of arresting and prosecuting pasta breakers. Phew!
Italians believe we are to cook and eat pasta while retaining the shape in which it was created. This means not breaking the uncooked pasta before putting it in the pot and not cutting up a plate of cooked pasta with a knife. While this is not illegal, it is certainly in bad taste.
We know Italians love food, sometimes making it the focus of their whole day. With the quality of ingredients and the care and attention that goes into cooking with them, a plate of homemade pasta is like a work of art. There is beauty and pride felt when winding long strands of spaghetti around your fork, creating a perfect twirl holding all the cheesy saucy goodness.
I know everyone wants to enjoy delicious pasta dishes in their own way, but to follow true Italian tradition, don’t commit the cardinal etiquette mistake of breaking your pasta!
Pasta Facts!
What is the difference between durum wheat flour pasta and egg pasta?
Durum wheat pasta is made with just semolina flour made from durum wheat and water. Semolina is a high-protein, high-gluten flour and because of this produces a very elastic, stretchy dough. This also helps to hold together the shape of the pasta when it cooks. It can easily be shaped into intricate, complicated shapes, like farfalle, fusilli, and wagon-wheels (or rotelle in Italian).
Egg pasta is made with a soft, fine-ground wheat flour (Tipo 00) and eggs creating a light, delicate dough, which is great for fresh pasta. Stuffed pastas, like ravioli and tortellini, are often egg pastas, as well as soft noodles like tagliatelle.
What sauce goes with which pasta shape?
Small tubular shapes, like penne or rigatoni, are ideal with thick, chunky sauces or creamy sauces – anything with a lot of stuff to get caught in all the wide-openings.
Twisted shapes, like fusilli or gemelli, are great with a pesto sauce or lightly creamy sauce.
Long pasta depends on the thickness. Thinner, like spaghetti or capellini, work well with an oil based or light cream sauce. While thicker, like tagliatelle or fettuccine, work great with a rustic tomato sauce or meat ragu.
Tips to Cooking Pasta like a Real Italian
How do I cook pasta without breaking it?
Fill a tall pot with water, 1 liter per 100 grams of pasta, and wait for it to boil. Salt generously.
Add the pasta vertically. After a few seconds, the bottom half of the pasta that is submerged in the water begins to soften. Then using a spoon or tongs, you will be able to push down the pasta so it is all completely in the boiling water. Give it a stir to ensure the pasta isn’t sticking together.
Cook the pasta for the amount of time written on the pasta box, every size and brand is different.
Strain and serve with your favorite sauce!
How much salt do I put in pasta water?
A fairly accepted ratio (however, everything can be debated) is
10-100-1,000
10 grams of salt for every 100 grams of pasta in 1,000ml (1 liter) of water.
Kosher salt is recommended in America because its big flake mimics the salt used here in Italy. Try weighing it a few times to get a feel for what 10 or 20 grams feels and looks like.
In Italy, salting pasta water with sale grosso is a MUST. I now always use it and it makes so much difference. I realize that I had never been salting my pasta water enough and I hang my head in shame. If the pasta is bland to start with, the final dish will lack a certain umph that we’re all looking for in a plate of Italian carb loveliness.
Also, it would be good to note, about 80 grams is a good serving of dry pasta for one person. (But let’s be honest, I always eat more than a suggested serving of pasta).
Tips to Avoid Overcooking or Undercooking Pasta
- Set a timer for the recommended cooking time on the package of pasta you’re using. This will help you keep track of how long it has been cooking.
- Taste as you go to determine if your pasta is done. Take one piece out of the pot and taste it every few minutes until it’s cooked to your liking.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot and make sure there’s enough room for the pasta to cook evenly without sticking together.
- Start checking your pasta for doneness a few minutes before the recommended cooking time on the package. Depending on the pasta shape, it could cook faster or slower than expected.
Is it Illegal to Break Pasta in Italy? The Exception!
There IS an Italian pasta shape that is meant to be broken *gasp*
While in America, ziti is sold in pieces, in Italy, it is sold as long tubes, about 25cm long. Many ziti recipes call for ziti spezzati, meaning “broken”.
Ziti is a durum wheat pasta commonly found in southern Italian recipes, which require the pasta to be broken (traditionally only by the hands of nonna). It is also commonly used in baked pasta dishes, either kept whole or broken in half.
Common ziti pasta dishes include ziti alla napoletana and ziti alla genovese, which both have a meat ragu sauce. (Strangely enough, ragu alla genovese is actually from Naples and there are many inconclusive, unverified stories about why it is named after a city located on the opposite side of the country. Another mystery of Italian food lore.)
Ziti lardiati is made with a tomato sauce simmered with Italian lard. And ziti con melanzane is a baked ziti with eggplant, tomato sauce and cheese.
But wait there’s more! There are also some instances where you will find pasta spezzata, “broken pasta”. Commonly broken spaghetti is found in rustic soups or minestrones, harking back to poorer times where leftover scraps of pasta were used. These little pieces of varying sizes and shapes gave visual and textural interest to an otherwise bland or plain dish of lentils, potatoes, or beans.
Try making these pasta dishes at home!
and remember – don’t break the pasta!
Mascarpone and Tomato Sauce
Oven Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta Sauce
One Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon
Pasta with Radicchio Cream, Speak and Walnuts
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