Pasta Types for Soup
Pasta is a common ingredient in many Italian soup recipes such as minestrone (literally meaning "big soup"). Pasta adds texture or bulk when used in soups. Choosing the correct type of pasta for your recipe is an important consideration. Does this Spark an idea?
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Choosing the Pasta
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In general, smaller types of pasta tend to be used in thin, light soups whereas larger pasta shapes are used in thicker, heartier soups. Some pasta shapes are used almost exclusively in soups.
Small Pasta Shapes
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For lighter soups, use acini di pepe (peppercorns), alphabets, anelli or anellini (pasta rings), or stelle (stars). Conchigliette, a smaller version of the classic pasta shells, is a common addition to many soup recipes. Small tube-type pastas suitable for lighter soups also include corallini and ditalini.
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Larger Pasta Shapes
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Thicker soup recipes call for larger types of pasta. Macaroni is universally available and works well, as does the elbow-shaped tube stortini. Also try tubetti, a straight pasta tube slightly longer than ditalini. Many Italians also simply break up strands of spaghetti or linguine to add to thicker soups.
Cooking Pasta in Soup
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It is important to add the pasta toward the end of the cooking process. Pasta always should be cooked "al dente," meaning literally "to the bite." Overcooked pasta is soggy and unappetizing.
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References
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