With the versatility between the ingredients of Broccoli and Pasta, your recipe options are endless. Broccoli and Pasta remind me of a married couple; they go well together! However, certain kinds of Pasta work better with Broccoli compared to others.
The best types of Pasta that go with Broccoli are Farfalle, Rigatoni, Orecchiette, Penne, ext. In other words, any pasta that falls under the shortcut category. Long cut and soup cut Pasta types also go with Broccoli. It all depends on your choice of sauce, Broccoli, and if you are a vegetarian.
Did you know there are over 500 distinct Pasta types in the world? Continue reading to find out why Broccoli cannot be paired with all 500.
Getting To know Your Broccoli And Your Pasta
There is an extensive range of Pasta categories to choose from, and there is also a wide range of Broccoli categories. To know what Pasta goes with your Broccoli, you must first know what type of Broccoli you will use. So, let us get to know our Broccoli first and then our Pasta.
Broccoli:
- The word Broccoli arose from the Italian word Broccolo meaning “the flowering crest of a cabbage”
- There are three primary Broccoli categories: Calabrese (multiple stalks and green heads that are quite large); Sprouting (sweeter, plenty heads, numerous stalks); and Purple or Violet cauliflower (contains a variety of flower buds and the head is shaped like a cauliflower, comes in different colors, there is a purple cast at the top of the flower head)
- Established under the Brassica oleracea in the Italica cultivar group, and is a member of the cabbage family and is eaten as a vegetable
- All categories are Rich in Calcium with antioxidant properties that are cancer repellent
- Antiviral and antibiotic components from the sulfur that is rooted in gas found from overcooked Broccoli
- High in dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins
Pasta:
- Pasta prices can range from $2 to $6 or even more
- Your Pasta does not need to originate from Italy (or any other overseas country for that matter) to have the best taste. Right here in the USA, they have produced fantastic Pasta. For example, Barilla. Even though Barilla is an Italian company, they have made it big in the USA
- When purchasing Pasta, searching for texture is of the utmost significance. You will want to examine your choice of Pasta category to see if it has a sandy and rough texture and is matte in color. The sauce tends to cling to rougher surfaces. However, such Pasta is a bit more pricey
- The best kinds of Pasta are slowly dried, which means that they have been dried with lower heat and at a slower rate.
The Category Of Short Cut Pasta
By now, you probably have a brief concept of what kind of Broccoli you will decide to use in your Pasta, but now it is time to discover which Pasta is the exact one to use to match your choice of Broccoli. Considering all the Pasta facts mentioned above, shortcut Pasta goes best with Calabrese Broccoli.
Due to its design, the shortcut category is invented in such a way as to seize heavy vegetable sauce in its strong ridges and hollows, making Calabrese Broccoli perfect. Calabrese Broccoli is better suited in the shortcut range than any other Pasta range because of its large green heads. Long cut or soup cut Pasta cannot hold Calabrese as well as any short cut Pasta can.
The Category Of Long Cut Pasta
The design of long cut Pasta is impressive to wrap around thick sauces effortlessly; due to this reason, Sprouting Broccoli is the best choice of the Broccoli category to be paired with the group of long cut Pasta. While eating long-cut pasta, Sprouting Broccoli is the best-paired option out of all the Broccoli categories because of its shape and size.
Coordinate Sprouting Broccoli with Mafalda (also known as “Reginette,” “little Mafaldas,” and “little queens.”) The name was invented for Princess Mafalda, the daughter of Vittorio Emanuele III, king of Italy. It was her lacy dress that was the inspiration behind the design.
It is designed like a ribbon and has ruffled edges. The ruffled edges make it easy to wrap around Sprouting Broccoli and heavy sauces.
Named after Alfredo di Lelio, Fettuccine Alfredo is my favorite pasta dish, and it is another type of long-cut pasta that goes with Sprouting Broccoli. Fettuccine Alfredo came into existence after Mr. di Lelio’s wife, Ines, could not keep food down during her pregnancy. Alfredo decided to formulate a plain pasta dish and thought it could use some butter and parmesan. Hence, Fettuccine Alfredo was born!
Fettuccine Alfredo is also known as “Pasta in Bianco” (white Pasta), “Fettuccine al Burro,” or “Fettuccine Burro e parmigiano.” Sprouting Broccoli is not only perfectly paired with the Fettuccine pasta cut, but it is also a great match with the Alfredo sauce! Sprouting Broccoli in Alfredo sauce adds a lovely sweet and balanced flavor.
The Category Of Soup Cut Pasta
Whether you are craving soup or a pasta salad, the versatility of soup cuts is endless! Oroz and Ditalini are my top two most used types of soup cut Pasta. Does the name Garibaldini ring a bell? He is Italy’s famous son, and that is what Ditalini Pasta was called initially.
Ditalini is shaped like small macaroni tubes, and Oroz is shaped like a rice grain on steroids.
Another name that was given to Oroz Pasta is “Rossini.” Oroz got its name from its striking resemblance to barley; hence, barley is the English meaning of the Italian word Oroz. Traditionally, Oroz is used in soups at Italian weddings.
If you are having a traditional Italian wedding, then the answer is yes, match Oroz pasta with your favorite Broccoli and get ready to wow your guests!
Your preference of Calabrese, Sprouting, or Purple, or Violet Broccoli can be used with soup cut Pasta. Both Ditalini and Oroz Pasta go with any Broccoli preference that you have. Short and long cut Pasta is not recommended if you want to make soup.
Conclusion
All Pasta can go with Broccoli from short cut to long cut and even soup cut. It depends on what dish you want to make, what Broccoli you prefer, and how thick in consistency your sauce will be. You can only match your preferred Broccoli option into the correct Pasta category (long cut, short cut, or soup cut.)
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