From the term primo piatto, which literally means ‘first plates’ of a meal, since antipasti are not always offered. The primi are most often a choice of pasta, gnocchi or risotto with modern menus now including polenta. Due to the peasant tradition of Tuscan cooking, soup is the more traditional of first courses in Tuscany (in the evening only), with almost all Tuscan soups being served over stale bread.

Pasta and its sauces are diverse and vary from region to region. Dried, store-bought pasta, such as spaghetti and penne. For Italians, every pasta has a different taste and is split into three main categories: long pasta , short pasta, and fresh pasta each accompanied by its own sauce. Long, thin pasta is generally used with sauces of a fine/delicate consistency, while short, thick pasta is better for stronger, heavy sauces. Risotti have been developed to complement local ingredients, such as the well-known porcini mushrooms or wild asparagus etc.

Pasta

There may be no other food in the world as ubiquitous, versatile, and well loved as pasta. A basic, healthy food made from simple, everyday components it is capable of standing alone or taking on a wealth of other flavours. For centuries, pasta has been a staple part of the diet of numerous cultures throughout the world.

Outside of Italy, marketers have convinced many consumers that dried, boxed pasta is inherently inferior to fresh pasta, but that is often far from true. Italians consider dried and fresh pasta to be simply different, neither better than the other, each with their own virtues. In fact, much of the ‘fresh’ mass-produced pasta found in grocery stores is made from inferior ingredients and has an extended shelf life. Some of the most flavoured and best quality dried pasta in Italy includes Voiello, De Cecco, Barilla and Agnesi. Cooks wanting to use fresh pasta are advised to find shops that make it daily or, even better, to use the simple recipe we include in our featured pasta recipes:

Pasta Fresca - Fresh Pasta

Many people are unnecessarily intimidated by making fresh pasta. With a pasta machine, pasta making can be surprisingly easy, and the result very rewarding. This recipe can be used to make traditional spaghetti, hand-formed pasta, stuffed pasta, and sheets. The shape of the pasta should be compatible with the recipe. You can also experiment with variations in colour and flavour by adding ingredients such as spinach, fresh herbs, tomatoes or beets.


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