Italian Cooking: First Courses

Primi Piatti / First Courses

Pasta

Italian	English
pasta	pasta
semolina (grano duro)	a type of flour, used to make dry, boxed pasta
grano duro (semolina)	a type of flour, used to make dry, boxed pasta
grano tenero	wheat flour

Types of fresh, homemade pasta

Italian	English
cappellacci	ravioli filled with zucca baruca, a sweet, juicy pumkin
farfalline (stricchetti)	from farfalla, butterfly
fettucine
garganelli
maccheroni alla chitarra (tonnarelli)
maltagliatti	from tagliare male, to cut badly
manfrigul
pappardelle
pici	long pasta typical of Siena
pizzocheri	made with buckwheat flour
quadrucci
ravioli
stricchetti (farfalline)
tonnarelli (maccheroni alla chitarra)
tortelli
tortellini
tortelloni

Types of boxed, dry pasta

Italian	English
bucatini (perciatelli)	long and hollow, from bucato, with a hole
cannelloni	long and tubular, from cannella, pipe
capelli d’angelo	angel’s hair: very thin noodles
conchiglie	shells
fusilli	corkscrews
lasagne	long and flat
maccheroni	macaroni
orecchiette	shaped like an ear, from orecchio, ear
penne lisce	short, smooth and tubular, from penna, feather
penne rigate	short, tubular, with crevices, from penna, feather
pennette	small penne
perciatelli (bucatini)	long and hollow
rigatoni	short, tubular, boxed pasta
ruote di carro	cartwheels
spaghetti (vermicelli)	long strands
spaghettini	thin spaghetti
vermicelli (spaghetti)	long
zitti	short and tubular

Other first courses


	Crespelle

Italian	English
carpaccio	Very thin slices of raw meat, usually eaten with a sauce
crespelle	Crêpes
fritatta	A type of flat omelette
gnocchi	Small balls made of potato or semolina
minestra/ministrina/ministrone	Soup
panzerotti	Crespelle filled with white sauce and ham
polenta	Prepared with yellow corn
ravioli ignudi	The filling of the ravioli, prepared without the pasta.
risotto	Any course made with rice which is constantly stirred while cooking in liquid.

Sauces and soups


Gnocchi alla romana

Italian	English
ai quattro formaggi	with four cheeses (parmesan, pecorino, gorgonzola and ricotta, for example)
acquacotta	Tuscan peasant soup with cabbage and beans
aio e oio (aglio e olio)	pasta sauce with garlic and olive oil
al ragù (alla bolognese)	with minced meat and flavourings
all’amatriciana	pasta sauce with tomato sauce, pancetta and chilli
alla bolognese (al ragù)	with minced meat and flavourings
alla cacciatora	pasta sauce with minced meat, tomatoes and flavourings
alla carbonara	with bacon, raw eggs, pecorino and parmesan
alla marinara	with seafood and tomatoes
alle vongole	with mussels
allo scoglio	with shellfish
gnocchi alla romana	semolina gnocchi
la jota	bean and sauerkraut soup
minsestrone alla romagnola	vegetable soup Romagna style
minstrina tricolore	soup with carrots, potatoes and celery
paniscia	risotto with vegetables and red wine
passatelli	egg and Parmesan strands in broth
pasta e fagioli	pasta and bean soup
penne arrabbiate	with chilli
pestà	extremely finely chopped salted pork
pesto alla genovese	pasta sauce with basil,olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, pecorino and parmesan
pomarola	tomato sauce
risi e bisi	rice and peas