Passionate about pasta? How many shapes have you eaten?

If you want to dream about having it all, this wall poster features more than 250 shapes of pasta, broken down by those that are formed by machines and dies (like fusilli, penne and rigatoni) and those that are traditionally crafted by hand (like gnocchi, pappardelle and tagliatelle).

All pasta is made from flour, eggs and water; it’s the artistry that makes them different*. Both dried and fresh pasta are made in numerous shapes, with 310 specific forms known variably by more than 1300 different names†. But why are there so many different pasta shapes?

For hundreds of years, what we know as Italy was comprised of warring city-states‡, under different foreign controls.

The city-states were only united into the nation of modern Italy in 1861. Over the prior centuries, each of the city-states developed its own, insular cuisine, and there wasn’t much sharing with the others. Everything, including pasta, was made by local artisans who pursued their own culinary muses. Similar shapes (bells, flowers, corkscrews) made in different city-states have different names (yes, it’s confusing).

Marco Polo is credited with bringing “pillow pasta” to Italy—the stuffed, fried dumplings of China that evolved into Italian ravioli. The Chinese also made noodles for soup. But credit for the invention of boiled pasta is given to the Arabs. Traders from Arabia packed dried pasta on long journeys over the famed Silk Road to China. It didn’t spoil and could be easily cooked over a fire.

According to culinary historians, the Arabs first adapted Chinese noodles noodles for long journeys in the 5th century, the first written record of dry pasta. Durum wheat (semolina) was introduced by Libyan Arabs during their conquest of Sicily in the late 7th century and 8th century (source: Wikipedia). So it’s ironic that Italy, not Arabia, became the world’s pasta capital—and that pasta faded out of favor in the Arab world.

With the Plethora Of Pasta Permutations chart, you can decorate your wall with 250 varieties of pasta, from obscure variations found only in hilltop villages in Italy to those stocked on supermarket shelves around the world.

Each 24″ x 36″ poster is signed and numbered by the artists, from an edition of 500. The unframed poster is $26, with framing options available, at PopChartLab.com.

Or, you can see all the different pasta types in our Pasta Glossary for free!

*Superior qualities of flour, different minerals in the local waters, and different artisan techniques can make the flavors of fine pasta noticeably better from mass-marketed varieties.

†According to the Encyclopedia of Pasta by Zanini De Vita, Oretta, University of California Press.

‡At the start of the 14th century, Italy was a patchwork of independent towns and small principalities whose borders were drawn and redrawn by battles, diplomatic negotiations and marriage alliances. During the 14th and 15th centuries, many of these petty principalities consolidated into five major political units that precariously balanced power on the Italian peninsula: the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, the Papal States and the three major city-states of Florence, Venice and Milan. The other minor city-states which co-existed with these larger powers made political stability in Italy even more tenuous as their loyalties shifted from one main force to another. The most powerful were Ferrara, Florence, Genoa, Mantua, Milan, Pisa, Siena, Verona and Venice. (Source: University of Calgary)
  

S’mores can be as basic as two graham crackers, a piece of chocolate bar and a marshmallow. This is the campfire treat first published by the Girl Scouts in their 1927 handbook.

Or you can get creative with it. If you do, today’s the day:

August 10th is National S’mores Day. So make yourself a toasty, melty treat—and consider a summer s’mores bash, maybe for Labor Day Weekend. You can serve the classics plus riffs like these, and invite guests to create their own signature s’mores:

Pastry chef Zoë François of ZoeBakes.com used her skills to create the ultra-fancy s’mores in the photo (here’s the recipe).

Here’s how to throw a s’mores party, including the recipes mentioned above.

If you invent something special at your s’mores party, we want to hear about it!

The name “smashed potatoes” has already been claimed for roughly mashed potatoes with the skins on. So this recipe is called Potato Smashers.

We love smashing the potatoes (or the kids will enjoy doing it for you). And the prep time is just 5 minutes, cook time 30 minutes.

RECIPE: POTATO SMASHERS

Ingredients For 8 Servings

1. PLACE whole potatoes into a microwave-safe covered dish. Do NOT puncture for steam escape. Microwave on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes.

2. CUT peppers into small (1/4-inch) slices. Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat to medium. Add peppers and sauté until they start to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. REMOVE potatoes from microwave and, using a layer of paper towels to cover the potatoes, smash them on a cutting board until 1-3/4-inch thick. You can use the side of a coffee cup or a flat cooking utensil to smash the potatoes.

4. SPRAY sauté pan with cooking spray; heat on high and add smashed potatoes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until potatoes start to brown.

5. PLACE potatoes on a plate and layer with sour cream or yogurt, peppers and cilantro. Dust with salt, chili powder and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

The word origin is a bit more glamorous: ragoûter, meaning “to revive the taste.” And yes, it’s etymologically related to the Italian ragù, a sauce for pasta and other foods.

The basic method for ragoût involves slow cooking over low heat. But forget the slow cooking, and throw leftovers into a pot to create something new and tasty, meat-based or vegetarian.

The ingredients can include anything you’ve got, with poultry/meat or vegetarian. Almost about any vegetable can be added. If you don’t have leftover veggies, steam some carrots and potatoes or whatever you have and toss them into the pot.

Turn leftovers into ragoût. Photo courtesy
Spice Islands.

The next step is to make the sauce, from:

 
The art is in mixing the different ingredients and reducing them to a stew-like consistency (otherwise, you’ve got soup—which is also a great use for leftovers). Your own palate and eye will guide you.

You don’t see these on menus too often, because it’s not an authentic Italian dish. It takes traditional antipasto ingredients and layers them atop romaine: an Italian “chef salad.”

It’s a hearty lunch or dinner salad to serve on hot days, when you don’t want to cook; and of course works as a smaller salad course. Simply place the romaine on a platter or in a serving bowl, and top with other ingredients. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad right before serving.
 
 
RECIPE: ANTIPASTO SALAD

Ingredients For Two Servings

When it‘s too darn hot and you don’t want to cook, serve a hearty, chilled antipasto salad. Photo courtesy Boar’s Head.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PEEL garlic clove, halve and let infuse into olive oil for 30 minutes.

2. REMOVE garlic and whisk together other ingredients, with salt and pepper to taste.