Paccheri Pasta is not just delicious—it has a checkered past you should know about!
If you love garlic, you will appreciate the lore surrounding paccheri pasta’s invention. Rewind back to Europe in the 1600s. While garlic was grown outside of southern Italy, nobody did it as well as southern Italian farmers. Up north in Prussia (modern-day Germany and Poland), the government didn’t like the edge that those Italian garlic growers had. In an effort to encourage Prussian garlic farming and industry, Italian garlic was banned. Not to be deterred, pasta artisans created a pasta shape that could be used to smuggle garlic cloves north! The paccheri pasta shape was born, intentionally big so the smugglers could fit up to four cloves of garlic in each piece of pasta. The beauty part is that the Prussian officials never figured out the scheme! Pasta 1, The Man, 0. All for the sake of good garlic. Truth or Myth? Probably a little of both.
Nowadays, paccheri pasta has left its shady days of garlic smuggling behind, and you can just enjoy it on its own. In the Neapolitan dialect, the word paccarià (meaning “to slap” or a “slap”) gives us the name paccheri for the pasta shape. I guess you could use a wet paccheri noodle to give someone a slap, but it’s still a bit small. Maybe it’s just a threat! Regardless, because of the large size, paccheri pasta is often stuffed, similarly to even larger manicotti. However, it’s just as delicious tossed with a red sauce.
You will love this rendition of paccheri pasta because it’s family-friendly, a different spin on pasta night, and super simple to prepare. Most kids love pasta with or without sauce, and paccheri is a lovely deviation from the all-too-familiar spaghetti. The large pieces are filling and hearty, and the sauce is totally homemade. Homemade, but not complicated. You can whip paccheri pasta up for a weeknight, or it can be fancy enough for company.
Where To Buy Paccheri
Since paccheri noodles are not as common as spaghetti or penne, you may have to look a bit. Start at your supermarket—look in the artisan section of the pasta aisle. For instance, many groceries carry the De Cecco brand, and they make paccheri pasta. Even a national store like Target carries their own brand of paccheri pasta—you just have to look for it! If you can’t find it at your supermarket, branch out and try a specialty store like Williams-Sonoma. Or a local Italian market, if you’re lucky enough to live in an area that has one. If none of those options are available, you can always order it online from any number of retailers.
FAQs & Tips
How To Make Ahead And Store
Paccheri pasta can be a make-ahead dish. There are a couple of options. You can prepare it as directed, let it cool, place it in an airtight container, and then refrigerate it for up to 3-4 days. Or you can prepare the sauce only and freeze it separately for up to 3 months. Freezing the noodles is possible, but not recommended, as it could affect the texture. If reheating the sauce from frozen, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet until warmed through, and add the pasta as directed.
Why Is Salted Water Better For Cooking Pasta?
By adding a generous amount of salt (for this recipe, a teaspoon) to your pasta water before cooking the noodles themselves, you are seasoning the pasta. The salt dissolves in the hot water, and the pasta can absorb the salt as it cooks. Much easier than adding the granular salt to the finished dish. Salting your pasta water helps give the pasta more taste and contributes overall to your final dish, especially when you’re making your own sauce from scratch.
Can I Add Meat To This Recipe?
You certainly can, although it’s filling without it! The easiest way to add meat is by browning a pound of ground Italian sausage in your skillet before you start step 1. Simply brown the sausage, drain off any excess fat, set aside the browned meat, and then proceed with step 1. Add the cooked sausage into your sauce in step 3 toward the end of the simmering time.
Serving Suggestions
For a hearty meal, serve paccheri pasta in large pasta bowls with a crusty loaf of bread and enjoy! It can be as simple as that. If you want to add some pizzazz to your bread, whip up this Easy Garlic Butter. You can always add a green veggie for a side; try Pan-Fried Asparagus for something simple and healthy. If it’s a special occasion, or you have carnivores in your house who want meat along with the pasta, you can either add meat to the sauce (see above) or top the pasta with Italian Sausage Meatballs.
Paccheri Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces paccheri pasta
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add paccheri pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Heat through for about 2 minutes.
- Serve the pasta hot, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
Leave a Comment