The Language of Pasta

Each time I go to my favorite Italian market, I am amazed at the variety of dried pasta shapes (some of them new) that I find. Many of the names sound as delicious as they taste.

One of my new favorites is called gemelli. The noodles look like two thick pieces of spaghetti twisted together. This makes perfect sense: The English translation for gemelli is twins.

It’s fun to understand the Italian names. For instance, the narrow tubes with the pointed ends are penne, which means quills, and the literal translation of orecchiette is “little ears.”

Farfalle is another great name. Although many people call farfalle bowties, the literal translation is butterfly. In Italian, -ini on the end of a word means the shape is small, and -oni means the shape is large. Of course, then, farfalline are “little butterflies.”

It is inconceivable that I might have gone through life not knowing that linguine means “small tongues,” that fettuccine means “small ribbons” or that ditalini means “little thimbles.” The big tubular ridged pasta called rigatoni translates as “large, grooved” and cannelloni means “big pipes.”

This recipe, which makes a hearty, nutritious meal, can be made with any shape of pasta. Depending on my mood (and what I have in my pantry), I have made it with gemelli, orecchiette and even ditalini.

For dessert, pick up some biscotti at the bakery or, if time allows, make your own from the recipe here. They can be made ahead and freeze well. Serve these hard cookies with steaming cups of espresso or other coffee for dunking.

PASTA WITH GARBANZO BEANS AND BROCCOLI RABE

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Dash crushed red pepper

1 (16-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups ditalini or small elbow macaroni

1 bunch (1 pound) broccoli rabe

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more to taste

Combine olive oil and onion in large deep skillet and saute, stirring, over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper and cook 1 minute. Add garbanzo beans and stir to combine. Keep warm over very low heat.

Cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water 5 to 10 minutes, depending on shape and package directions.

Rinse and trim broccoli rabe and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths. Stir into pasta pot and cook along with pasta until both are tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Ladle out 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and add it to garbanzo bean mixture.

Drain pasta and immediately add to pan with garbanzo beans. Add grated cheese and serve at once.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

397 calories; 485 mg sodium; 5 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 3.03 grams fiber.

CHOCOLATE AND DRIED CRANBERRY BISCOTTI

Golden raisins, dried cherries or dried strawberries can be used in place of the cranberries.

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 egg white

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (sometimes called crasins)

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt onto large sheet of wax paper.

Combine egg and egg white in large bowl and beat with electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Carefully stir in dry ingredients. Stir in cranberries.

Shape dough into roll about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Arrange on foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes.

Remove from oven. Using long flat spatula, carefully slide roll of dough onto cutting board. With serrated knife or large sharp knife, cut into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Place cookies back onto baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes longer. Cool on rack before storing or serving.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

64 calories; 72 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 0 fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.34 gram fiber.