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It’s no surprise that kids love noodles. Even the word itself enchants. And given the massive variety of different noodles on the market, you could probably serve your family a different noodle for a month and never repeat yourself.
I recall long-ago family dinners with spaghetti and macaroni. Then came ziti, penne, rigatoni. Eventually I discovered itty bitty shells, and massively large ones filled with beef and ricotta, lasagna-style. Fusilli and orecchietti came next, followed by gnocchi and agnolotti. And who could forget round tortellini, square ravioli, flat fettuccini, narrow linguini, and skinny capellini?
Aside from endless shapes, the last decade has witnessed an explosion in non-semolina pastas as well. Whole grain and multigrain, quinoa and corn, rice and buckwheat. There’s soba and udon, even green tea noodles and noodles with flax. Major grocery stores carry more noodles than ever before. According to a survey last year by market research firm Mintel, 92 percent of people eat pasta.
I pity those who follow low carb diets. Resisting bread is hard enough, but turning your back on all those noodles, all those exotic shapes, sizes, widths, and flavors must be sheer torture.
If it’s any consolation, I suppose they can always buy a spaghetti scrubber.
Cheryl Sternman Rule is a widely-published food writer and the voice behind the blog 5 Second Rule.
