Garganelli

Garganelli are a great starter shape. They hold a special place in my heart, as they mainly come from Romagna, where I currently live (although you can find other variations in Emilia, Le Marche, and Umbria). According to the Encyclopedia of Pasta, the name garganelli comes from the word "garganel" in local dialect, evoking the shape's resemblance to a chicken's gullet.

Traditionally, instead of a wooden board, the garganelli would be rolled out on a pettine, or a loom comb. You can still buy pettini today in some artisan pasta shops.

Not to be confused with penne rigate, garganelli are hand rolled instead of extruded, so they have a seam. And while the general shape is similar, their ridges also run in the opposite direction. Moreover, garganelli generally include eggs, while penne do not.

Factory made garganelli often use durum wheat, but you can use a standard egg dough when making them at home. Sometimes, if I want a sturdier pasta to stand up to a particularly hearty sauce, I may make a mixed durum/soft wheat dough, but the garganelli pictured here are made with just white flour and eggs.

To make the garganelli:

After letting your fresh dough rest, roll it out into a thin sheet and cut into 3-4cm squares.

Use your wooden stick to roll the squares into a tube and to create the characteristic ridges. If you don’t have a gnocchi board or pettine, you could even use a wooden spoon against your cutting board to make a smooth version. This variation isn't too popular, but can sometimes be found in Romagna.

Garganelli go particularly well in a ragù. Their many ridges work to help sauces cling to every millimeter of the cooked pasta. I like a vegetarian version with eggplant instead of meat.