Penne Vs Ziti: What’s the Difference?
Penne Vs Ziti–it’s time to discover the penne vs ziti similarities and differences. Because pasta is among the tastiest and comforting food items that you can eat, it’s worth knowing the basics about. This will help you make your favorite Italian dishes the authentic way, unless, of course, you use your own imagination to add a personal touch to each of the recipes.
Over time I’ve honed my pasta-making skills. So, I’m eager to share my expertise to assist you in becoming a master yourself.
There are many kinds of pasta. They are over 100 when you consider the variations in length. Ziti, as well as penne, can be readily available, and appear similar on the surface.
But, a deeper review will reveal the differentiators that experienced chefs use to maximize the value of their dinners.
Ziti and Penne are two basic pasta shapes. You can purchase them in any grocery store, and cook these at home, too. They aren’t just different in length and shape but there are many other distinctions worth to be noted.
Before we get to the differences and top recipes for ziti or penne Let’s find out more about their background. So, you’ll be able to give some historical facts when you cook dinner to feed your children!
Origin Of Pasta
Today, everyone associates pasta with traditional Italian food, however, there is another country we must be thankful to for this amazing food.
Many historians are of the opinion with the fact that pasta, as we eat today, is a result of traditional Chinese noodles. Today, pasta and noodles are two different foods, regardless of their commonality.
The term pasta is a reference to food products made from durum wheat flour, eggs and water. It is cut into different shapes. Traditional Chinese noodles do not use durum wheat, but dried gluten.
The process involves making dough from the primary ingredients pressing it, cutting into the desired shape and then cooking it with various sauces.
But, we must be grateful to Marco Polo, who is believed to have introduced pasta to Italy sometime in the past. Some historians have disproved Marco Polo’s role in pasta’s popularity in Italy. The person who brought pasta to Italy is a person who many people appreciate to this day.
Italians created and perfected their food and developed delicious recipes for cooking it. In the past, Americans have developed a fascination and love for the three-ingredient meal.
Types Of Pasta
Pasta is available in a variety of shapes and lengths, which include basic shapes like ziti and Penne. However, the shapes were invented to make them look more appealing.
Chefs have noticed that certain shapes are better at holding certain sauces than others, and they developed recipes to suit these shapes. For instance, long flat pasta works the best choice for sauces that are creamy and pasta made with ridges or the holes works well with recipes that use meat and vegetables.
Certain varieties are best cooked in boiling water and others are ideal to bake or filling.
Ziti and penne are great for a wide range of sauces. However, it is important to discover their functions and characteristics in traditional Italian dishes.
Italian Penne Pasta
Fresh Or Dried Pasta
Moving onto some tips for the newbie chefs and also some important facts about pasta. The pasta you purchase at the grocery store, packaged and ready to cook is dried pasta that has been prepared in factories and has a very low level of moisture. This allows it to stay in its shape for a longer time and keep it fresh when properly packed.
Additionally, dried pasta typically isn’t made from eggs, but instead with different flour varieties.
Contrary to what you might think, fresh pasta is extremely soft, and contains eggs, and is more fluidity than pasta that has been dried, which means it takes lesser time for cooking.
While you can keep dried pasta indefinitely at room temperature fresh pasta must be kept in a refrigerator.
Fresh pasta tastes better and if you’ve ever been on a culinary show you’ve probably observed that professional chefs create fresh pasta. But, if you don’t have the expertise or time, or even the right tools dried pasta is ideal.
Ziti as well as penne is usually dried due to its unique shape. Pappardelle, oreccihette , and ravioli taste best when cooked fresh.
Penne Vs. Ziti Noodles – The Primary Differences
Ziti and Penne are both hollow and cylindrical pasta varieties. They are both moderately big and are great to make sauces for meats and vegetables. Both are delicious. But, how do ziti and Penne differ? Let’s see!
Origin
While pasta originated in China, Italians developed the art of pasta to unimaginable dimensions. Ziti pasta developed in Italy and, in particular, in the Sicilian region.
The most well-known dish in the world, ziti is extremely loved within United States, especially US baked ziti made with cheese and tomato sauce.
On the other hand, there are more details about the person who invented the penne. An Italian pasta-maker who was from Genoa, Giovanni Battista Capurro developed penne in 1865 after having built his diagonal-cutting machine.
The machine he invented could cut penne into sizes of 1 to 2 inches. Penne that was 1 inch in size was referred to as mezze penne, or half pens and the larger, more popular 2-inch pens were referred to as simply pen.
The most well-known dish made by Penne is Penne with vodka. It is at this point that it becomes interesting. Some experts believe it was an American student from Columbia University who has developed this delicious dish made of penne and cream, and penne. So it’s the Americans are responsible for the popularity of the Italian-derived pasta Penne.
Detail of Ziti Pasta
Ziti – Long and smooth and tubular pasta cut at a straight line
The shape is most likely the most obvious way to differentiate the two types of pasta.
Ziti and Penne are pulled through tubular shapes during the process of making in the pasta machine. They have therefore hollow, circular forms. Thus, ziti and penne have a similar diameter, and also have the same lengths.
The length of Penne is 2.12 inches and ziti is a bit shorter at 2 inches in length. The width is 0.4 inches, and the thickness of the walls also differs. Ziti tends to be a bit thicker, with 1.25 millimeters, when compared with the 1-millimeter thick wall of Penne.
These differences aren’t apparent to the majority of people. The most noticeable distinction is the cut shape and texture.
Ziti pasta is made of straight angles, making them appear longer and more rounded.
Penne pasta is cut at an angle, which makes them appear different.
In addition, penne can have an outer surface that is ridged typically, but it is possible to get smooth penne at specialized shops.
Ziti consistently has a silky texture, making it soft and creamy once cooked. Due to the ridges, the pasta maintains its hard shape even after being cooked.
Variations
The word” penne” is derived from the Italian word that means quill. The name of the pasta was derived because of its appearance. The shape of the tubular structure allows it to pull the sauce into it.
The two variations available of penne differ in their structure.
The smooth penne is referred to as lisce, while those with ridges, which are more accessible and common, are called rigate.
Penne rigate is durable, while the lisce version is soft.
Ziti, however, on contrary is made with the same size and shape There are no real variations in this type of pasta.
Cooking
Ziti and penne both have distinct applications in cooking. Ziti is most often utilized in bake dishes that require them to be cooked undercooked so as to avoid mushy pasta. When you boil ziti through and later bake it in a cheese sauce and along with other ingredients, ziti pasta will lose a lot of its texture and will end up too soft, and almost muddy.
For baked ziti dishes boil them in water for 5 minutes is sufficient. They’ll be cooked completely by baking them in the oven. Be sure to rinse ziti properly and then toss them in hot sauce as well as in the oven preheated to get the most optimal outcomes.
Since ziti cooks to a half-cooked state in hot water, when you add them to hot sauce, the pasta will remain cooking in a continuous cycle until you achieve an ideal creamy texture. If you mix them with cold sauce and cook them, the process will cease and you’ll be left with spongy pasta.
Penne needs a little bit longer to cook until you achieve the right texture, which is about 13-14 mins in water that is boiling. Be sure to add the proper salt and then take the lid off once the water is beginning to simmer.
Use In Recipes
Ziti is smooth pasta, and therefore, you’d think it becomes more enriched when paired with rich sauces. This is where the true magic of pasta comes out. Ziti is best cooked in the oven, accompanied by thick sauces as baking adds the desired punch in flavor and texture.
If you combine mitzvah with creams you’ll be left with an ice cream dish. The flavor would be tasty, but the appearance and presentation won’t be as appealing. So, it’s a good idea to have different pasta varieties to try out until you find the most delicious recipes for yourself.
Ziti pasta is also excellent for stir-fries or in addition to salads that are fresh with large and chunks of crunchy vegetables.
However, Penne is great for cream sauces due to its smooth texture. They go well with cream sauces, vegetables, and meat dishes.
It is not recommended to pair ziti with cheese shaved due to its delicate texture. However, penne pasta that is sturdy is ideal for this. Also, the cheese stays better than pasta.
Carbonara, a thinner sauce pesto, carbonara, and Ragu are excellent for pasta. If you’re planning to serve your ziti with sauce rather than baking, I would suggest using sauces with a thinner consistency and other vegetables, like carrots, celery, and onions.
The reason is that the silky texture of ziti makes the thickest sauces slide off the pasta. The angled ends of penne capture the sauce better. However, you can also bake penne in place of ziti.
In general case, penne is a more adaptable pasta than ziti. Additionally, the majority of chefs will serve it al dente, which means firm enough to bite.
My favorite way to use ziti for ziti is baking dishes that have melty cheese
Can You Make Ziti And Penne Fresh?
Ziti and Penne are two kinds of pasta that are extruded using an extruder to create their tubular form. Both can be made by making the pastas at home however you’ll need the right machine and dyes to get the form and texture you desire.
The base recipe for both recipes is eggs, flour as well as oil. It is not recommended to add water as the dough must be firm enough to ensure that the pasta can hold its shape but be soft enough to be used with an extruder. It takes some expertise and time to master your dough. Also, it’s more complex than making fresh flat pasta.
The recipe that I have found to work for me is made up of 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour with no soy-based additives with five eggs, and two tablespoons of olive oil. But, it’s important to add only one egg at a time and gradually make the dough. If you feel it is too dry, make it a little more oily.
Once you’ve made the dough, put it in the extruder, and then make your pasta with ziti or a penne attachment.
Remember that practice is the best way to improve, so once you’ve cooked fresh ziti, or penne a few times, you’ll know which type of texture works best. If you don’t own an extruder for pasta or a pasta maker, you can make use of dried pasta that is available in stores in any recipe.
Don’t Confuse Ziti And Penne With Rigatoni
Pasta Grape Tomatoes
Delicious, short and rigged Rigatoni pasta is like ziti and penne
Rigatoni is another tubular extruded pasta variety that is similar to ziti as well as Penne. Rigatoni pasta is considerably longer but also more wide than ziti or the penne. It is cut straight or curly with the ends being cut in squares. Rigatoni is best served shredded cheese and is also served in baked dishes in place of ziti.
Best Penne Recipe
Creamy Italian Penne Pasta
Garlic sauce and Penne is simple to prepare and a delicious dish
I’ll be sharing with you my top recipe using Penne. I’m speaking about the creamy flavor of garlic Penne pasta. The recipe is easy to make, cheap, and does not require skilled cook abilities. I’ve made it several thousand times and it always tastes great.
Here’s what you need:
- Penne – 1 box
- Butter 2 tablespoons
- Garlic cloves 3
- Flour – 2 teaspoons
- Chicken broth – 1/2 cup
- Milk – 1/2 cup
- Spices include salt, pepper Parsley, salt
- Cheese – parmesan, 1/2 half cup
Cut your garlic cloves into pieces before adding them to melt butter in the pan. The butter and garlic will cook for two minutes, then add the flour. Stir the mixture continuously all through, and then include chicken broth along with milk. Reduce the temperature and let the sauce thicken by itself. Make sure you stir it regularly.
In the meantime, it is recommended to cook the penne in accordance with the instructions on the packet. Add your cheese and spice to the pan and take the pasta out.
In the sauce, toss the pasta and then turn off the heat and stir it until cheese melts.
Serve hot and top with grated Parmesan cheese, and freshly chopped parsley!
Best Ziti Recipe
Here’s my most warm-baked ziti recipe. It takes around an hour to cook all the way through and the prep requires about 10 minutes.
You are able to substitute any of the ingredients with whatever you like. However, this is the recipe I prepare it.
You’ll require:
- One box of Ziti Pasta
- Ground beef 1 pound
- Onion – 1 chopped
- Garlic: 2 cloves minced
- Rosemary – 1 cup, fresh minced
- Red pepper flake 1 teaspoon
- Tomato sauce – 1 jar – 32 ounces
- Salt, pepper, olive oil
- Oregano 1 teaspoon
- Basil 1 teaspoon
- Thyme 1/2 teaspoon
- Cheese mozzarella, ricotta, and pecorino – 2 1/2 cups total
Begin by cooking your meat and onions along with garlic, on a huge pot. Cook the ziti pasta for 5 minutes, then drain it in a colander and then drizzle it with olive oil it to prevent that it gets stuck. When the meat is cooked, add salt and pepper along with any other spices.
Reduce the heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently. The oven should be set to 350 degrees F. You can prepare your casserole, spreading olive oil on the bottom.
The tomato sauce should be added into the pan along with meat and spices, and let it simmer for about a couple of minutes.
Here’s how you arrange the dish:
Then, place the sauce on top then sprinkle ricotta cheese on top. a few pieces of pasta on top. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Finally, add the fresh mozzarella cheese as well as pecorino cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. It should be enough time for melting the cheese, and the pasta to be cooked completely.
It is possible melting cheddar cheese to make your baked ziti recipe if you overcook the pasta prior to putting it into the oven. It’ll take less time to bake, but the cheese will melt faster than other cheeses.
Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then serve hot!
Casserole Ziti Pasta
It is possible to garnish baked ziti noodles with minced beef and tomato sauce. You can also garnish it with fresh herbs and cheese.
Wrapping up
Penne Vs Ziti
If you’ve been wondering about the differences of penne vs ziti and whether you could use them interchangeably, this post, I presume, has served your purpose. However, if you wish to cook pasta in the style of authentic Italian way, you should remember that ziti should be used for baking and penne for cream sauces.
There are a lot of recipes available online for both pasta varieties. I suggest you try some of them and try them until you’re completely satisfied with the flavor and texture. Go cooking now!