Macaroni is a versatile and popular pasta available in various sizes and shapes, including elbow macaroni. Most macaroni is commercially made with durum wheat and is ideal for serving with a range of sauces, as well as in baked dishes and soups. The name “macaroni” was borrowed from English speakers and refers to a large family of pasta shapes. Macaroni can also be flavored with various ingredients and made with different types of wheat flours.
Macaroni is a hollow extruded pasta product available in various sizes and lengths. In some countries, people visualize elbow macaroni, a small, folded version of this pasta product, when they think of macaroni. In other regions, members of the tubular pasta family may collectively be referred to as macaroni. This versatile and diverse form of pasta has a huge range of uses, from soups to casseroles, and is hugely popular with young people in many parts of the world. Elbow macaroni has also been famously included in craft projects for young children, especially in the United States.
Most macaroni is commercially made, as a tube-shaped pasta shape is difficult to make at home. Some home-use pasta machines come with extrusion plates to create hollow shapes, but it can still be a nuisance. Before battling with a home extruder, cooks may want to think about the cleaning process; extruders are notoriously difficult to clean properly, especially when used with sticky, thick doughs. Most macaroni is made with durum wheat, a hard grain that creates chewy, tough pasta, and macaroni doesn’t usually include egg.
The hollow shape of macaroni pasta makes it ideal for serving with a range of sauces. Tubular pasta can handle heavy sauces like meatball dishes, and can also hold thinner, watery sauces. Macaroni pasta is also used in baked dishes such as casseroles; macaroni and cheese is a popular form of macaroni casserole in both the United States and Great Britain. Soups and stews can also use macaroni pasta as a filler and to create additional texture.
In Italy, hollow pasta shapes are known generically as macaroni. This name was obviously borrowed from English speakers and converted to “macaroni”. This large family of pasta includes penne, bucatini, cannelloni, mostaccioli, ziti and the famous elbow macaroni. Incidentally, the “macaroni” in the famous song “Yankee Doodle” refers to an elegant or modest style, related to the concept of macaroni as a trendy and exotic dish.
Many markets sell a variety of macaroni products. In addition to coming in a plain form, macaroni pasta is sometimes flavored with various special-purpose ingredients. It can also be made with rice flour, spelled flour, or other types of wheat flours, for people who want to experiment with some pasta variations. If possible, try to get macaroni made with durum wheat, as the pasta will hold up better during the cooking process.
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