Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Penne

Another pasta that's totally tubular
The Mixed Stew likes penne-shaped pasta for its versatility in many dishes. Penne pasta originated in Southern Italy in the region known as Campania. Look for (penne lisce) smooth penne and (penne rigate) penne with ridges. The hollow tubes and jagged diagonal or angular edges help to better hold sauces and marinara. Penne is the Latin plural for penna, which means “quill” or “feather.” We also like using penne in cold pasta salads or even baked pasta casseroles.