TASTE REPUBLIC PRESENTS

Pasta is fun. Learning about it should be, too.

Look, we take pasta seriously. It’s our craft and profession so, ya know, we want to. And yes, our mission to make gluten-free pasta that doesn’t sacrifice taste and texture is no joke – because for us, everyone should get to enjoy the pleasures of perfectly made pasta.

With that said, pasta, with its many shapes, varied histories … and even superstitions, should be fun. It’s fun to eat, it’s fun to explore new types, and heck, it’s just fun to say their names. Try to say “Fusilli” and not smile. We’ll wait.

* PASTA FACT *

Approximately 350 types of pasta now exist.

That’s why we’ve opened the doors to School of Pasta. Product history, perfect pairings, funky facts and more! If it’s something interesting about gluten-free pasta, you’ll find it here.

PASTA 100

Tortelloni

  • Different from tortellini, tortelloni are the bigger, buffed up cousin.
  • Power to the plants. Our tortellonis are stuffed with leafy veggies, squash or cheese (we know, we know, cheese isn't a plant).
  • It has a toothier bite thanks to its pinched ring shape.
  • Traditionally served in broth or a simple sage and butter sauce.
  • Originated in Northern Italy.

PASTA 153

Ravioli

  • The word “ravioli” comes from the Italian riavvolgere, which means “to wrap”.
  • Made from very thinly rolled pasta stuffed with meat, cheese, or vegetables.
  • Light sauces or rich meat broth are best buds with ravioli. They always pair perfectly.
  • Ravioli is well traveled. As a traditional Italian dish, each region of Italy has its own recipe for ravioli.

PASTA 190

Linguini

  • Linguini is Italian for "Little Tongues". Seriously … little tongues.
  • Similar to fettuccine, but thinner, lighter, and elliptical in shape.
  • Does well with delicate sauces. Linguini is often paired with pesto sauces and seafood.
  • Born in the North. Linguini originated in the Northwestern part of Italy, i.e. Genoa.

PASTA 202

Lasagna

  • The word lasagna comes from a Greek word describing the pot used to cook it.
  • Lasagna dishes originated in Italy in the middle ages.
  • Lasagna are wide, flat egg pasta sheets, meant to be layered with filling.
  • This pasta shape can be used for more dishes such as Cannelloni

PASTA 227

Fusilli

  • The corkscrew shape holds onto rich and hearty sauces.
  • Developed in southern Italy by wrapping fresh spaghetti around rods to dry.
  • It’s one of the most used and eaten types of pasta by Italians.
  • "Fuso" means spindle in Italian.

PASTA 330

Fettuccine

  • Fettuccine is Italian for "Little Ribbons". C'mon, doesn't that sound fun?
  • A flat, thick pasta made with egg.
  • It's best paired with creamy sauces like Alfredo or delicate proteins and seafood.
  • Fettuccine holds its shape well in hearty dishes. Most often used in traditional Italian recipes, it gives a comforting feel to any meal.

* PASTA FACT *

The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848 by a Frenchman who spread his spaghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine.

Tips for perfectly
cooking your pasta.

USE A BIG POT

Because pasta expands. Like, a lot. It needs its space!

DON’T BE SHY WITH THE WATER

Use 2.5 quarts for every half-pound of pasta. It’s key to keep pasta from sticking to itself!

SEASON YOUR PASTA

Add salt. And don’t be stingy. You need it to taste like the sea (seriously, that’s how people test it).

SAVE SOME WATER

This starchy goodness helps you improve the consistency of your sauce.

IT’S ALL ABOUT FEEL

Struggle to know when your pasta is al dente? Take a bite. If it’s firm and slightly chewy you’ve nailed it. If it sticks to your teeth while chewing it’s not ready.

* PASTA FACT *

Greek mythology suggests that the Greek god Vulcan invented a device that made strings of dough – the first spaghetti!

THE PERFECT PAIRING

Match your preferred pasta with the perfect sauce.

Tortelloni & Ravioli

LIGHTER SAUCES

While they work with a range of sauces, they really shine with lighter sauces, including oil- and butter-based options. Why? Because the pastas are already packed with meats, cheeses and veggies, so hearty sauces can overwhelm or overtake the pasta.

Linguini & Fettuccine

SIMPLE CREAM SAUCES

Not incredibly wide like pappardelle or incredibly thin like angel hair choices, both of these pastas work well with simple cream sauces and delicate proteins such as seafood.

Penne

CHEF’S CHOICE

The utility player of pasta, penne can do it all. Pasta salads, soups, pasta dishes – none are a problem for penne. From hearty meat sauces to light, creamy options, penne’s tube allows it to easily catch most sauce types.

Fusilli

HEARTY SAUCES

This spiraled masterpiece thrives in thick, hearty sauces. It’s rather sturdy, meaning things like veggies and proteins can be caught in every bite.

* PASTA FACT *

Thomas Jefferson is credited with popularizing macaroni and cheese in the U.S. He discovered it while in France and brought a pasta machine and recipe back with him.

FRESH VS. DRY – THE DIFFERENCES

It’s not about which one is better. It’s about which one is right for you.

Yes, we only make fresh pasta. But why?

When we developed our pasta, we found that with fresh pasta we could deliver the same taste and texture found in its traditional counterpart. With dry pasta, we found it lacking. Fresh pasta allows us to create filled offerings (tortellonis, raviolis) that we wouldn’t be able to deliver in a shelf stable, dry pasta. Let’s break down a few more differences:

Fresh Pasta

  • Cooks faster – al dente in 2-3 minutes.
  • More tender than dried pasta.
  • Has a “smoother” mouthfeel than dried pasta.
  • Often made with egg, which affects texture.
  • Ideal for cream and lighter sauces (but works great with hearty sauces, too, as pasta shape has a more significant impact on which sauce is best).
  • Stored in the refrigerator or freezer for extended shelf life.
  • Most common in northern Italy.

Dry Pasta

  • Made from semolina flour, water and salt.
  • Can be stored at room temperature for long periods of time.
  • Dried pasta’s firmness is ideal for hearty sauces.
  • Popularized in southern Italy.

Why We
Love Tortelloni

We get asked a lot – like a lot – why we frequently use Tortelloni for our filled pastas.

It’s a great question and it comes down to this: Tortelloni are more robust than some many other filled pastas such as ravioli.

What’s that mean? It means after tons of tests in our kitchens, gluten-free tortelloni maintain their texture and structure better than other options. So, no, we aren’t part of the Big-Tort lobby. But we are obsessed with delivering the best gluten-free pasta possible.

* PASTA FACT *

The longest strand of pasta ever made measured over 3 kilometers (about 1.9 miles). It was created in Italy in 2010.

LET’S GET COOKIN’

Gluten-Free Recipe Inspo for Days

Gluten-Free Chimichurri Fettuccine

SEE RECIPE

SEE RECIPE

SEE RECIPE

TASTE REPUBLIC’S HISTORY

Because Everyone Deserves an Inspiring Origin Story

Today, the idea of NOT having amazing gluten-free pasta seems crazy. And to think we lived in a world where you had to sacrifice the taste and texture of traditional pasta just to avoid gluten? Luckily, that’s all behind us. But how we got here is anything but history. In fact, it’s ingrained in everything we do.

In 2008, wanting to crack the longstanding – and previously unsolved – challenge to make a gluten-free, fresh pasta that had the same taste and texture as its traditional counterpart, one of Taste Republic’s cofounders set out on a mission to make it happen.

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