I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State). We often went to Italian
restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I recall most of
their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also had it when we dined
out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff. I've tried most major
supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are marked thin
or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked. Can anyone
recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better. Thanks guy/gals.

--
God Bless America

Josh The Bad Bear

"Joshuall" > wrote in message
...
>I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State). We often went to
>Italian restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I recall
>most of their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also had it when
>we dined out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff. I've tried most
>major supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are
>marked thin or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked.
>Can anyone recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better. Thanks
>guy/gals.
>
> --
> God Bless America
>
> Josh The Bad Bear

There are many many good and very good Italian deli's in and around the
Chicago area. Just google "Italian deli Chicago" and I'll bet that all
carry thin pasta.

Dimitri

Joshuall wrote:

> I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State). We often went to Italian
> restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I recall most of
> their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also had it when we dined
> out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff. I've tried most major
> supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are marked thin
> or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked. Can anyone
> recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better. Thanks guy/gals.

Spaghettini should be easy to find. That is the
thinner spaghetti. Just look for the package that
says that.
Goomba

Joshuall wrote:
> [snip] I recall most of their mom's used very thin spaghetti
> then and we also had it when we dined out. Now I can't find
> the same very thin stuff. I've tried most major supermarkets
> here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are marked thin
> or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked. Can
> anyone recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better.
> Thanks guy/gals.
>
If angel hair isn't thin enough I'm not sure this will help, but the
Barilla brand of pasta is very good. They offer several types of
spaghetti, one of which they call "spaghettini". It is thinner than
regular spaghetti.

-aem

In article >, "Joshuall"
> wrote:

> I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State). We often went to
> Italian restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I
> recall most of their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also
> had it when we dined out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff.
> I've tried most major supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while
> different pastas are marked thin or even "angle hair" they aren't
> really very thin when cooked. Can anyone recommend a brand etc?
> Obviously the thinner the better. Thanks guy/gals.


How about fresh angel hair/cappelini? I use either the local Creamette
brand or sometimes DeCecco. Works for me.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Sweet Potato Follies added 2/24/05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.

Joshuall wrote:

> I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State). We often went to Italian
> restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I recall most of
> their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also had it when we dined
> out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff. I've tried most major
> supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are marked thin
> or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked. Can anyone
> recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better. Thanks guy/gals.

The thickness of the pasta is fairly standard. Most of it is made from the same
basic dough and is extruded to certain thickness. Spaghettinni is thinner than
spaghetti, but then there is vermicelli, capellini or angel hair pasta. Most
companies make the entire range of pasta sizes under their brand names, but the
stores don't always carry them all. If you live in an area with a large Italian
community you are likely to get a wider range of pasta because Italians use the
different pasta sizes for specific types of sauce while most of the rest of us
are content to use whatever is handy.

Dan Abel wrote:

> > The thickness of the pasta is fairly standard. Most of it is made from
> the same
> > basic dough and is extruded to certain thickness. Spaghettinni is thinner than
> > spaghetti, but then there is vermicelli, capellini or angel hair pasta.
>
> We seldom buy or use spaghetti. We usually get vermicelli or spaghettini,
> which ever is reasonably priced. I like angel hair, but at the stores we
> shop at, it is in a smaller package and is more expensive.
>

Around here, boxes of pasta are usually sold in boxes with each brand using the same
weight and same price regardless of the size of the pasta. Some brands sell in 500
gram boxes while others use 450 gram boxes. The pasta I use depends on the type of
sauce I am having with it. For creamy sauces I used thicker pasta and for sauces
with more butter or oil I use angel hair or the closest I have to it.

I once came across an interesting recipe for a pasta stir fry that uses vermicelli
or angel hair pasta. It's just stir fried red and green peppers, onions, garlic
and ginger root, chicken and shrimp. The sauce consists of chicken broth, hoisin
sauce, soy sauce, cold water and corn starch. Do the stir fry thing and then toss
in the cooked pasta. It is really tasty.

Joshuall wrote:
> I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State). We often went to
Italian
> restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I recall
most of
> their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also had it when we
dined
> out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff. I've tried most major

> supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are
marked thin
> or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked. Can
anyone
> recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better.

I seriously doubt you will find pasta thinner than angel hair... there
are Asian noodles that are thinner but not Italian pasta. Different
brands are of slightly different size but esstially the same. I would
say your memory has played a trick on you

Look he
http://www.ronzoni.com/cooking/PastaShapes.asp

Hi Josh, I'm Italian, and was born, and raised, and lived virtually all
my life in Chicago.

As others have mentioned, Spaghetinii is thinner than standard
Spaghetti, and so is Vermicelli Both Spaghetinii, and Vermicelli are
more suitable IMO for Meat Sauces/Gravy.

Then there's more commonly called Angel Hair Pasta, which is also called
Cappelini. This thin Pasta IMO is more suitable for using with Fish
Sauces/Gravy, such as with Fish, Crab, Lobster, Squid, and Octopus,
Scallops, etc.

In Chicagoland, some really good Italian Food Stores/Delis to check out
would be Conte De Savoia on West Taylor St. (1 Blk East of Ashland Ave
on Taylor St., DeAndrea and Son in the Cermak Plaza (on Cermak, and
Harlem Aves.) Caputos on N. Harlem Ave near Belmont Ave.

There's another good one on North Harlem Ave. near Caputos, but the name
alludes me at this moment.

The stores I mentioned above have huge good supplies of any pasta you
can ever dream of, Tons of Olive Oil, Tomatoes-Canned Goods, Bakery,
imported Cold Cuts, Cheeses, Olives, Home Made Italian Sausage. You
name it!
Mark D.

Mark D wrote:
>
> In Chicagoland, some really good Italian Food Stores/Delis to check
out
> would be Conte De Savoia on West Taylor St. (1 Blk East of Ashland
Ave
> on Taylor St., DeAndrea and Son in the Cermak Plaza (on Cermak, and
> Harlem Aves.) Caputos on N. Harlem Ave near Belmont Ave.
>
> There's another good one on North Harlem Ave. near Caputos, but the
name
> alludes me at this moment.

There's also a pretty good one in the basement of the John Hancock
building. I suspect it's considerably more expensive than the others...

-bwg

In article >, Dave Smith
> wrote:


> Around here, boxes of pasta are usually sold in boxes with each brand
using the same
> weight and same price regardless of the size of the pasta. Some brands
sell in 500
> gram boxes while others use 450 gram boxes.


Most of the less expensive pasta here comes in transparent bags of one or
two pounds. We generally buy the two pound bags when they are on sale.
My kids practically live on pasta, and we go through several pounds a
week.

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS

Mark D wrote:
> Hi Josh, I'm Italian, and was born, and raised, and lived virtually
all
> my life in Chicago.

Hmm... born, raised, lived all your life in Chicago... you saying
there's a Chicago in Italy?

Sheldon

Dan Abel wrote:
> In article >, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>
> > The thickness of the pasta is fairly standard. Most of it is made
from
> the same
> > basic dough and is extruded to certain thickness. Spaghettinni is
thinner than
> > spaghetti, but then there is vermicelli, capellini or angel hair
pasta.
>
>
>
> We seldom buy or use spaghetti. We usually get vermicelli or
spaghettini,
> which ever is reasonably priced. I like angel hair, but at the
stores we
> shop at, it is in a smaller package and is more expensive.


I buy pretty exclusively vermicelli and angel hair. Most of the brands
sell angel hair in a smaller size for the same price (12oz in the same
size box as the 16oz long pastas), but one of them, I think Barilla,
has the same weight.

Anyway, I use vermicelli for sauces with meat, and the angel hair for
plain sauces, like a tomato/butter.


Brian

Joshuall wrote:
> I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State).

Hmm, my new stompping grounds... you wouldn't happen to be from around
the Capital district?

We often went to Italian
> restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I recall
most of
> their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also had it when we
dined
> out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff. I've tried most major

> supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are
marked thin
> or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked. Can
anyone
> recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better. Thanks
guy/gals.
>
> --
> God Bless America
>
> Josh The Bad Bear

Dave Smith wrote:
> Dan Abel wrote:
>
>>> The thickness of the pasta is fairly standard. Most of it is made
>>> from
>> the same
>>> basic dough and is extruded to certain thickness. Spaghettinni is
>>> thinner than spaghetti, but then there is vermicelli, capellini or
>>> angel hair pasta.
>>
>> We seldom buy or use spaghetti. We usually get vermicelli or
>> spaghettini,
>> which ever is reasonably priced. I like angel hair, but at the
>> stores we
>> shop at, it is in a smaller package and is more expensive.
>>
>
> Around here, boxes of pasta are usually sold in boxes with each brand
> using the same weight and same price regardless of the size of the
> pasta. Some brands sell in 500 gram boxes while others use 450 gram
> boxes. The pasta I use depends on the type of sauce I am having with
> it. For creamy sauces I used thicker pasta and for sauces with more
> butter or oil I use angel hair or the closest I have to it.
>
> I once came across an interesting recipe for a pasta stir fry that
> uses vermicelli or angel hair pasta. It's just stir fried red and
> green peppers, onions, garlic and ginger root, chicken and shrimp.
> The sauce consists of chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, cold
> water and corn starch. Do the stir fry thing and then toss in the
> cooked pasta. It is really tasty.

I went on a school field trip in Thailand and they took us to a vermicelli
factory. There were women hanging vermicelli on wooden racks and OMG did it
stink to high heaven! I have avoided the stuff ever since. Angel hair
wheat pasta, that's the ticket.

Jill

jmcquown at wrote on 3/11/05 7:51 PM:

> I went on a school field trip in Thailand and they took us to a vermicelli
> factory. There were women hanging vermicelli on wooden racks and OMG did it
> stink to high heaven! I have avoided the stuff ever since. Angel hair
> wheat pasta, that's the ticket.
>
> Jill

You do realize, don't you, that the thickness of the strand of pasta has no
bearing on the flavor or aroma of it? Vermicelli is made from exactly the
same flour and water as angel hair, which is made from exactly the same
flour and water as ziti, linguine, bow ties, rotini, etc.

You're a mental case, Jill.

"Default User" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Dan Abel wrote:
>> In article >, Dave Smith
>> > wrote:
>>
>>
>> > The thickness of the pasta is fairly standard. Most of it is made
> from
>> the same
>> > basic dough and is extruded to certain thickness. Spaghettinni is
> thinner than
>> > spaghetti, but then there is vermicelli, capellini or angel hair
> pasta.
>>
>>
>>
>> We seldom buy or use spaghetti. We usually get vermicelli or
> spaghettini,
>> which ever is reasonably priced. I like angel hair, but at the
> stores we
>> shop at, it is in a smaller package and is more expensive.
>
>
> I buy pretty exclusively vermicelli and angel hair. Most of the brands
> sell angel hair in a smaller size for the same price (12oz in the same
> size box as the 16oz long pastas), but one of them, I think Barilla,
> has the same weight.
>
> Anyway, I use vermicelli for sauces with meat, and the angel hair for
> plain sauces, like a tomato/butter.
>
>
> Brian

Although I know I should use different types of pasta for different sauces,
I have a tendency to use angel hair. Taste-wise, I have an easier time
gauging the amount of pasta to sauce. We don't pre-mix our pasta and sauce
before serving at my wife's orders. I'm not a real big pasta fan so angel
hair just seems to work out better for me. Also, I'm one of those people
that will make a big batch of spaghetti one night and mix the pasta and
sauce together. Then stick it in the fridge and have it the next night. I
find the taste of the pasta to be better since it has a chance to absorb
flavors from the sauce.

Bret



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Hmm... born, raised, lived all your life in Chicago... you saying
there's a Chicago in Italy?
Sheldon
---------------------------------------------------------------Hee hee,
Good point Sheldon! Thank you for pointing it out.

I should've said I'm of Italian decent, born, and raised in Chicago.
It's funny sometimes how the written word can come across poorly.
Mark

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 14:28:21 -0600, "Joshuall" >
wrote:

>I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State). We often went to Italian
>restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I recall most of
>their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also had it when we dined
>out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff. I've tried most major
>supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are marked thin
>or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked. Can anyone
>recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better. Thanks guy/gals.

DiCecco Capellini d'Angeli is very thin and cooks in about 2 minutes.

I haven't found any artisanal pastas as thin as that. I am generally
willing to put up with the extra time for the rough surface and flavor
of the artisanal stuff.


Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC


We have achieved faith-based science,
faith-based economics, faith-based law
enforcement, and faith-based missile
defense.
What's next? Faith-based air traffic control?

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 14:28:21 -0600, "Joshuall" >
wrote:

>I grew up on the east coast (Upper New York State). We often went to Italian
>restaurants and many of my boyhood friends were Italian. I recall most of
>their mom's used very thin spaghetti then and we also had it when we dined
>out. Now I can't find the same very thin stuff. I've tried most major
>supermarkets here in Chicago Land and while different pastas are marked thin
>or even "angle hair" they aren't really very thin when cooked. Can anyone
>recommend a brand etc? Obviously the thinner the better. Thanks guy/gals.
>

If there's a big difference in the thickness after you cook it, maybe
you're overcooking it and it's taking on too much water.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!