You know Italy is very famous in all over the world for its pasta. Everyone who visits the country wants to eat it at least once a day, tasting it with several souces.
Most of the people think there is just one type of pasta, saying only the shape is different.
True or false? False. It’s absolutely wrong! Do not even try to say it to any of the Italians: they would probably be offended.
Every pasta, in fact, has a particular history, as explained in the great book by Oretta Zanini De Vita, called “Encyclopedia of Pasta”. As the title suggests, you do not need only a book, but a encyclopedia. Could you even imagine it?
One of the most curious pasta readers can find is the so-called “cappellacci”. It is typical of the Molise region, and it doesn’t have to be confused with the “cappellacci di zucca”, a stuffed pasta which is related to the Emilia-Romagna region.
The pasta is called cappellaccio, since it comes from the Italian word “cappello”, which means “heat”. The suffix “-accio”, actually, has a very bad connotation in Italian, and it underlines the fact that those hats were worn by some lawless characters back in the past.
According to the local legends, these people were used to ambush and robb some travellers, having their faces covered by the shadow of they hats. That’s why they couldn’t be catched, and a reward is still pending on them, probably.
Making pasta after knowing the stories related to it is more interesting and funny, especially because it allows you to imagine the faces of these bad guys.
Due to this fact, keep in mind you have to be aware while preparing the hats, since they basically have to cover the faces.
Ready to try them? Buon appetito.