Baby Pasta

  Baby pasta may sound like they're perfect tiny ones  yet they're really perfect for the older folk.They're tiny bits of flavor that are as versatile as their bigger cousins. These small nuggets of flavor are perfect for anything from soup to salad.

What are these small bits of dough called? Technically they're all macaroni with the classification belonging to all one to two inch shapes. These even apply to the tinier ones. There are many of these "baby" or little pastas. They are more versatile than the larger sorts. You can easily make a salad or soup with them along with turning them into a soothing bowl of goodness just by adding butter and grated Parmesan.Some of the more popular kinds are pastina and orzo. Pastina is what every Italian mother feeds a sick child. These tiny (about the size of a large pinhead) stars are also popular in Turkish cuisine where they're also used in soup. it can also be cooked in broth and then served with butter or a plant based butter and any kind of grated Italian  cheese. Orzo can be served both hot or cold. This rice shaped pasta is great in any kind of broth and enhances minestrone soup. It is also a great summer dish , served cold as a salad. You can also make it for your Super Bowl Party this weekend. Add sliced cherry or whole grape tomatoes along with small broccoli florets,  black or green olives and cucumber slices. To make it heartier, toss in salami chunks or pepperoni along with chunks of Provolone. dress with a garlic vinaigrette made with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

There are other baby pastas too. A close cousin to pastina is acini de pepe or peppercorns. They're actually not the size of a peppercorn but a pearl of couscous. They represent fertility which is why they're always in Italian wedding soup. since they're like couscous, you can make them in similar recipes. A nice warming dish is cooking it with saffron, white wine and saffron, sort of like a risotto Milanese. You could also serve it with dried apricots and pistachios as a side to grilled chicken. Ditalini or small fingers are another baby pasta that can be used to zing up  soups. Like acini de pepe it is also good with a meaty Bolognese sauce for a different kind of comfort food.Anelli or little pasta rings are a fun addition to chicken soup or minestrone. They're one of the chief ingredients in the Sicilian dish timballo. This is a baked casserole that looks like a Bundt cake and is rich with meat sauce , ham and squares of Provolone cheese. There is a coating of bread crumbs but you can also use fried eggplant. It's baked like a cake and served in slices. There is also a smaller version of anelli called anellino, tinier rings that are perfect in soup or just with butter and cheese.

Baby pasta may be little but it has a big flavor.Use it in hot and cold dishes for a tasty main course or side. They are just as versatile and fun as their bigger cousins.