Conchiglie belongs to Italian cuisine, one of the most loved and known in the world. Buying the pasta: it’s the most important part! The type of pasta you buy will make a big difference in the final product. Pasta is traditionally made with durum wheat semolina, water, and salt.
Conchiglie is a shell-shaped pasta and one of the most common pasta shapes. The word conchiglie means “seashells” in Italian. It seems that every Italian restaurant has at least one dish of pasta that featuring this pasta.
The size of the pasta determines the different types of conchiglie. For instance, small, medium, and large shells all have unique characteristics. Small (conchigliette) are usually used in soups and slightly larger than a dime in size. The medium (conchiglie) is tender and holds sauce beautifully. The medium shells are about a quarter and are more firm to eat because they boiled longer. The large/jumbo (conchiglioni) are the biggest around and are excellent for stuffing or baking.
To cook, Boil a large amount of water in a large pot with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of oil. Add pasta to boiling water by adding a few at a time. Cook uncovered, stir from time to time until conchiglie gets tender. The cooking time may vary with the size and thickness of the pasta.
