Other Noodle Cuts

Appears in

By Marcella Hazan

Published 1997

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Pappardelle. The larger surface of this mouth-filling broad noodle is perfectly suited to substantial sauces, whether made with meat or vegetables or a combination of both. The machine has no cutters for pappardelle, so you must cut it by hand. Using a pastry wheel—a fluted one produces the prettiest noodles—cut the rolled-out pasta strips into ribbons about 6 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Tagliatelle. The classic Bolognese noodle, and the most appropriate one to couple with Bolognese meat sauce, is a little broader than what the machine’s fettuccine cutters produce; hence it must be cut by hand. When the thinned strips of pasta are dry enough to cut, but still pliant enough, to bend without splitting, like soft leather, fold them loosely lengthwise to make a flat roll about 3 inches wide. With a cleaver or another knife, cut the roll across into ribbons about ¼ inch wide.