Fusilli pasta has many uses.
Choosing the best fusilli pasta can depend on whether the recipe calls for fresh or dried pasta, the size and type of fusilli pasta you want, and your budget. Fusilli pasta is spiral shaped and can be used alone with sauces, in pasta salads, added to soups, or as part of a casserole. Traditionally, the best fusilli pasta is homemade, because the freshest ingredients, family recipes, and traditional production methods tend to create the most flavorful and tender pasta.
Some brands of fusilli pasta are available in the refrigerated section of many supermarkets.
Translated from Italian, fusilli means “little spindles” and is a dough that is instantly recognizable by its corkscrew shape. Fusilli has a few variations, such as the hollow version known as fusilli bucati and a longer variation known as fusilli napoletani. This type of pasta is excellent when combined with sauces because its well-rolled shape retains liquids well. Fusilli is also a good option for fresh pasta salads.
Al dente fusilli can be topped with chopped tomatoes and fresh herbs for a quick meal.
When choosing store-bought fusilli, determine what size and shape work best for your recipes, as well as the cut dies, grains, and brands used to make the fusilli dough. All of these factors contribute to the flavor and consistency of the dough. Some experts suggest looking for Italian brands when shopping for fusilli in a store, as they are usually produced in an old-fashioned way using bronze-cut dies.
The cutting dies used to make the dough can affect the flavor of the dough and the type of texture and porosity it has; this affects whether the sauces slide or stick to the dough. Pasta cutting dies are wheel-shaped metal accessories used to extrude pasta from its basic shape into distinctive shapes and lengths such as fettuccine, spaghetti, fusilli, or other types of pasta. The molds are usually the bronze type traditionally used in Italy and which create a rough, handcrafted look and porous texture, or non-stick synthetic molds which, as the name suggests, create a smooth dough with a smooth surface. The bronze dies that create the rougher fusilli dough are considered the better of the two methods, because the porous quality of the dough better absorbs sauces and seasonings.
Your budget is another consideration when choosing the best fusilli pasta. Pasta made in Italy and organic pasta will cost more than homemade pasta. Whole wheat pasta is also more expensive, but it is a tasty and healthy alternative to semolina pasta. Some brands of fusilli pasta are available fresh in the refrigerated section of many supermarkets.