Pasta comes in a variety of different types but some of them are difficult to differentiate. Mostaccioli noodles VS penne present detailed information on both kinds of pasta as these noodles often make people confused. After this, you can differentiate mostaccioli and penne although both look the same in shape.
Mostaccioli Noodles VS Penne: Definition
Never forget to distinguish mostaccioli VS penne from the definition. Moreover, both have an almost similar shape.
Mostaccioli Noodles
Mostaccioli is a part of penne so it is also called penne lisce. In this case, it is caused by the texture being smoother in the exterior. Mostaccioli is made in a tubular shape with the end cut at an angle. By the way, this noodle pasta includes one of the excellent ingredients in salads, casseroles, and stir-fry.
Penne Noodles
Penne noodles are made in a distinct hollow in a tubular shape, and angle cut at the end. As one of the most popular kinds of pasta in the world, penne with a pointed end has two types. They are penne lisce or mostaccioli and penne rigate.
Mostaccioli noodles VS penne explain the penne lisce has a smoother exterior texture while penne rigate has a ridged exterior. The function of the ridged exterior in the regular penne noodles is to make the sauces bind to the pasta properly.
4 Key Differences Of Mostaccioli VS Penne
There are four keys to the differences between mostaccioli VS penne pasta in this post. It includes the origin, shape& size, popularity, and culinary uses.
Origin
Mostaccioli noodles originated from Campania in a Southern Italian region. Meanwhile, penne comes from Liguria (it is a Northwestern city in Italy.
Shape And Size
The shape of these pasta noodles has been discussed above but it does not matter to explain it again. Once more, mostaccioli noodles have a smooth exterior and penne has ridged texture outside.
However, the discussion does not stop until the shape you must know the size either mostaccioli or penne. Both have tubular shapes but mostaccioli noodles are smaller than penne. Meanwhile, penne noodles are made in two sizes 2 inches long and 1 inch long.
Seemly, penne noodles in one inch long refer to penne lisce or mostaccioli. Even though, mostaccioli noodles VS penne add mostaccioli size some US pasta brands are made in slightly larger than regular penne.
Popularity
Mostaccioli does not as popular as penne because it is merely suitable for lighter sauces. Penne noodles are more famous because the textured surface can work well with all kinds of sauces. Penne is as popular as lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccine, fusilli, macaroni, and other pasta types.
Culinary Uses
Such as you know, mostaccioli noodles pasta does not have a ridge and it makes smooth in the surface texture. This case makes this pasta prefers to match lighter sauces such as fine tomato sauces or fragrant olive oil.
The most popular mostaccioli recipe is baked into the casserole and it includes an easy one-pot recipe. Usually, mostaccioli noodles are baked with sausage or ground beef, parmesan or mozzarella, and tomato sauce. Besides baking mostaccioli, you can cook it by stir-frying.
Meanwhile, penne noodles are often used in some popular recipes such as chunky marinara, pasta salad, penne all’ arrabbiata, and penne alla vodka. Mostaccioli noodles VS penne explain the ridge makes the penne noodles work well with chunky sauces. However, it also works well with tomato sauce.
Can You Make Mostaccioli And Penne At home?
Yes, you can make either mostaccioli or penne at home but you will get a different experience. Mostaccioli is easier to make at home if you use a pasta extruder die. Then, you can use a cutting board or a flat pasta board to smoothen the surface of the mostaccioli exterior.
Different from mostaccioli, penne noodles are quite difficult to make at home. But, it does not matter if you can enjoy the making process. By the way, the following are steps to make both mostaccioli and penne noodles:
- Make the pasta dough by mixing 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of semolina flour, and I teaspoon of salt.
- Use a different bowl to mix 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks. Then, pour the eggs into the dry ingredients slowly. Mostaccioli noodles VS penne add you may use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to mix the dough.
- Stop mixing when you get the dough in a non-sticky ball form and divide it into 4 parts. Prevent the dough from drying out by wrapping them using plastic.
- Use a pasta extruder to make penne by rolling the dough to become a thin layer. If you want to do it easier and quicker use a pasta machine.
- Next, you must dust the dough with flour before cut vertically into strips. Then, leave the strips in place and make horizontal cuts to get a rectangular shape.
- Collect and put them in a bowl, and prevent them from drying out by covering them with a cling wrap.
- Take a rectangle and use a clean pencil or a stick to roll the dough. You can shape the penne by rolling the rectangle and giving a little pressure at the end.
- Let them dry by putting both mostaccioli and penne on a baking sheet. Layer it with a clean towel.
- Lastly, boil some water and salt it generously to boil the freshly made mostaccioli or penne noodles. Serve your homemade pasta with your favorite light or thick sauce.
Cooking Time Of Mostaccioli And Penne
Mostaccioli noodles VS penne state both kinds of pasta have the same cooking instruction but the duration is different. The mostaccioli noodles need about 10 to 14 minutes to cook while penne is just 10 to 13 minutes to cook. In addition, you cannot substitute penne for mostaccioli because of the different textures.
Read more Vermicelli VS Glass Noodles
Final Words
What can you take from the discussion above? Mostaccioli noodles VS penne give a lot of insight from the definition, differences, how to make them, and the cooking time. Certainly, this detailed information is ready to give different experiences in taste in your family.