It’s not a secret that I love pasta - in all shapes. Here is one I have never come across in the UK. It was a gift from Son No. 4 from New York, where these tennis racquet shapes are available.
The Italians say that the shape of pasta matters very much, so certain ones lend themselves to a chunky meat sauce, others to a smooth, creamy one. Rigatoni and penne are particularly good for collecting the sauce inside the tubes, while small elbow shaped macaroni are just immersed in the bechamel/cheesy mixture.
These Racchette are very unusual and attractive, but to my mind, they weren’t the best from the top-of-the range De Cecco collection. For the first meal (above) I made a beef bolognese and the second one (below) a pureed tomato sauce with added cream. It turned a carotty colour and was good with the added parmesan. Make sure you cook the racquets for the longer suggested time written on the packet. They are not good ‘al dente’.
But, as I said, pasta is for me always pleasurable, and the actual shape does make you smile. So invent your own topping and just enjoy something that isn’t available in your local supermarket.