What Is Creste Di Gallo And How Did It Get Its Name?

If you've ever browsed the pasta section of your local grocery store, you're probably no stranger to the seemingly endless varieties of pasta shapes that are available. Pasta shape definitely matters depending on what you're cooking, and creste di gallo might be one of the most unique. This interesting noodle gets its name because it resembles that funny looking thing on the top of a rooster's head, known as its crest or comb. It translates from Italian to mean "rooster's crest."

The pasta doesn't taste any different than other pasta shapes, but its unique visual appearance makes it great for picking up heartier sauces. Its origin story has never been confirmed, but one story suggests that roosters once saved the Medici family from assassins by screaming their signature call to scare the killers away. As a result, the family "thanked" the roosters by creating this pasta shape in their honor. Regardless of its true origin, you should definitely be incorporating more of this funky shape into your pasta dishes.

Not all pasta shapes are created equal — you wouldn't make a lasagna using elbow macaroni, right? Some pasta shapes are thicker than others; some have holes while others don't. And the type of pasta you use totally depends on how thick your sauce is and what other ingredients are involved. If you're planning to use creste di gallo, this pasta shape has both holes and ridges, meaning it's great for pairing with thick sauces that might contain a lot of ingredients.

A bolognese sauce or ragu, for example, are great sauces to build around this pasta. You can also opt for something with lighter flavor but still thick, such as a kale pesto. A shape like this can hold meat, so don't be afraid to add ground beef or pork into your sauce of choice, either. Boxed creste di gallo from a grocery store takes between eight and 10 minutes to cook, which isn't much longer than a standard penne or farfalle. Plus, it looks pretty cool.

The cooking process for this pasta doesn't differ much from any other pasta shape, but you'll definitely want to add salt to your boiling water to bring out the starchy flavor. While dried pasta takes longer to cook, fresh creste di gallo is ready in half the time, taking just four or five minutes to cook. If you plan to make this shape yourself, your best bet is to use an attachment to a pasta maker that will prepare the dough into this shape; it would be quite difficult to shape it yourself.

If you plan on cooking the pasta in advance, don't store it for too long in the refrigerator. The creste di gallo will last up to five days once it's cooked, but the sooner you use it, the better. To prevent the pasta from sticking together, add a small drizzle of olive oil to it. Don't use too much, though, or the olive oil coating could prevent sauce from sticking to the pasta once you're ready to use it.