The ceppi is a large, tubular type of pasta. You use this type of pasta for a pasta dish with a hearty pasta sauce. We would like to tell you more about the ceppi so read on.
What is ceppi?
Ceppi is a large tubular type of pasta. You can compare the ceppi to a very large penne. A kind of xl penne with grooves on the outside. The shape is reminiscent of severed tree stumps in the forests of the Apennines. The stumps, like the ceppi, all have their own shape and character.
According to the pasta maker Sibillini, the ceppi is a tribute to these forests and should symbolize a moment of reflection and rest.
In short, the pasta ceppi is a beautiful pasta that makes your favorite pasta dish even fuller!
How is ceppi made?
Like almost all pasta, ceppi consists of durum wheat and water. Kneading these two products together creates the pasta dough. This pasta dough is the basis of most types of pasta. So also for the ceppi
This pasta dough is then pressed through a bronze mold, which creates the desired shape.
Now that the ceppi has gotten its shape, they only need to dry and be packed.
It may look simple, but this is the way the pasta ceppi is made. Of course, pasta making is a lot more elaborate and involves a lot more than what we have described now. In order not to make this blog too long, we wrote a whole blog about making pasta. You can read all about it in the blog: “How is pasta made?”.
Recipes for ceppi
Because ceppi is a type of pasta with a large cavity, it is an ideal pasta to fill with sauce. You can fill them with a filling of your choice and then bake them in the oven. Or combine them with a well-filled pasta sauce. Both ways are delicious and easy to prepare according to us! Let your imagination run wild.
We recommend always combining ceppi with a hearty pasta sauce. A lighter sauce with only olive oil, for example, is less suitable for this type of pasta.
Want more inspiration for pasta dishes? Take a look at all our pasta dishes and get inspired!
How long should you cook ceppi?
Ceppi is a pasta that you cook in about 11 minutes. It is therefore important that you have enough time to stand in the kitchen. Should you have little time, we recommend that you definitely use a different type of pasta.
Fortunately, there are ways to cook the ceppi a little faster. We have listed all the tips and tricks for cooking pasta faster. You can read these tips in our blog ‘How to cook pasta quickly’.
Below are a number of steps that you can use to cook the ceppi. Stick to these steps and you will see that the ceppi is cooked just right.
Ceppi is cooked in the following 6 steps:
Use a large pan to cook the ceppi in
Take a large pan, the bigger the better. The ceppi must be able to move around in the pan. This prevents the ceppi from sticking together. Fill the large pan for 75% with hot water, by using hot water you save time because the water needs less time to boil. Do you want to save a lot of time? Then use a kettle so the water is already boiling.
Add some salt to the water
Make your pasta dish more delicious by adding a little extra salt to the boiling water. The salt gives the flavors in a dish an extra boost. This makes all the flavors more intense and delicious! Be careful, because too much salt can ruin your dish. We keep a guideline of about 10 grams of salt per 3 liters of water. You can read more about cooking pasta and salt in our blog: ‘Cooking pasta with or without salt’.
Do not use a lid when cooking ceppi
By not using a lid, the cooking water will not foam. For this reason, we always recommend not using a lid. This also makes it easier to keep the pasta moving. Read more about this in our next tip.
Keep the ceppi moving
Like any pasta, ceppi has a tendency to stick together. By keeping the pasta moving, you prevent this from happening. Stir every minute with a spaghetti spoon in the pan. In this way you keep the ceppi moving sufficiently.
Taste the ceppi before pouring it off
If you want to know whether the ceppi is good, then it is wise to taste the ceppi. You do this before draining the pasta, so you can determine whether it is necessary to cook it longer. In addition, you can immediately taste whether you have put enough salt in the water. You can choose to add some more salt to taste.
Add the ceppi to the pasta sauce at once
In Italy, they always add the pasta to the pasta sauce right away. This makes it less likely that the ceppi will stick together. By doing this you will never have problems with sticky pasta. A good tip that we would like to give you!
How long should you cook ceppi?
Ceppi is a type of pasta that needs about 11 to 13 minutes to cook. We recommend that you always look carefully at the packaging of the pasta. Here you will find the exact cooking time of the pasta. If you stick to this cooking time, you will see that the pasta is cooked just right.
Some people like a soft pasta, other people like pasta with more of a bite. Do you belong to the latter category? Then cook the pasta one minute shorter than stated on the packaging, this way you can cook the pasta al dente. Taste for yourself when you think the pasta is good enough to use. You can read more tips on how to do this in our blog: ‘How to cook pasta al dente!
How much ceppi do you need per person?
It is wise to adjust the amount of pasta you use to the sauce you are combining it with. The firmer and fuller the sauce, the less pasta you will need. Of course, the reverse is also true!
We generally recommend around 100 grams of pasta per person. You can of course adjust the number of grams if you are someone who usually eats large or small portions.
We also recommend looking at the type of sauce you would like to combine the pasta with. Do you choose a hearty sauce? Then use a little less pasta, 80 grams per person.
Determining the right amount of pasta for each person can be tricky. If you also find it difficult to determine how much pasta you need, read more about the quantities of pasta per person on our blog: “How much pasta do you cook per person?”.