Ditalini Pasta

A small tubular pasta used in soups. Ditalini is made in a smooth tube or with ridges (rigatti). The name ditalini means "little thimbles". The classic use for this pasta is for Pasta E Fagioli, pasta and bean soup.

Ditalini is similar to tubettini in shape but it is about 2 x's larger. 

How Long To Cook Ditalini OR Salad Macaroni

Bring 4-6 quarts of water to boil. Salt to taste. Add the pasta, stir,  and bring the water

Rinse or No Rinse?

If you are going to make a cold pasta salad with this pasta then you should rinse it briefly in cold water to stop the cooking process and remove any excess starch.  You should never rinse it after cooking of the pasta is being served warm with a sauce. The starch helps adhere the sauce to the pasta.

If you don't have ditalini you can substitute equal amounts of either of these which are very similar:

• Tubettini (smaller)
• OR> Salad macaroni(almost the same size)

Or for soup making you can use one of these which are much smaller and cook faster:

• Orzo
• Acini di pepe