Ziti (Italian:[ˈdziːti]), also zite (Italian:[ˈdziːte]), are a shape of extruded
pasta originating from the
Italian regions of
Campania and
Sicily.[1][2] They are shaped into long, wide tubes, about 25 cm (9.8 inches) long, that need to be broken by hand into smaller pieces before cooking. Ziti have similarities to
bucatini, but are much thicker.
Etymology
Ziti is the plural form of zita and zitu, respectively meaning 'bride' and 'groom' in
Sicilian. For this reason, ziti may also be rendered as zite in
Italian (with the regular plural form for feminine nouns in -a).[2]
In the crime-drama series The Sopranos, the phrase box of ziti is used as a euphemism for one thousand dollars. This term has spread to become colloquial in New York.[3][4][5] The term was used in
Albany by
Andrew Cuomo during the sentencing of
Percoco v. United States in February 2018.[6][7]
Composition and usage
Ziti strands are made of long and wide tubes, each being around 25 cm (9.8 inches). Ziti has similarities to
bucatini,
rigatoni and
penne.[8][9] Ziti are created from
durum wheat flour and water.[10]
Typically, the pasta is first boiled separately until it is nearly, but not completely, done. The almost-cooked pasta is added to a tomato-based sauce. The tomato-coated pasta is then combined with cheese, typically a mixture of
ricotta,
mozzarella, and
Parmesan. Other ingredients can be added with the cheese, such as
ground meat,
sausage,
mushrooms,
peppers, and
onions. The combined ingredients are placed in a baking dish, covered with mozzarella cheese, baked in the oven and served hot.[16] If unavailable, ziti can be substituted with other tubular pastas such as
penne or
rigatoni.