Sheets and broad cuts
The oldest idea in pasta is also the most structural: a flat sheet of dough. Sheets are not eaten so much as assembled, layered into strata, rolled around fillings, or torn into irregular offcuts for soup pots. The sheet trades twirlability for architecture. It holds layers without collapsing, drinks liquid as it bakes, and turns a sauce into a building. Most of the family lives in the oven.
Compare the family
| Shape | Section | Cook (min) | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannelloni | rolled sheet or smooth pre-formed tube | 4-8 | smooth |
| Lasagna | flat sheet | 3-5 | smooth |
| Maltagliati | irregular offcut of flat pasta | n/a | smooth |
