Vermicelli

Vermicelli (singular vermicello, «little worms») is a long round pasta of durum wheat semolina and water. In Italy it is slightly thicker than spaghetti, a Neapolitan shape that Garofalo and De Cecco cook in 14 minutes, while US rules define vermicelli as thinner than spaghetti, and American brands cook it in 5 to 7. ¹²⁸⁷

Two sizes under one name. Garofalo says its vermicelli have a slightly larger diameter than spaghetti, and De Cecco places them in the spaghetti family but thicker even than spaghettoni. ¹² The US standard of identity does the opposite: vermicelli are cord-shaped and not more than 0.06 inch across, spaghetti between 0.06 and 0.11 inch. ⁸ Ronzoni accordingly sells its vermicelli as delicate and thin. ⁷

Older than spaghetti's name. Pastificio dei Campi notes that the word appears in Hebrew texts of the 11th century as «vermishelsh» and later as «vermiculi» in the Liber de Coquina, a cookbook written in the Naples area in the 13th or 14th century. ³ Garofalo dates the shape to at least 1300, when vermicelli were made by hand, much shorter than today and slightly crooked, like little worms. ¹

One shape, many old names. De Cecco cites a mention of 1338 by the pasta maker Barnaba da Reatinis, who found vermicelli all over northern Italy under other names: orati in Bologna, minutelli in Venice, fermentini in Reggio Emilia and pancardelli in Mantua. ² Both De Cecco and Garofalo trace the shape itself to Naples. ²¹

What is in them. Italian law allows dry pasta sold as durum wheat semolina pasta to contain only semolina and water. ⁹ Garofalo's and Pastificio dei Campi's vermicelli are Pasta di Gragnano IGP, bronze-drawn for a rough surface; Campi gives a thickness of about 2.1 mm, Puglia-grown wheat and slow drying at low temperature. ¹³ American vermicelli such as Ronzoni's add durum flour plus niacin and iron. ⁷

Cooking times and nutrition. Garofalo, De Cecco and Delverde give 14 minutes, De Cecco 12 for al dente, Pastificio dei Campi 10 and Divella 9. ¹²⁶³⁴ Delverde lists 352 kcal and 14 g of protein per 100 g, Divella 355 kcal and 13 g. ⁶⁴ Vermicelli contain wheat, a gluten allergen, and several brands warn of traces of soy and mustard. ¹³⁶⁴

Sauces. De Cecco recommends tomato sauce, vegetables such as courgettes, aubergines and peppers, quick oil, garlic and chilli, or fish and shellfish, then a final toss in the pan with oil. ² Garofalo pairs its vermicelli with the Neapolitan sauce with small octopus, Campi with the slightly acidic piennolo tomatoes of Vesuvius, and Delverde suggests broth, tomato and fish dishes. ¹³⁶

Vermicelli vs rice noodles. In Asia the same English word is used for very different noodles: Vietnam's bún are steamed round rice noodles. ¹² Longkou Fen Si, a protected Chinese «vermicelli», is a threadlike starch noodle made from green beans and peas, under 0.7 mm thick. ¹¹ Italian vermicelli, by contrast, are wheat pasta about 2 mm thick. ³⁹

Why it matters to you. Check where your pack comes from: Italian vermicelli are thicker and need about 10 to 14 minutes, American ones are thin and take 5 to 7. ¹³⁷ Pick the Italian kind for tomato and seafood sauces, the thin kind for soups. ²⁷ Check the label for wheat and for soy or mustard traces. ¹³⁶