PastaBuying, cooking, and nutrition

The Basics of Pastamade from flour and water–Italian for “paste”durum wheat is especially grown for pasta because it holds its shape and texture when cookeddurum wheat makes semolina flour which has the characteristic yellow color and nutty taste associated with pastahundreds of different shapes and sizes

Macaroni Productsmade from durum wheat flour (semolina) and waterhave a more solid texture so can withstand more cookingthe most common of what we call “pasta”

Noodleshave eggs or egg solids added for tendernesssofter texture in foodsnot as stable when cooked for a long period of timenot as firm–good for soups and some casseroles but limited use

Buying Pastatry to match the recipe exactly or find a close substitutefresh–higher quality but shorter shelf life and must refrigeratedried–less expensive and can be stored in an air-tight container for a long time

Shapes and Sizespasta dough is rolled thin and then

shaped to match its end usesmooth sauces or those with small pieces of food work best with long, fl at shapes where the sauce is placed over the pasta; think spaghetti!large, hollow shapes are best for stuffing with meat, sauce, and cheese and baked in a sauce; think manicotti!match your pasta to its end use

“Designer Pastas”

pasta is becoming trendy in some areasdifferent shapes and flavors are now available–even dessert pastas like chocolatemany use natural herbs and seasoningssome add ingredients that alter the cooking directionsmost processors provide recipes

Other Common Varieties

Asian noodles made from rice, potatoes, cornstarch, bean, soyChinese cellophane noodles made from mung-bean starch are clear and thinJapanese ramen noodles made from wheat flour and deep-friedJapanese soba noodles made from buckwheat flour

Cooking Pastaunless it is precooked, pasta must be boiled (a few recipes are bake-only)use a large pot so it won’t boil overrapid boiling helps circulate the pasta so it cooks evenly and does not stick togetherread the package directions

bring the water to a rapid boil (large bubbles break the water’s surface)slowly add the pasta so the water continues to boildo not let it stop boiling–the pasta will stick togetherstir the pasta occasionally so it won’t stick togetherDO NOT ADD OIL–it forms a slippery surface and sauce won’t stick

dried pasta is generally cooked to “al dente” or “firm to the bite”it should be cooked through with no white core in the center (cut a small piece to check for doneness)cooking time varies with the thicknessif it will be baked, the cooking time is lessfresh pasta generally cooks much faster

after cooking, drain in a colander or strainernever rinse cooked pastato keep the pasta hot, place the colander over a bowl of hot water and cover itpasta can be frozen alone but freezes best if it is combined with the sauce

Nutritious Pastabecause pasta is made from wheat, it has natural sugars (carbohydrates) that provide a quick source of energynaturally low in fat (without the sauce); some noodles have egg yolks but some have whites only so are lower in fatwhole-wheat pasta has more fiber and nutrition than regular pasta

enriched pastas have nutrients replaced in the fl our; fortified pastas have those same nutrients but also have others added or “boosted”some of those with other ingredients added are more nutritious–carrots, tomatoes, spinach, etc.optional to add salt when cookingif you rinse the pasta, you rinse away many nutrients

Buon appetito!

good eating!