Pasta
Pasta is one of the Italy's best loved foods and considered as a signature dish,
usually consumed during lunch, dinner, supper or as a snacks meal.
In general, farinaceous dishes are termed as Pasta.
What is Semolina?
Semolina is a course, pale yellow
flour that is made from “durum” wheat. Durum wheat is the hardest species of
wheat, meaning it is has a high protein and gluten content and is highly
resistant to milling. The milling process of durum wheat results in coarse
wheat middling, known as semolina flour.
Under Italian law, dry pasta (pasta secca)can only be made from durum wheat flour or durum wheat semolina. Durum flour and durum semolina have a yellow tinge in color.
Note: Durum flour is an unbleached flour ground from the hard wheat called “durum wheat.”
Particular varieties of pasta may also use other grains and milling methods to make the flour, as specified by Italian law. Fresh pasta may include eggs (pasta all'uoi,o'egg pasta').
Moreover, Pasta is a generic term for noodles made from unleavened dough of wheat or buckwheat flour and water, sometimes with other ingredients such as eggs and vegetable extracts. Pastas include varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini.
Pasta is typical of different cultures and countries, but the most famous varieties and recipes come from Italy. There are hundreds of different shapes of pasta with at least locally recognized names. Examples include spaghetti (thin strings), macaroni (tubes or cylinders),fussily(swirls), and lasagna(sheets). Gnocchi and spetzle are sometimes considered pasta; they are both traditional in parts of Italy.
Italian pasta is traditionally cooked aldente “(Italian: "firm to the bite", meaning not too soft) or literally to the teeth. Outside Italy, dry pasta is frequently made from other types of flour (such as wheat flour), but this yields a softer product that cannot be cooked al dente the same way. There are many types of wheat flour with varying gluten and protein depending on variety of grain used.
Whole wheat pasta, which generally contains more fiber and more nutrients than refined pasta, has become increasingly popular. Whole wheat pasta designed to appeal to people familiar with refined grain pastas may have a mixture of whole grain and refined ingredients.
It is a popular belief that the 14 to" century explorer Marco polo introduced pasta into Italy from China, but the first known reference to pasta can be traced to the Middle Ages, which had been a basic food in Italy for several years particularly in Naples and Rome, before Catherine de' Medici introduced into France. First attested in English in 1874, the word pasta comes from Italian pasta, in turn from Latin pasta "dough, pastry cake.
The Chinese were eating noodles made of millet as long ago as 2000 BC. This has been suggested by the discovery of a well-preserved bowl of millet noodles over 4000 years old. However, durum wheat was not known in China until later times. The familiar legend of Marco Polo importing pasta from China originated with the. "FacaroniJournal, published by an association of food industries with the goal of promoting the use of pasta in the United States. Marco Polo describes a food similar to "lagana" in his Trials, but he uses a term with which he was already familiar. Durum wheat, and thus pasta as it is known today, was introduced by Arabs, specifically in Libya, during their conquest of Sicily in, the late 7th century.
Standard Recipes for Pasta Dough
Flour - l kg
Eggs (whole) - 4 Nos
Make Pasta
- Firstly sieve the flour on to a clean table or pastry board.
- Make a well in the center and fill it with the eggs, oil, little water and seasonings.
- Mix thoroughly and knead to smooth dough.
- Rest the dough, cover with a cloth before rolling.
- Roll and cut the dough in to a required shapes and size by using a pasta maker or knife.
- Boil plenty of water, adding 11/2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of oil to each 5 cups.
- Add pasta gradually; stir around gently with a wooden fork.
- Do not overcook, just maintain "Al Dente", which means not soft.
- Drain the pasta and toss in an olive oil, season it.
- Serve piping hot topped with a parmesan cheese.
Classification and Types of Pasta:
Pasta is categorized in two basic styles: dried and fresh. Dried pasta made without eggs can be stored for up to two years under ideal conditions, while fresh pasta will keep for a few days under refrigeration. Pasta is generally cooked by boiling.
Basically, pasta can be flavored in the following styles;
1. Green pasta – Puree of blanched spinach is added to the eggs and flour to make dough.
2. Red Pasta – Tomato puree is added to eggs and flour to retain light red colored dough.
3. Herbs Pasta – Finely chopped fresh herbs like-, parsley, basil, tarragon, oregano, dill, marjoram, coriander etc can be added to eggs and flour to retain an aromatic flavor.
4. Black Pasta – Ink of cattle fish ass is added to eggs and mixed with flour.
The basic types of pasta according to shape are categorized as follows;
1. Long pasta – Traditional dried and fresh pasta must be boiled before it can be used in baked dishes. Or served with sauces,E.g., - Stuffed pastas like-Lasagna, Cannelloni, Bucatini, Tortiglioni, capelin,fettuccini, linguine, etc.
2. Stuffed or Filled Pasta -Fresh or dried, a wide variety of pasta is produced with various meat, cheese, poultry, mushroom filling and served in sauce. E.g.; Ravioli, Tortellini, Cappeletti,cannelloni, etc.
3. Non Wheat Pasta- There is a good range of Italian style pasta made from corn,buck wheat, and other non-wheat flours. Such type of pasta is produced for the health food market for those who are allergic to wheat.
4. Short Pasta- This pasta is very small and made in various shapes that can be added to soups at the end of cooking. They are also used in the preparation of starters and salads. E.g.; Vermicelli, Linguine (small grain shape), Stelline (small stars), risoni (rice grains), dataliniI(small ring shape), orecchitte, farfalle and fussily etc.
5. Tubular Pasta- These pastas are usually available in dried from and tubular in shape it is best suitable with,meat,tomato or cream sauces. E.g., mostaccioli,ziti, penne, rigatoni, etc,
Tips for Cooking and Serving Pasta
· A large pan must be used because plenty or boiling water is need for pasta to swell and large boiling move freely otherwise the released starch makes it sticky. Tablespoon oil is added to prevent this.
· Sprinkle small pasta into briskly (rapidly) boiling water, long pasta such as spaghetti is gradually pushed into boiling oil in water until it softens and bends.
· Sealing the pasta in fast boiling water achieves the degree of pasta cooking known as al dente.
· The cooking time depends on the quantity of pasta, its size and the hardness of water.
· For general guidelines, dried vermicelli take 4-5 minutes, flat pasta and spaghetti takes 11-12 minutes, and long macaroni takes 15 minutes boiling time. In each case timing begins when water comes to boil. Fresh pasta cooks quicker and requires 2-3 minutes boiling time.
· If the pasta is to be served in salads, drain it, rinse in cold water and immediately mix with oil so that it will cool down without sticking.
· When serving hot, the choose sauce or dressing should be poured on to or mixed with hot pasta and serve immediately.
· The range of sauce for pasta is very large and may be based on tomatoes and often containing ham, meat, anchovies, chicken breasts, mushrooms, sliced vegetables, and pickled ox (beef tongue), etc.
· Bolognaise (Bolognese) and Milanese is the well-known as classic sauces served along with pasta.
· Pasta fillings may include -- spinach with ricotta. Meats, chicken liver, cheese and herbs, sausage meats, mushroom etc.
· Italian pasta is best preferred as entree where as in France it is an accompaniment to the main dish.
Examples of some pasta with its types, shapes and culinary use:
Type | Shape | Culinary Uses |
Spaghetti | Fine tube shaped | Spaghetti Bolognese, Spaghetti Nepolitana |
Macaroni | Wide tube shaped | Macaroni au gratin. Maccheese, |
Tagliatelle | Flat ribbon shaped | Tagliatelle Carbonara |
Ravioli | Pasta envelopes filled with meat | Served in tomato sauce or Demi glaze, E.g.; Ravioli Nepolitana |
Cannelloni | Rolls of pasta with meat filling | Baked in oven with cheese or tomato sauce. |
Lasagna | Wide pasta stripes | Layered in a meat or spinach and cheese sauce baked in oven. E.g.; Lasagna al Verdi. |
Penne | Diamond cylindrical shaped | Penne with Basil pesto. Penne alfredo |
Different varieties of pasta with different shapes:
Different varieties of pasta with different shapes
Acini di Pepe :("Peppercorn") Acini di Pepe is perfect to use in soup recipes. These shapes are ideal to include in broths.
Alphabet Pasta: This favorite kids' shape is usually used in soups for a fun meal anytime.
Anellini: - Tiny rings of .pasta. Anellini is-a smaller version of Anellini pasta. It is used in various soups and is also a compliment to a number of salads.
Bow Ties: PaiiMle ("Butterflies")-_Bow Ties brighten any meal with their interesting shape.” Thick enough for variety of sauces, or-, a perfect addition to a number of salad or soup recipes.
Angel Hair, Capelin:These thin, delicate pasta strands are best if used with thinner, delicate sauces. Other uses: break in half and put in soup; use in salads or stir-fry meals.
Bucatini - Thick Spaghetti shaped pasta that is hollow in the center, similar to a thin straw. Bucatini is the perfect choice for nearly any sauce, or it can be used to make casseroles or stir-fry dishes. Go beyond tomato sauce and see what your favorite becomes.
Campanelle ("Bells") Campanula pasta resembles a small cone with a' ruffled edger Pair Campanula pasta with meat, cream, vegetable or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great when used in pasta salads.
Cappeletti- Cappeletti pasta is folded and then twisted to form the shape of a small hat. On occasion, this pasta is sometimes referred to as an alpine hat.
Casarecce - Casarecce pasta is shaped like a very narrow, twisted and rolled tube. This pasta is best used when serving a meat sauce and can be used in a variety of casserole dishes.
Cavatappi("Corkscrew")-.- The tight spiral locks-in the flavor allowing the shape to pair with both simple and sophisticated sauces. Pair Cavatappi with meat, cream, vegetable or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great when used in pasta salads.
Cavatelli– Cavatelli resembles tiny hot dog buns. These shapes are commonly served with thick, chunky sauces or in pasta salads. Cavatelli pairs nicely with meat, cream, seafood or vegetable sauces.
DataliniI("Little Thimbles") –This versatile shape can be used as the base of any dish. Bake it, stir it into soups, or create great salads and stir-fry dishes.
Egg Noodles (Medium) -(From "Nudel," German meaning paste with egg) –This size of Egg Noodle can be baked tossed in soups or salads ortopped with cream, tomato, cheese or meat sauces.
Egg Noodles (Wide) – (From "Nudel," German meaning paste with egg) – Go beyond the egg Stroganoff and use, Wide Egg Noodles to create soups, salads and casseroles. Or, top with a variety of sauces.
Elbow Macaroni – A highly versatile shape that can be topped with any sauce, baked, or put in soups, salads and-stirfry dishes. Elbow Macaroni is traditionally used to make Macaroni and Cheese.
Farfalline – Farfalline is s small version of the bow tie or butterfly shaped pasta. This versatile shape can be used as the base of any dish. Bake it, stir it into soups, or create great salads and stir-fry dishes.
Fideo – Short thin strands of pasta that are slightly curved. Fideo pasta is commonly used in various soup recipes.
Fussily ("Twisted Spaghetti") –This long, spiraled shape can be topped with any sauce, broken in half and added to soups, or turned into a beautiful salad. Fussily also bakes well in casseroles.
Gemili("Twins") - Add a touch of style to any dish with this distinctive shape. Gemeilli pairs nicely with meat, cream, seafood and vegetable sauces.
Giggly- Gigli is a fluted edge pasta edge piece of pasta that has been rolled into a cone shaped flower. Gigli is perfect for heavier sauces, like cheese, meat and tomato or it is a perfect addition to a number of casseroles.
Jumbo Shells- Best when stuffed with your favorite mixtures of cheese, meat and vegetables. Stuff with meat flavored with taco seasoning, top with salsa and bake for a delicious Mexican dish, or create your own stuffed treat.
Lasagna (From "lasanum," Latin for pot) – Create original Lasagna casseroles by using chopped vegetables, cheeses and any kind of sauce. You can also assemble your casserole and freeze it for later meal.
Linguine- A great shape to compliment a variety of sauces.Also a good choice for salads and stir-fry dishes.
Macaroni ("Dumpling") - A highly versatile shape that can -be topped with any sauce, baked, or put in soups, salads and stir-fry dishes.
Manicotti ("Small Muffs") - Stuff Manicotti with a mixture of meat, cheese and vegetables, top with your favorite sauce, and bake.
Medium Shells, Conchiglie- Shells make a great addition to soups or as the base of a wonderful salad. Try remaking your favorite Macaroni and Cheese using Shells, for a fun twist on a time-honored tradition.
Orecchiette ("Little Ears") –These "little ears" are commonly served with thick, chunky sauces or in pasta salads.
Orzo ("Barley") – This small, grain shaped pasta can be topped with any sauce, added to soups, or baked as a casserole. Perfect as a side dish as well as a main course.
Penne, Mostaccioli("Quills" and "Small Mustaches") – This tubular pasta compliments a variety of sauces, is frequently used—in- salads, • baked in casseroles, or made into stir fry dishes.
Penne ("Quills" or—"Feathers") – Penne compliment virtually every sauce and are exceptional when paired with a chunky Sauce. Penne pairs nicely with chunky meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great for baking dishes.
Penne Rigate ("Quills" or "Feathers")- Penne compliment virtually every sauce and are exceptional when paired with a chunky sauce. PermeRigateare `ridged and ideal to lock-in flavor. Penne Rigate pairs nicely with chunky meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great for baking dishes.
Pipe Rigate - A hollow curved pasta that resembles a snail shell. This shape has a wide opening at one end and the other end is flattened. Pipe Rigate pairs nicely with chunky, meat, chunky vegetable cream, or oil based sauces.
Pipette Rigate – This shape is a smaller version of Pipe Rigate. Pipette Rigate pairs nicely with chunky meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great for baking dishes.
Radiatori ("Radiators") – This ruffled, ridged shape adds elegance to any sauce. It also works well baked in casseroles, or used in salads and soups.
Ravioli - Ravioli are square round pillows of pasta that have a filling consisting of ingredients as cheese, meats, vegetables and seasonings. Ravioli can be served with a red sauce or it can be served with butter, oil or cream.
Reginette-Reginette is wide, flat ribbon pasta that has rippled edges on both sides. This shape is similar to Lasagna.
Riecioli-Riecioli's twisted shape holds bits of meat, vegetables and cheese, so it works well with a variety of sauces, or you can use it to create fun salads, baked casseroles, or stir-fry meals.
Rigatoni ("Large Grooved") -Rigatoni's ridges and holes are perfect with any sauce, from cream or cheese to the chunkiest meat sauces.
Rocchetti("Spool") - This short pasta is perfect for preparing casseroles and salads.
Rotelle("Little Wheels") -The cartwheel is not a classic Italian shape, but due to the variety of color and entertaining shape —they are crowd favorite. Because the spokes of the wheels are good for capturing flavor, these shapes are easy to pair. Rotelle pasta pairs nicely with meat, cream, seafood or vegetable sauces.
Rotini ("Spirals". or "Twists") — koilni's twisted shape holds bits of meat, vegetables and cheese, so it works well with any sauce, or you can use it to create fun salads, baked casseroles, or stir-fry meals.
Small—Shells - Shells make a great addition to soups or as the baseof a wonderful salad.—Try remakino, your favorite Macaroni and Cheese using Shells, for a fun twist on a time-honored tradition.
Spaghetti – ("A length of Cord's America's favoriteshape, Spaghetti is the perfect choice for nearly any sauce, or it can used to make casseroles or stir-fry dishes. Go beyond tomato sauce and see what your favorite becomes.
Thin Spaghetti Thin Spaghetti is very similar to Vermicelli. Each one is slightly thinner than Spaghetti. Thin Spaghetti is perfect topped with any sauce, or as a salad or stir-fry ingredient.
Tortellini – Tortellini is ring-shaped pasta typically stuffed with meat, cheese or vegetables. Tortellini is commonly served in a broth or cream sauce.
Tortiglioni – Tortiglioni is narrow, tubular pasta. This shape is commonly used to add decoration to salads or paired with a simple sauce.
Tripolini – Tripolini is tiny bow tie shaped pasta used in soups and salads or paired with a simple sauce.
Tubini - A medium-sized, tubular pasta shape, Tubini is perfect for chunky sauces and meat dishes, it also makes wonderful salads, baked dishes and stir-fry meals.
Vermicelli - ("little worms") slightly thinner than Spaghetti, Vermicelli is good topped with any sauce, or as a salad or stirfry ingredient
Wagon Wheels, Ruote ("Wheels") Wagon Wheels make interesting salads, casseroles and stir-fry dishes. Add to soups, or simply top with sauce and enjoy.
- Brown Rice Pasta.
- Shirataki Noodles.
- Chickpea Pasta.
- Quinoa Pasta.
- Soba Noodles.
- Multigrain Pasta.
