Category:Pasta

This category is devoted to the pastas of the world.

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Overview of Pasta
Pasta is one of the most appreciated meals all over the world. It’s easy to cook and it tastes delicious. Although high in carbohydrates – a fact that made it quite unpopular with most weight loss methods – pasta continues to be one of the main meals each day for millions of people. Cooking pasta can go from a 10 minute speedy process to a elaborate and complex cooking ritual – depending on your preferences and available time. One of the things that make pasta so popular is the fact that it comes in a huge variety of shapes and that it can be served with hundreds of sauces. Thicker pasta shapes, like fettuccine, work well with heavier sauces while thinner pastas like thin spaghetti should be served with light, thin sauces. Chunky sauces, o the other hand, go very well with pasta types that have holes or ridges like mostaccioli or radiatore. With all this variety of pasta types and sauces there is a pasta combination that will taste delicious for each individual.

The History of Pasta
Pasta is the pride of Italian cuisine and it offers us a history worth looking at. While the arrival of Italians in the New World lead to the huge popularity pasta has today, its origins go far beyond modern times. It is believed that Ancient Greeks and Romans had discovered a flattened dough form, which they called in Greek laganon. However, laganon was not boiled like modern pasta – it was roasted in ovens or on heated stones. Mentions about another variation, called lagana, are made by Apicius, a Roman writer of the first century AD.

Arabian influences are also related to the history of pasta. Several historians think the Sicilian word "maccaruni" which translates as "made into a dough by force" is the origin of our word, macaroni. Ancient Sicilian lasagna dishes included different spices introduced by the Arab invaders, a strong argument that pasta was introduced in the area by the Arabs. However, it seams that the seasoning and sauces are of Italian invention. One other thing worth mentioning is that the wheat used for getting semolina – durum wheat – had excellent growing conditions in Italy (semolina is used to create dry pasta).

The book "De arte Coquinaria per vermicelli e maccaroni siciliani" (The Art of Cooking Sicilian macaroni and Vermicelli) makes the first mention of pasta as an accepted meal. First mentioned by the chef to the Patriarch of Acquileia, the initial contact of the Italian people with pasta is believed to be in the city of Palermo. Through the 14th and 15th Centuries dry pasta had already started to grow in popularity, as it could be easily stored on ships. Long hollow tubes of pasta are mentioned in the 15th Century records of Italian and Dominican monasteries. The multitude of qualities specific to pasta (versatile meals, cheap and economical to produce) made it a common meal by the 17th Century.

The massive Italian migration from the 1900’s brought pasta popularity to the United States as well. Although macaroni and cheese was already a popular meal in America, the turn of the century and the Italian migration brought the spaghetti dish we enjoy today.

Types of Pasta
Here are some of the most common types of pasta:

Alphabets – The kid’s favorite, mostly found in soups.

Macaroni ("Dumpling") – Goes with any type of sauce and it can be baked or put in soups, and stir-fry dishes.

Rotini ("Spirals") – The spiraling Rotini is perfect for combining with minced meat and chunky sauces Angel Hair, Capellini ("Fine Hairs") - Delicate strands of pasta. They go well with delicate meals and can also find their places in soups, in salads or stir-fry meals.

Manicotti – go well with meat and vegetable servings.

Jumbo Shells – also great to eat with vegetable, cheese or meat. They can be stuffed with the ingredients of your choice.

Bow Ties, ("Butterflies") – Butterflies are thick enough for any sauce but you can also make them into a salad or soup. Another shape kids and adults love.

Medium Egg Noodles – they can be used in a variety of ways: baked, in soups or salads, served with tomato, cheese or meat.

Medium Shells, Conchiglie ("Shells") – Used in soups or as the base of salads. Wide Egg Noodles – You can use this particular pasta to create soups, salads and casseroles or try to top with sauce and serve hot.

Spaghetti ("A Length of Cord") - It can be used to make casseroles or stir-fry dishes. Tomato sauce is the traditional companion for spaghetti, but you can experiment with different other sauces and spices.

Fettuccine ("Small Ribbons") – Mostly used with heavier sauces, like cheese, meat and tomato sauces.

Orzo ("Barley") - Grain shaped pasta that may serve both as a main dish or as a side dish.

Vermicelli ("Little Worms") – Thin pasta that will taste delicious with any type of sauce.

Fusilli ("Twisted Spaghetti") – Use them in casseroles or in combination with thick or thin sauces.

Penne ("Quills") - Made into stir fry dishes or used in salads.

Lasagne (From "lasanum," Latin for pot) – America’s favorite pasta type, together with spaghetti. Used mainly for casseroles.

Radiatore ("Radiators") – A ridged shape that can go well with salads, soups or casseroles.

Linguine ("Little Tongues") – Used in stir-fry dishes and salads.

Rigatoni ("Large Grooved") – The shape of Rigatoni recommends this pasta type as one of the best for chunky sauces.

Pasta Production
There is a large variety of pasta products that require slightly different production methods. However, the main ingredients for all of them are: durum wheat semolina, eggs and water. The reason why durum wheat is used in pasta production comes from the fact that the grain of the durum wheat is hard but also rich in gluten content which provides elasticity to the dough. Spaghetti, noodles, macaroni and vermicelli – they all contain these basic raw ingredients. An interesting thing concerning pasta production in some countries is that only the above-mentioned ingredients are allowed to be used for pasta production. Countries like Greece, Germany and even Italy have strict legal regulations regarding this aspect of production. Of course, herbs and sauces may be added later.

Selecting Pasta
There are a few characteristics that you should look for when selecting pasta. It should be fresh, created in an artisanal way and, if possible homemade. Fresh pasta cooks twice as fast dried pasta. Smaller pasta sizes also help reduce cooking time. Most of the pastas are designed to trap sauce and hold it. However, delicate pasta types will not go well with chunky sauces. In order to select the most appropriate pasta shape you also have to decide, before hand, what kind of sauce you will use for it. Larger pasta that is shaped in intricate patterns might take longer to cook, so make sure you have enough time to create the meal.

Preparation Methods for Pasta
If you are trying to make some home pasta, you should realize that this experience will be more satisfying than buying pasta from a store. Here is what you need for a 4-6 person pasta meal: A pound of fine white flour (grade 00 for Italian flour, or American bread flour – it will make your pasta firmer). 4 eggs (increase the number of yolks and reduce the quantity of whites proportionally to make richer pasta) A good pinch of salt

When cooking it, use salted boiling water – it should be cooked in about 5-8 minutes, depending on its freshness (homemade pasta will cook in as little as 3 minutes). Overcooked pasta becomes flabby, so make sure to pay attention to it at all times.

Special Equipment for Pasta
Pasta machines are a great tool that will reduce the time you invest in making pasta. You can go for a hand operated machine that clamps to a work surface (table). You manually crank the dough through rollers until you get the pasta thinness you were after. A bit limited in pasta type production, hand operated pasta machines will still produce the most popular pasta types: spaghetti, taglierini, and lasagna. The main disadvantage with such machines is that you need to prepare the dough yourself.

Motorized pasta machines don’t require you to prepare the dough – simply poor in the ingredients and the machine will handle the rest. You can choose different nozzles and make cylindrical types of pasta such as penne. Attachments for making other pasta types are also available.

People in Pasta
Pasta has evolved beyond a simple meal – it’s a tradition, even a cult. There are chefs that dedicate their entire careers to making heavenly pasta and inventing new recipes and combinations. The large variety of pasta types and sauces makes this particular dish one of the most complex ones in cooking history. Pasta cooking competitions are common in many countries around the world and amateur to professional cooks participate in such events.