I’ve never yet met a person who didn’t like pasta. It should be no surprise since most people favor Italian food over any international cuisine. Beyond spaghetti, what do you know about pasta?
We know a few things off the bat. It is available in different shapes and sizes. Some are short, some are tubular, and some are long and round, while others are long and flat.
There are the common types that we know such as farfalle (bow ties), penne, and angel hair. But have you ever heard of pater nostri? That is a pasta which looks like a ring – like calamari. What about festosi? That’s a short pasta with lots of ridges. It reminds me of tripe.
Some of the odd shapes might be more likely to be found in a “gourmet section” of a grocery store.
We won’t list all the different types of pasta here, the list would be way too long – but you get the idea.
Types of Pasta Flour
What has fascinated me for a long time now, is the wide array of various ingredients which are used to make pasta – and the history behind it, which I have to say is difficult to find research on the topic.
Fact is, centuries ago, most pasta was not made with white flour. It was often made with various flours such as quinoa, spelt flour and even ingredients like chick peas. That’s right – pasta made from chick pea flour.
Three Most Common Types of Pasta Flour
However the most commonly used pasta flours are made either with semolina flour, whole wheat flour or unbleached white flour.
Semolina flour however is made from hard durum wheat and contains a high amount of gluten which helps it become more elastic for creating various shapes and sizes.
Pasta Egg Dough
Some pastas use egg in the dough. You won’t find pasta with egg in the regular pasta aisle at a store. You would want to look for the frozen section where the “fresh” pasta is stored. Since it has egg as an ingredient the shelf life is shorter. So naturally, the pasta will most likely be fresher than a boxed shelf variety.
Do a test someday and buy some fresh pasta and buy some boxed pasta. Cook up a nice bowl of pasta and see if you can taste a difference. I bet you will.
Pasta Colors
It is a colorful world when it comes to pasta. You can have lots of fun in this area especially when making pasta at home. Green pasta is typically a result of spinach. Red is a result of using tomato paste and carrots or both.
Liven up your dinners and have fun with your pasta!
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