is essentially made out of flour, water, oil, eggs (could be without), seasoning and herbs. Mixed together to form a dough, then rolled thin and cut into different shapes (rectangles for lasagne, long narrow strips for spaghetti, and long flat strips for linguine...etc). These are the main traditional ingredients used in making Pasta, but of course there are other variations.
Pasta can be shaped in a variety of shapes. It can also be flavoured with an array of aromatics, herbs, and flavourings. It can be dried or fresh ready to be cooked in salted boiling water. Pasta has become popularly known as 'Italian-Pasta' but it is manufactured and used in many different cuisines in a variety of forms.
The industrial manufacturing of pasta replaced home-made pastas and made it available everywhere. Since then Pasta has become a part of many cuisines that have addopted this ingredient into their offerings. But the earliest known reference to Pasta is traced to Middle Ages Sicily and has been a basic food in Italy eversince, especially in Naples and Rome. Therefore the name "Italian Pasta".
Fresh Pasta is the same product as dried pasta, only it has not been hung - after rolling and cutting - on pasta hangers and left to dry. The hard form of pasta is used and cooked in the same manner as fresh pasta. The only difference is that it might require a few minutes longer to cook. However, dried Pasta has a longer shelf life, whereas fresh pasta has to be consumed within a few days.
A wide variety of ingredients could be used to flavour fresh or dried pasta some of which are vegetables such as spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and recently sweet potato. Herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary and sage are also used in flavouring pasta and so are some spices such as nutmeg, allspice and at times saffron!
The most traditional Flavouring ingredients used with Pasta are: Spinach and Tomato. But other ingredients can be used as well not only to flavour but also to colour Pasta! Beetroot for example gives pasta a strong colour a mild flavour, black pasta is essentially dies using squid ink, and green pasta comes from the use of spinach. This kind of treatment in colour and flavour is what allows you to create signature dishes that are unique from all the rest that are out there. Black Pasta is gorgeous and adds a dramatic touch to your plate. After all, when constructing a dish, colour is an important aspect to take into consideration; just as important as flavour and texture. It adds intrigue, appeals to the eye and makes a plate more interesting. The same applies to flavour of course. If you can incorporate pesto into the pasta dough, that will add a layer of flavouring and make your pasta way more interesting. This is why making your own pasta is far better than buying the ready made generic ones. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with buying pasta, we all do it, and there are very good quality "home-made" pastas in the market. But for more interesting pasta concoctions, and for a unique offering, making your own will definitely step up the play. It becomes a whole different bull game!
Pasta Categories and Names
The term 'Baked Pasta' refers to dishes that contain Pasta and are baked. The pasta in those dishes had to be boiled then assembled in a dish with the rest of the ingredients. These days manufacturers are producing baking pastas - like lasagne, tortiglioni, bucatini, conchiglie and caravattine - that do not need to be pre-boiled before baking. They can rather be stuffed or layered dry then baked in generous proportions of sauce. The liquids from the sauce, and being covered with foil at first to build steam, will all cook the pasta without the need to pre-cook.
Another dimension to pasta and just as important is stuffing. Stuffed pasta varieties include: Raviolli, Tortellini, Tortelloni as well as Agnolotti, Cappelleti, Cannelloni, Lumache, and Manicotti ...etc. Some will be available stuffed dried or fresh. Others will have to be boiled then stuffed by you. Stuffing may consist of cheeses, vegetables and |Or meats. Obviously, the ready stuffed ones cannot even compare to those made at home! The work, the patience and creativity that goes into making your own stuffing makes it way better than the generic, and usually poor manufacturer's stuffing.
Another variety of pastas, just as important as all the previous ones are 'Soup Pastas'. These are fairly small in size and are added to soups towards the end of cooking. These mini pastas have also become very famous in Salads. Soup Pastas include: Vermicelli, Linguine, Pennette, Stelline, Risoni, Anellini and Conchigliette.
Cooking and Serving
Pasts is cooked in a large pan relatively filled with water, a dash of oil and salt. This is the basic way of cooking Pasta. However; you can add flavouring to the boiling water for the desired effect. You can use freshly cracked black pepper, herbs, spices, garlic, Parmesan shavings...etc to flavour the boiling water, which will eventually mildly flavour the pasta. The pasta needs to be able to move freely in the boiling water, therefore use a big pot and enough water so that it does not become to starchy and sticky. But you do not need massive amounts of water to cook your pasta in. A general rule of thumb is that the pasta must be sealed with the boiling water. Long pastas like spaghetti need to be gradually pushed into the water. You will put the pasta in the pot and wait till it softens up a little, then push a bit more, and so on until its cooked.
The perfect doneness of pasta is called 'Al dente'; which is when the pasta is no longer hard to chew, yet still chewey, firm and holding shape. Do not over cook pasta till it is too soft and loses shape. The cooking time depends on the quality of the pasta, its size and the amount cooked. As a general guide (but do check your pasta while cooking to make sure): Dried Vermicelli takes 4-5 mins; Long Pastas like Spaghetti take 11-12 mins; and large pastas take 15 mins. Timing begins when the water returns to boiling after the pasta had been added. fresh pastas on the other hand need far less time, could take 3-5 minutes.
When using Pasta in a salad; immediately wash it with cold water after it's finished cooking. drizzle with Olive Oil so it doesn't stick as its cooling down. If the Pasta is to be served hot, drain after cooking has finished, and do not rinse, and add the sauce its served with immediately and serve hot. One trick to make the sauce stick to pasta is to add a ladle of the pasta boiling water to the sauce. The starches released into the boiling water will act as adhesives allowing the sauce to stick to the pasta.
There is a huge vriety of sauces to be served with pastas. Many are tomato based, but there is also white sauce, flavoured white sauces, browned or burnt butter sauces, creams, cheese sauces, bolognaise, milanaise...etc. Pasta dishes often include meats, fish, shellfish, ham...etc. They are often served with herbs, cheeses, vegetables...etc. Fillings include: Meat, Spinach with white sauce and cheese, mushrooms, sausages, livers...etc.
Pasta is usually served as an Entrée, but could also be served as a side to a main dish or as main at times.
Pastas and Their Commonly Used Names:
1.Campanelle
2. Mini Bow Ties
3. Gnocchi
4. Spaghetti
5. Manicotti
6. Penne
7. Ravioli
8. Linguine
9. Fine Egg Noodles
10. Mafalda
11. Orzo (rosamarina)
12. Fusilli
13. CousCous
14. Small Shell Macaroni
15. Rotini
16. Capellini
17. Wide Egg Noodles
18. lumache
19. Long Ziti
20. Capellini (angel Hair)
21. Lasagne Noodles
22. Ziti
23. Ruote (Wagon Wheel Macaroni)
24. Cavatappi
25. Acini di peppe
26. Mafalda
27. Gemelli
28. Tortellini (tortelloni is the same but larger)
29. Ditalini (tiney Thimbles)
30. Rigatoni
31. Vermicelli
32. Cavatelli
33. Fettuccine
34. Nested Vermicelli (Nested Spaghetti)
Forms, Shapes and Flavours
There are many forms of Pasta. Most are categorised as Italian or Oriental. The Italian variety is classically Wheat-based. The Oriental Pasta, on the other hand, is made out of different flours and starches and is usually long strips of pasta, known as noodles. There is a good range of Italian pasta that is non-wheat based and made with other flours instead. These are mainly for health food markets in order to cater for those who are wheat intolerant for instance, or eliminating wheat products from their diets. Whole-wheat and Buckwheat are to name a few, but with the increased interest in grains and other starches, nowadays you can find many varieties. |
| Basil |
The industrial manufacturing of pasta replaced home-made pastas and made it available everywhere. Since then Pasta has become a part of many cuisines that have addopted this ingredient into their offerings. But the earliest known reference to Pasta is traced to Middle Ages Sicily and has been a basic food in Italy eversince, especially in Naples and Rome. Therefore the name "Italian Pasta".
Fresh Pasta is the same product as dried pasta, only it has not been hung - after rolling and cutting - on pasta hangers and left to dry. The hard form of pasta is used and cooked in the same manner as fresh pasta. The only difference is that it might require a few minutes longer to cook. However, dried Pasta has a longer shelf life, whereas fresh pasta has to be consumed within a few days.
A wide variety of ingredients could be used to flavour fresh or dried pasta some of which are vegetables such as spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and recently sweet potato. Herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary and sage are also used in flavouring pasta and so are some spices such as nutmeg, allspice and at times saffron!
The most traditional Flavouring ingredients used with Pasta are: Spinach and Tomato. But other ingredients can be used as well not only to flavour but also to colour Pasta! Beetroot for example gives pasta a strong colour a mild flavour, black pasta is essentially dies using squid ink, and green pasta comes from the use of spinach. This kind of treatment in colour and flavour is what allows you to create signature dishes that are unique from all the rest that are out there. Black Pasta is gorgeous and adds a dramatic touch to your plate. After all, when constructing a dish, colour is an important aspect to take into consideration; just as important as flavour and texture. It adds intrigue, appeals to the eye and makes a plate more interesting. The same applies to flavour of course. If you can incorporate pesto into the pasta dough, that will add a layer of flavouring and make your pasta way more interesting. This is why making your own pasta is far better than buying the ready made generic ones. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with buying pasta, we all do it, and there are very good quality "home-made" pastas in the market. But for more interesting pasta concoctions, and for a unique offering, making your own will definitely step up the play. It becomes a whole different bull game!
Pasta Categories and Names
The term 'Baked Pasta' refers to dishes that contain Pasta and are baked. The pasta in those dishes had to be boiled then assembled in a dish with the rest of the ingredients. These days manufacturers are producing baking pastas - like lasagne, tortiglioni, bucatini, conchiglie and caravattine - that do not need to be pre-boiled before baking. They can rather be stuffed or layered dry then baked in generous proportions of sauce. The liquids from the sauce, and being covered with foil at first to build steam, will all cook the pasta without the need to pre-cook.
Another dimension to pasta and just as important is stuffing. Stuffed pasta varieties include: Raviolli, Tortellini, Tortelloni as well as Agnolotti, Cappelleti, Cannelloni, Lumache, and Manicotti ...etc. Some will be available stuffed dried or fresh. Others will have to be boiled then stuffed by you. Stuffing may consist of cheeses, vegetables and |Or meats. Obviously, the ready stuffed ones cannot even compare to those made at home! The work, the patience and creativity that goes into making your own stuffing makes it way better than the generic, and usually poor manufacturer's stuffing.
Another variety of pastas, just as important as all the previous ones are 'Soup Pastas'. These are fairly small in size and are added to soups towards the end of cooking. These mini pastas have also become very famous in Salads. Soup Pastas include: Vermicelli, Linguine, Pennette, Stelline, Risoni, Anellini and Conchigliette.
Cooking and Serving
Pasts is cooked in a large pan relatively filled with water, a dash of oil and salt. This is the basic way of cooking Pasta. However; you can add flavouring to the boiling water for the desired effect. You can use freshly cracked black pepper, herbs, spices, garlic, Parmesan shavings...etc to flavour the boiling water, which will eventually mildly flavour the pasta. The pasta needs to be able to move freely in the boiling water, therefore use a big pot and enough water so that it does not become to starchy and sticky. But you do not need massive amounts of water to cook your pasta in. A general rule of thumb is that the pasta must be sealed with the boiling water. Long pastas like spaghetti need to be gradually pushed into the water. You will put the pasta in the pot and wait till it softens up a little, then push a bit more, and so on until its cooked.
The perfect doneness of pasta is called 'Al dente'; which is when the pasta is no longer hard to chew, yet still chewey, firm and holding shape. Do not over cook pasta till it is too soft and loses shape. The cooking time depends on the quality of the pasta, its size and the amount cooked. As a general guide (but do check your pasta while cooking to make sure): Dried Vermicelli takes 4-5 mins; Long Pastas like Spaghetti take 11-12 mins; and large pastas take 15 mins. Timing begins when the water returns to boiling after the pasta had been added. fresh pastas on the other hand need far less time, could take 3-5 minutes.
When using Pasta in a salad; immediately wash it with cold water after it's finished cooking. drizzle with Olive Oil so it doesn't stick as its cooling down. If the Pasta is to be served hot, drain after cooking has finished, and do not rinse, and add the sauce its served with immediately and serve hot. One trick to make the sauce stick to pasta is to add a ladle of the pasta boiling water to the sauce. The starches released into the boiling water will act as adhesives allowing the sauce to stick to the pasta.
There is a huge vriety of sauces to be served with pastas. Many are tomato based, but there is also white sauce, flavoured white sauces, browned or burnt butter sauces, creams, cheese sauces, bolognaise, milanaise...etc. Pasta dishes often include meats, fish, shellfish, ham...etc. They are often served with herbs, cheeses, vegetables...etc. Fillings include: Meat, Spinach with white sauce and cheese, mushrooms, sausages, livers...etc.
Pasta is usually served as an Entrée, but could also be served as a side to a main dish or as main at times.
Pastas and Their Commonly Used Names:
1.Campanelle
2. Mini Bow Ties
3. Gnocchi
4. Spaghetti
5. Manicotti
6. Penne
7. Ravioli
8. Linguine
9. Fine Egg Noodles
10. Mafalda
11. Orzo (rosamarina)
12. Fusilli
13. CousCous
14. Small Shell Macaroni
15. Rotini
16. Capellini
17. Wide Egg Noodles
18. lumache
20. Capellini (angel Hair)
21. Lasagne Noodles
22. Ziti
23. Ruote (Wagon Wheel Macaroni)
24. Cavatappi
25. Acini di peppe
26. Mafalda
27. Gemelli
28. Tortellini (tortelloni is the same but larger)
29. Ditalini (tiney Thimbles)
30. Rigatoni
31. Vermicelli
32. Cavatelli
33. Fettuccine
34. Nested Vermicelli (Nested Spaghetti)
Noodles will soon be posted separately :)
Related Links that you might find interesting
- Understanding Sauces - A Background
- Spicy Clams and parsley Sauce Pasta
- Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
- Mushroom Fettuccini Alfredo
- Pasta with baked chicken, mushrooms and roasted garlic
- Tagliatelle with spinach and chicken in spicy tomato sauce
- Goats' Cheese Halloumi Pasta
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Home-made Italian Basil Pesto
Hope you have enjoyed this post, and found the information useful. Stay tuned for Home-made pasta recipe :)
Which is your favourite Pasta? Are you the tomato sauce type or do you prefer white sauces? Share with me, I love nothing more than hearing from you, leave me a comment ;)
0 comments:
Post a Comment