All about Pasta

WHAT SHAPES PAIR WITH WHAT SAUCE
Short Smooth Pasta- (Penne) Good for creamy and tomato sauces because of their slippery texture. Not a good candidate for chunky sauces because the smooth texture can't grasp anything chunky.

Ridged Pasta- (Penne Rigati -ridges on it, Fusilli, or Bowtie) Pairs well with sauces that contain chunky items like meat or vegetables. The nooks catch the sauce and chunky items.

Tiny Pasta-(Pastene and Dilitali) Great bite size pastas for soups and stews.

Long Pasta- (Spaghetti and Linguine) Good choice for butter or oil sauce because it has a large surface area to equally distribute the sauce.

WHAT DEFINES A GOOD PASTA

Quality of ingredients- Fresh authentic pasta is made only with the finest Durum Wheat ground into Semolina. The use of fresh eggs and the quality of water makes a difference. The minerals in the water affects the taste of the pasta. A good pasta maker will use a fresh water supply verses city water.

Drying Time- Longer drying time means more nutritional value and a stronger flavor due to fermentation.

Bronze Dies- Using bronze dies to make different pasta shapes offer the best texture for pasta. The roughness of the dough allows the noodle to adhere to the sauce.

MY EXPERIMENT

I was so excited after seeing a recipe for homemade pasta. The magazine made it look so easy. I decided that for Christmas I was going to get myself a homemade pasta machine. In fact, I couldn't even wait for Christmas. I dragged my husband to Bed Bath and Beyond and pleaded with him to buy it now and I would just stick it under the tree. Well when we got home he knew that it wouldn't last under the tree. He looked at me and said," go ahead...I know you want to use it now". So I ripped it open and began making my own pasta dough. I couldn't decide on one particular recipe so I decided to make all of them. This way I could experiment and compare what ingredients made a difference in the dough. I made dough with just Semolina flour, dough with half Semolina and half White flour, dough with eggs and dough without eggs. I made it all! By the end of the MANY MANY HOURS I spent I had a few conclusions.
1. It was a lot harder than the magazine looked.
2. It took way more time than I thought.
3. It is an art. I could NOT produce ONE shape that cooked well.
4. The more ingredients I added to the dough resulted in lighter and less tasteful pasta. A consistency similar to frozen ravioli you purchase in the store.
5. Dough made with only Semolina was tougher and heartier. It withstood the cooking process without becoming gummy or soggy and the dough itself actually had a flavor..

WITH THAT SAID!!!! I retired my pasta machine and vowed never to make another batch of pasta because it required talent and it was just too much work. So the next step I decided that I would test out REAL ARTISAN PASTA.. And that is where I met Steve (owner of Fede pasta in Pennsylvania). Steve was generous to send me a HUGE package of Artisan Pasta to sample.
THIS WAS THE REAL DEAL. Beautiful shapes, bright color and hearty. I was so excited that I made pasta instantly..... I was in for a nice surprise.. IT WAS BETTER THAN MINE..lol
I noticed a real difference in the pasta. Not only was it heartier, but the pasta had FLAVOR... Next time you wonder what I am saying, taste a store bought noodle and tell me if it has taste. This was new to me. This artisan pasta gave a whole new meaning to pasta. The pasta itself became the focus of the meal and not the sauce. Now I am rethinking what a pasta dish really is-a simple sauce and a good plate of homemade pasta. Artisan Pasta is certainly a fun and unique experience. Since you know I am a meal planner, I highly recommend getting some Artisan Pasta from Fede and making a SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER.

****Remember fresh pasta needs refrigeration and only takes a few minutes to cook...Look for some new Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas...

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