All About Pasta

Pasta Facts and Nutritional Value

Some valuable tips to note about pasta.

Whether you eat fresh or dry pasta, they have the same nutritional value. They are low in fat and calories and hence will not result in weight gain. It is the sauce and other ingredients that are added to pasta make the difference. Rich in carbohydrate, it provides long term energy. The athletes find the necessary strength they require to be fit for sports. The pasta has all the essential elements to satisfy all appetites.

What is a “superior quality of pasta”?

Superior quality defines pasta which is elaborated from semolina made of selected variety of durum wheat known for their technological value (rich in proteins, absence from vegetative defects and color). The thickness of the seeds of this semolina varies from 0.2 a 0.5 mm. Inferior quality pasta will have a slightly grayish or dark brown color and will contain small dots inside. This can be the result of poor quality of wheat and manufacturing techniques.

What gives the color of pasta?

Different ingredients are used to achieve the colors of pasta. Red orange pasta is tinted with dried tomato powder or concentrated tomatoes. The spinach or Swiss chard finely chopped gives the green pasta color. The brown color comes from the mushrooms. Black or rose, it’s the juice from cuttlefish or the beetroot.

How many categories of pasta?

More than 300 varieties of pasta can be found in Italy. Here are four main categories that it can be classified under: Long Pasta: Spaghettis, tagliatelles, capellini, bucatini, pappardelles, fusilli bucati, lasagne, lasagnette. Short Pasta: Farfalle, penne rigate, macaroni, coquillettes, fusilli, conchiglie. Pasta for the soup: Vermicelli, stars, alphabets, rice noodles. Stuffed Pasta: cannelloni, ravioli, tortelloni, agnolotti.

What varies the cooking time for pasta?

The cooking time depends on the form and thickness of the pasta and also the degree of limestone present in your cooking water. Hence it may take anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes depending on whether it is vermicelli pasta or lasagne.

Do we need to cook our pasta “al dente”?

In Italian expression “al dente” means cooked enough to be tender crisp and crunchy, that it still resists to the bite but well cooked at the same time. It has a better taste and mixes easily with sauces and easy to digest.

Do we need to put oil in the cooking water for pasta?

No, in the case of dry pasta because they are covered with a thick greasy film preventing them from absorbing the sauce: it tends to float on the surface of the pasta. On the other hand, if you add one table spoon of white vinegar in the cooking water, it will prevent from the pasta sticking between them. I hope that you have gained some knowledge about pasta. Be sure to visit our site as we will be adding interesting simple easy pasta recipes..