dried pasta

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:00:37 -0400, "elaine" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'd been saving this stuff, 'cause it looked pretty and was in the shape of
shells.

Not just that, it was way more expensive than other pasta I had bought.

So I cooked it. Guess what, it tastes like all the other dried pasta I
have. I'm guessing that all the dried stuff, regardless of the shape
probably tastes exactly the same. e.

If it's plain, you're right. If it's not plain, they still are pretty
much the same. Were these big shells that should have been stuffed?
Sorry you paid so much for such a big disappointment.
--

History is a vast early warning system
Norman Cousins

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd been saving this stuff, 'cause it looked pretty and was in the shape

of

Quoted message said:

shells.

Not just that, it was way more expensive than other pasta I had bought.

So I cooked it. Guess what, it tastes like all the other dried pasta I
have. I'm guessing that all the dried stuff, regardless of the shape
probably tastes exactly the same. e.

That's how it goes. Provided it is made from quality wheat (eg durum)
except for the larger more fragile shapes (eg canelloni) there is no
particular reason to pay more for it.

You could always spray-can paint it with metallic paint and use it to dress
up gifts.

David

elaine said:

I'd been saving this stuff, 'cause it looked pretty and was in the shape of
shells.

Not just that, it was way more expensive than other pasta I had bought.

So I cooked it. Guess what, it tastes like all the other dried pasta I
have. I'm guessing that all the dried stuff, regardless of the shape
probably tastes exactly the same. e.

You can always make a necklace out of it. Sell them as tourist
gifts.

-sw

On Sep 16, 3:00 pm, "elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote:
[snip]

Quoted message said:

So I cooked it. Guess what, it tastes like all the other dried pasta I
have. I'm guessing that all the dried stuff, regardless of the shape
probably tastes exactly the same. e.

Well, yeah, for the most part. Traditional Italian dried pasta is
made of semolina durum flour, salt, water, no matter what shape it
takes. Commercially, some added vitamins, god knows why but they all
do it. So penne, spaghetti, linguine, fusili, all those other shapes
of dried pasta taste the same. Did you really expect something
different?

The theory is that different shapes are suited to different kinds of
sauces.

Nowadays some companies sell dried pasta made with whole wheat flour
or with a mixture of flours. These taste different from regular
semolina pasta -- worse, to my taste.

Asian noodles, on the other hand, don't much go in for fancy shapes
but different flours will be used, such as wheat flour, rice flour,
or buckwheat flour. So they taste different.... -aem

aem said:

Well, yeah, for the most part. Traditional Italian dried pasta is
made of semolina durum flour, salt, water, no matter what shape it
takes. Commercially, some added vitamins, god knows why but they all
do it. So penne, spaghetti, linguine, fusili, all those other shapes
of dried pasta taste the same. Did you really expect something
different?

Supposedly the biggest difference is in the dies used to shape
the pasta. They affect the texture and how well the sauce
adheres to the pasta.

Sounds pretty silly to me, too. But the Italians take great
price in their die-making processes.

-sw

Quoted message said:

You can always make a necklace out of it. Sell them as tourist
gifts.

-sw

You can probably sell them for a premium if you paint them first.
--
Queenie

*** Be the change you wish to see in the world ***

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd been saving this stuff, 'cause it looked pretty and was in the shape
of shells.

Not just that, it was way more expensive than other pasta I had bought.

So I cooked it. Guess what, it tastes like all the other dried pasta I
have. I'm guessing that all the dried stuff, regardless of the shape
probably tastes exactly the same. e.

Well, yeah. Pasta is pretty much made of the same ingredients unless you
buy one of the gluten free ones like rice, corn, potato or quinoa based.
Most of the rest is made of wheat, or whole wheat, with or without eggs.
Some has a bit of spinach, tomato or other foods added, mostly for color.
So little is added that it doesn't affect the flavor much. You can get
pasta with garlic. I suppose that would taste different.

Mainly the reason for the different shapes of pasta is the feeling on the
teeth and the way it holds the sauce. For really robust or thick sauces you
want a pasta that is fairly thick with a large shape. Pasta with lots of
nooks and crannies allow the sauce to seep in.

Thinner pastas such as angel hair are best with lighter sauces.

Tiny shapes are best for things like soup or mixing into other things. For
example, my husband's family makes an Easter Pie that calls for ditallini.
It's a very tiny pasta shape and it blends in easily with the eggs, meats
and cheeses in the pie. Once baked, you don't realize there is pasta in
there.

Macaroni is probably one of the most versatile shapes. It's hollow so it
allows sauce to seep through it. It's small enough to be used in soup, but
large enough to be used in pasta salads.

Some people just prefer certain shapes. I happen to like Farfalle (bowties)
because they are thick and if not overcooked can be nicely chewy. I hate
overcooked pasta.

"elaine" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd been saving this stuff, 'cause it looked pretty and was in the shape
of shells.

Not just that, it was way more expensive than other pasta I had bought.

So I cooked it. Guess what, it tastes like all the other dried pasta I
have. I'm guessing that all the dried stuff, regardless of the shape
probably tastes exactly the same. e.

Were that only true. There's a lot of variation in pasta, depending on
what's in it, how it was extruded and how it was dried. Taste varies, but
also how sauce reacts with it.

Great dried pasta, at least here in Italy, isn't a factor of just price,
though. Some expensive is very ordinary and some cheap is very, very good.
You were just unlucky with that buy.

--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

Giusi said...

Quoted message said:

Great dried pasta, at least here in Italy, isn't a factor of just price,
though. Some expensive is very ordinary and some cheap is very, very
good. You were just unlucky with that buy.

Homemade is better and way more fun!

DOWN WITH DRY!!!

Or not,

Andy

"Andy" <q> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Giusi said...

Quoted message said:

Great dried pasta, at least here in Italy, isn't a factor of just price,
though. Some expensive is very ordinary and some cheap is very, very
good. You were just unlucky with that buy.

Homemade is better and way more fun!

DOWN WITH DRY!!!

Or not,

Andy

They are just different things, Andy. There are exquisite dishes that
cannot be made with egg pasta.

It's not that one is better just that they taste different and are used
differently.

--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

Giusi said...

Quoted message said:

"Andy" <q> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Giusi said...

Quoted message said:

Great dried pasta, at least here in Italy, isn't a factor of just

price,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

though. Some expensive is very ordinary and some cheap is very, very
good. You were just unlucky with that buy.

Homemade is better and way more fun!

DOWN WITH DRY!!!

Or not,

Andy

They are just different things, Andy. There are exquisite dishes that
cannot be made with egg pasta.

It's not that one is better just that they taste different and are used
differently.

I've never made egg pasta.

I DO buy dry pasta, rotini, extra-wide egg noodles, orzo and spaghetti.

Andy

aem said:

Well, yeah, for the most part. Traditional Italian dried pasta is
made of semolina durum flour, salt, water, no matter what shape it
takes. Commercially, some added vitamins, god knows why but they all
do it.

Not here in Italy, there must a vitamin hype down there. I'd substitute
"italian looking" for "italian", there.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

Julie Bove said:

Mainly the reason for the different shapes of pasta is the feeling on
the teeth and the way it holds the sauce. For really robust or thick
sauces you want a pasta that is fairly thick with a large shape. Pasta
with lots of nooks and crannies allow the sauce to seep in.

Exactly.

Quoted message said:

Thinner pastas such as angel hair are best with lighter sauces.

Or in good broth.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

elaine said:

Guess what, it tastes like all the other dried pasta I
have. I'm guessing that all the dried stuff, regardless
of the shape probably tastes exactly the same. e.

No, I've bought premium-priced dried pasta that
was absolutely dreadful. Much worse than cheap
generic brands. There was a sickly sweet sort
of odor, which was not boiled out when it was
cooked. It seemed like the odor came from the
packaging (a cardboard tray inside the transparent
envelope). I wrote a letter to the company,
but never heard back from them. They did remove
the tray in later releases of the product, but
I believe they have since gone out of business.
Perhaps they never knew why nobody ever bought
their product a second time. They'd have had
a basis for a lawsuit, before the statute of
limitations ran out. Idiots.

elaine said:

I'd been saving this stuff, 'cause it looked pretty and was in the shape of
shells.

Not just that, it was way more expensive than other pasta I had bought.

So I cooked it. Guess what, it tastes like all the other dried pasta I
have. I'm guessing that all the dried stuff, regardless of the shape
probably tastes exactly the same. e.

You can make home made pasta with herbs and spices and various flours,
spinach, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, and such, that it really does have a
unique flavour. Durham wheat pasta is IMO much better than white flour
pasta.

I prefer the conchgili (shells) for the ease of consuming them, the way
the hold sauce and dont mind that they, at least the larger ones, take a
bit longer to cook than ordinary commercial, dried spaghetti.

Fettucini Romano Ala Fratelli
-----------------------------

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

3 Cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 Cup White wine

3/4 Cup Half−and−half

1 Cup Romano cheese, grated

1 pound dry spinach fettucini, Cooked

Chopped parsley for garnish

Add the olive oil to a hot 10" pan. Add the garlic, and saute over high
heat for about 1 minute.

Add the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes.

Add the half−and−half, and allow the sauce to come back to the simmer.

Add the Romano cheese, and stir until smooth, about 2 minutes.

To serve: Add the pasta to the pan and toss until coated. Portion onto
two plates, and garnish with some chopped parsley.
--
JL