Types of Pasta – Facts and Trivia

pasta

As anyone cruising down the spaghetti aisle in a supermarket can attest, pasta comes in a large variety of shapes and sizes. The Italian word pasta comes from ‘paste,’ which refers to the mixture of wheat flour, egg, and water before it is kneaded into different forms. There are mainly two types of pasta—fresh and dried. While both can be found in almost any market, dried pasta is available in a huge array of shapes, while fresh pasta is available in a wider variety of flavors.

Fresh vs. Dried Pasta: Key Differences

Fresh pasta is usually found in the refrigerated or freezer section of a grocery store because it contains eggs. More delicate than dried pasta, fresh pasta is softer and requires a shorter cooking time, only swelling slightly during boiling. It is more difficult to store than dried pasta, as it must be used within three to four days if refrigerated and one to two months if frozen. Because fresh pasta contains eggs, it offers a higher nutritional content and better flavor than dried pasta. Common ingredients added to fresh pasta dough include spinach, garlic, herbs, tomato, and curry.
Dried pasta is very easy to store; it does not require refrigeration or freezing and can be stored in a pantry indefinitely. It is most often made with water, salt, and semolina flour—without eggs—and is fully dried before packaging. Dried pasta must be cooked for a longer time than fresh pasta and swells considerably during boiling. It has a firm texture even when cooked, so it works well with heavy sauces that contain meat or vegetables.

Pasta is made with flour, and the type of flour used can affect the flavor as well as the nutritional content of the pasta. The three most common types of flour used in pasta are semolina flour, unbleached white flour, and whole wheat flour. Semolina flour, ground from hard durum wheat, is typically used in dried pasta. It has a large amount of gluten, making the dough quite elastic, which lends itself well to shaping. Unbleached white flour is made from red winter wheat and produces a lighter dough that is very easy to work with. Whole wheat flour, which is becoming more popular as consumers look for healthier pasta options, is made from whole wheat grain. It produces a nuttier-tasting pasta with a heavier texture than pasta made with unbleached flour.

Fun Shapes and Uses of Pasta

Perhaps the most fun part of pasta is its availability in so many different forms. As a basic summary, there are shaped pastas, tubular pastas, ribbon pastas, strand pastas, stuffed pastas, and soup pastas. Some types are used for specific dishes (like lasagna noodles), while others can be used in many different recipes. Because dried pasta is made with flour that lends itself well to shaping, it is used for macaroni, bow-tie, rotini, snail, and wheel-shaped pastas. Other common dried pasta shapes include cavatelli, farfalle, fiori, gemelli, and rotelle. Dried pasta is also used to make tubular, strand, ribbon, and soup pasta.
Most commonly, fresh pasta is available in strand, ribbon, or stuffed forms. Strand pasta can be thick or thin, square or rounded, and even wavy. Thin strand pasta works well with delicate sauces, while thicker strands are suited for heavier sauces. Ribbon pasta comes in different widths and lengths. A popular ribbon pasta is the lasagna noodle; fresh or dried ribbon pasta can be used in lasagna, but cooking times differ between the two. Stuffed pasta is often made with fresh pasta that is filled with cheese, meats, herbs, and vegetables, then folded and sealed before cooking. Some stuffed pasta is formed into squares (like ravioli) or folded into triangles and twisted to make tortellini. While the flavor of the pasta dish is greatly influenced by the sauce used, a lighter sauce with an olive oil base will allow the flavor of the dough to come through.

Pasta is a very affordable dish that is consumed by families worldwide. A box of dried pasta can be purchased for under $1.00! Children love the different types of pasta—the spiral, wheel, and bow-tie shapes keep them interested and even make great materials for arts and crafts. First discovered centuries ago, pasta is a versatile food that can be included in many types of dishes with any meat or vegetable.

Remember during preparation that fresh pasta is more delicate and best suited for lighter sauces, while dried pasta is thicker and works well with heavier sauces. If you always eat the same type of pasta, get out there and try something new—there are too many types of pasta and sauces to enjoy just one kind!

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