Pasta

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Pasta

• Pasta is Italian for dough.
• Pasta is a starchy food made from shaped dough
  that includes flour and liquid.
• Pasta is typically cooked by boiling or
  simmering.
• Macaroni is another common name used to refer to
  pasta in general.

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• Macaroni is associated with Italian cuisine.
• Italian pasta is generally made with wheat.
• Asian-style, French, German pastas are more
  often known as noodles.
• Asian-style noodles are often made from beans or
  rice.

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Dumplings

• Dumplings are made from dough that is soft enough
  to drop into a pot of boiling water.
• Spaetzle is a popular Austrian German dumpling.
• Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling.
• Pierogi are Polish half-moon shaped dumplings
  with a sweet or savory filling and can be fried
  or boiled.

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• Fresh Pasta
• Dough is made of flour and water or eggs.
• Dough is soft enough to knead by hand, but stiff
  enough to hold a shape
• Fresh pasta should feel smooth and supple
• It should not be dry or crumbly
• It is rolled into thin sheets and cut into shapes
• Can be plain or seasoned for flavor and/or color
• Fettuccini or tagliatelli are ribbon shape pasta
• Asian-style pastas such as udon or lo mein can be
  purchased fresh
• Wrappers (Asian) are sold in squares, rounds,
  rectangles made from wheat or rice flour
• To keep fresh pasta from sticking, dust with
  cornstarch
• Keep fresh pasta in its packaging in the frig or
  freezer

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• Dried Pasta
• Also made of flour, water or eggs
• Dough is too stiff to shape by hand so a machine
  is used to create flat ribbon shapes
• The dough is extruded (pushed through an opening)
  in the machine to make special shapes such as
  elbow, macaroni, spagjettiand penne pastas.
• The shaped pasta is dried until hard brittle.
• Dry pasta should have an even color and break
  cleanly without bending.
• Italian-style pasta is made with semolina flour,
  pale yellow flour made from durum wheat.
• Durum is very hard wheat that has a high protein
  content and makes an elastic dough.

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• Rice, chickpeas, buckwheat, quino, millet are
  also used for pasta flour
• They are often used when people need a wheat or
  gluten free diet.
• Dry pasta can be flavored or colored.
• Pasta is sold in various sizes.
• Store in original packaging or in airtight
  moisture proof containers in a cool, dry place

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Preparing Pasta

• Fresh pasta is already moist so it cooks very
  quickly.
• Dry pasta takes longer to cook so it may be
  prepared ahead of time and then reheated in
  simmering water.
• To hold pasta for later, rinse or submerge in
  cold water, drain and mix with a little oil,
  place in container and refrigerate until needed.

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• Pasta is cooked al dente only until it gives a
  slight resistance when you bite it. Neither too
  soft nor too hard.
• Use at least 1 gallon of water for every pound of
  pasta.
• Add pasta to boiling water and stir until it is
  softened, submerged, and separated.
• Pasta is very versatile and is used in many
  dishes both hot and cold.
• Pasta is most often combined with a sauce.

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• Long, thin pasta is paired with a smooth, thin
  sauce that can cling to the past
• Spaghetti, alfredo
• Extruded tube-shaped pastas and pastas with
  wrinkles or ridges are most often paired with
  chunkier sauces
• Pasta can be added directly to the sauce and
  tossed. It is typically done in a saute pan over
  medium-high heat to insure it is hot
• Sauce can also be ladled over pasta. Pasta cools
  quickly, so make sure its hot.

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• When adding pasta to a baked dish, use slightly
  undercooked pasta. The pasta will finish cooking
  as it bakes.
• Lasagna is a layered pasta dish with layers of
  sauce, pasta, and filling.
• Pasta shells can be filled with various foods,
  including cheese, meats, seafood, and vegetables.
• Dried pasta is filled after is cooked.
• Fresh pasta is filled before its cooked.
• Ravioli and tortellini are Italian style filled
  pastas.

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• Ravioli is made by layering a filling between 2
  sheets of pasta and then cutting out filled
  squares, rounds or rectangles.
• Tortellini is made by cutting out circles or
  squares of fresh pasta, adding a filling, and
  then folding and twisting the dough to get a
  specific shape.
• Wontons are Chinese tortellini made with a fresh
  pasta wrapper.
• After fresh pasta is filled, simmer until tender
  and hot.

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Boiling Pasta

• Boil 1 gallon of water for every pound of pasta.
  Add 1 oz. of salt to each gal.
• Add pasta and stir.
• Cook until done. Dried pasta is cooked at a
  boil. Fresh and filled pasta is best when
  prepared in simmering water.
• Drain pasta.
• Serve immediately. If past is to be baked,
  reheated, or held slightly undercook it.