Why do we prefer a particular pasta brand over the other? Why some pasta tastes better than others? What makes us so picky about a specific brand of pasta? When the ingredients are the same and the process to make pasta is no different, what makes a particular brand so extraordinaire? It’s the texture and the kind of extruders used to make instant pasta that makes all the difference. It is the right texture that imparts the real flavour to any dish. To provide an extraordinary experience for your guests, you must buy the best quality pasta. And to deduce that, cross-check these parameters when you boil the next batch of pasta.
The firmness of cooked pasta
The stickiness of cooked pasta
The flexibility of boiled pasta
The shelf life of cooked pasta
If your regular pasta doesn’t match these parameters, then it’s time to plan another visit to the grocery store for a good quality pasta packet.
Let’s see how to texture variance can produce good quality pasta and enhance the culinary pleasure of the consumer:
Dyes:
Dried pasta is often extruded from dies to withhold the desired shape. The characteristic and quality of dye strongly affect the appearance of pasta surface. While most brands use cheap and affordable Teflon dye, only the premium brands use brass and bronze dyes. Such dies provide a rough texture on the surface of the pasta, unlike the shiny surface due to Teflon extruding. A rough surface marries the pasta sauce perfectly and harmoniously, thus enhancing the flavour of the dish multifold. Therefore, it is always advisable to go for brands that use either bronze or brass dies in the extruding process.
The Slower, the Better:
As they say, 'Time is Money.' This phrase stands aptly with dried pasta. Premium brands ensure that their pasta is dried in an artisan way i.e., slowly and steadily. Rapid and quick-drying damages the flavour of the finished pasta. Drying time and technique exacerbate the impact of grain quality and extrusion. Slow drying technique not only results in a robust outcome but also enhances the flavour. Such pasta hold their shape better and for a longer time.
Better Grain:
While anybody can make pasta using some basic ingredients, but making a good quality pasta is an art. It requires the use of right ingredients, understanding of the process, time, and skill. And pasta is good only when it has a rough texture. A textured pasta can only be made using durum wheat semolina. When this flour is mixed with water, the proteins present in the flour give rise to a stronger water bonding, resulting in a firmer dough.
Moreover, semolina flour is rich in minerals and fibre making it a preferred choice for kids pasta. Pasta made using all-purpose flour may not give the same results, as desired. Such pasta may appear shiny and silky, which won’t hold the shape for long after boiling.
Obtaining the right texture is absolutely necessary as the textural properties are a critical dimension to quality and consumer acceptance. As the Italian Chefs emphasize that the point of pasta dish is always the pasta itself, not the sauce. If your hero product is strong, it will anyway result in a beautiful outcome. Therefore, only trust the right quality of pasta for a fantastic pasta dinner.