Pasta

Pasta is a special kind of food made from a simple mix of wheat flour and water, or sometimes eggs. The dough is shaped into sheets or different forms and then cooked by boiling or baking. It comes from Italy, where people have been making it for a very long time — even as early as 400 BCE!

Originally, pasta was made only with a strong type of wheat called durum, but now there are many kinds, including those without gluten for people who need it. This makes pasta enjoyable for everyone.

Today, pasta is a key part of Italian meals and is loved all around the world for its tasty and easy-to-make dishes.

Categories of pasta

Pastas can be grouped into two main types: dried (Italian: pasta secca) and fresh (Italian: pasta fresca). Most dried pasta is made in factories using a special process, but you can also make it at home. Fresh pasta is usually made by hand, sometimes with simple tools, and store-bought fresh pasta is made in big machines.

Both dried and fresh pastas come in many shapes and types, with over 300 known forms and more than 1,300 names! In Italy, the same pasta shape can have different names depending on where you are. Pasta dishes are usually served in three ways: with a sauce (pasta asciutta), in a soup (pasta in brodo), or baked in the oven (pasta al forno). Pasta dishes can be small meals or big dinners, and the sauces can be different colors and textures.

Types of pasta

Pasta comes in many shapes and sizes. Some pasta is long, like spaghetti, while other types are short, like penne. There are also tubes, flat sheets, and tiny shapes that are perfect for soup. Some pasta is made to be filled with ingredients like meat or vegetables.

Long pasta is often made by rolling and cutting dough. It works best with thin sauces so that big pieces of meat or vegetables don’t stick to the pasta. Short pasta is usually made by pushing the dough through a machine, and it holds thicker sauces better because of its shape. Stuffed pasta is folded to keep fillings inside.

Etymology

The word pasta first appeared in English in the 1830s. It comes from the Italian word pasta, which itself comes from the Latin word pasta. The Latin word was a version of an Ancient Greek word.

History

See also: Noodle § History, and Testaroli § History

Evidence shows that people in Italy were making pasta as far back as 400 BCE. The first clear records of pasta in Italy appear in the 13th or 14th centuries. Early writers described sheets of fried dough, which were a everyday food. Later, recipes included layers of dough filled with meat, a early version of lasagna.

Historians have found many old words for pasta, showing it was known in different places and times. For example, a 9th-century Arab doctor described string-like shapes made from wheat flour. By the 12th century, pasta was being made and sold in Sicily.

Some people believe the explorer Marco Polo brought pasta from China, but this is just a story. Food experts think pasta likely spread to Italy through trade in the Middle Ages. By the 14th century, pasta dishes were being written about more often across Italy. In the 14th and 15th centuries, dried pasta became popular because it was easy to store and transport.

Pasta factories began in the 1600s, and by the 1800s, new machines made pasta production faster and cheaper. Today, pasta is made all over the world and is a common food in many countries. In 2008, people in Italy ate about 27 kg (60 lb) of pasta each year, much more than people in other places.

Ingredients and preparation

Pasta is made from simple ingredients like flour and water or eggs. In Italy, different types of wheat flour are used — strong wheat in the south and softer wheat in the north. Other grains like barley, buckwheat, rice, and even beans can also be used to make pasta.

For people who can't eat gluten, pasta can be made from rice or corn flour. Sometimes, extra ingredients like vegetable purees, cheeses, herbs, and spices are added to give pasta different flavors. When pasta is made at home, it usually starts with cracking eggs into a pile of flour, mixing everything together, kneading it into a ball, rolling it out thin, and then cutting it into shapes.

Varieties

See also: List of pasta

• Long pasta
• Short pasta
• Minute pasta pastina, used for soups
• Pasta all'uovo (lit. 'egg pasta')
• Fresh pasta
• Pasta for pasta al forno (lit. 'baked pasta') dishes

Fresh

Fresh pasta is often made locally with fresh ingredients. It is usually made with eggs and special flour, making it softer and quicker to cook than dried pasta. Because it cooks faster, lighter sauces are best to let the pasta shine.

Fresh pasta does not get bigger when cooked, so you need about 0.7 kg (1.5 lb) to serve four people well. It can be cut into different widths, like fettuccine or lasagne, and is often served with meat, cheese, or vegetables to make filled pastas such as ravioli, tortellini, and cannelloni. This type of pasta is famous in the Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna regions of northern Italy, where it is made with just egg yolk and flour for a special taste and texture. In Apulia, fresh pasta might be made without eggs, using only semolina flour and water, shaped into orecchiette or cavatelli. In Sicily, a different kind of fresh pasta called cavatelli is popular, made with flour and ricotta cheese.

Dried

Dried pasta is often made in factories because it is produced in large amounts. It can be shipped far away and lasts longer. To make dried pasta, you need semolina flour and water. Eggs can be added for extra flavor, but they are not required. Unlike fresh pasta, dried pasta must be dried slowly at a low temperature for several days to remove all the moisture, which helps it store for a long time. Dried pasta tastes great in hearty dishes like ragù sauces, soups, and casseroles. When cooked, dried pasta usually grows to about twice its original size, so about 0.5 kg (1 lb) is enough to serve four people.

Culinary uses

See also: List of pasta dishes

Cooking

Pasta, whether dry or fresh, is cooked in hot water before eating. For Italian pasta, which does not have salt, salt is added to the cooking water. This is different from Asian wheat noodles like udon and lo mein, which are made from salty dough.

In Italy, pasta is often cooked until it is al dente, meaning it is still a little firm. This is because it is usually cooked a little more in the sauce, which makes it softer.

There are many myths about the best way to cook pasta. It does not matter much if you cook it at a lower or higher temperature, though lower temperatures may need more stirring to keep it from sticking. It also does not matter if you add salt before or after the water boils. The amount of salt does not change how fast the pasta cooks.

Common ingredients for cooking Italian pasta include tomatoes, cheese, and olive oil.

Sauce

Pasta is usually served with a sauce, and the sauce and pasta type are chosen to go well together. Italian cooking varies by region. Northern Italian cooking uses less tomato, garlic, and herbs, and béchamel sauce is more common. Lighter tomato sauces are found in Trentino-Alto Adige and Emilia-Romagna. In Bologna, the meat-based Bolognese sauce uses a small amount of tomato, and a green sauce called pesto comes from Genoa. In central Italy, there are sauces such as tomato sauce, amatriciana, arrabbiata, and carbonara.

Tomato sauces are also used in southern Italian cooking, where they began. In southern Italy, pasta is often served with fresh vegetables, olives, capers, or seafood. Examples include pasta alla Norma, pasta con i peperoni cruschi, pasta con le sarde, spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, and spaghetti alla puttanesca.

Pasta can also be served in broth (pastina), or stuffed pasta like tortellini, cappelletti, and agnolini, or in vegetable soup such as minestrone or bean soup (pasta e fagioli).

Processing

Making pasta dough uses ingredients like semolina flour, eggs, salt, and water. The flour is piled up, and a well is made in the center. Eggs are added to the well and mixed with the flour using a fork. Pasta can be shaped in many ways, with popular types including penne, spaghetti, and macaroni.

Kitchen pasta machines, also called pasta makers, are used by cooks making large amounts of fresh pasta. The cook feeds dough into the machine by hand and uses a hand crank to thin it out. On the last pass, the pasta can go through a "comb" to shape it as it comes out.

Durum wheat is ground into semolina flour, which is cleaned and mixed with warm water. The mixture is pressed into sheets or extruded. Spaghetti and linguine are cut with rotating blades, while penne and fusilli are shaped by extrusion. The size and shape of the extruder dies decide the final shape of the pasta, which is then dried at a high temperature.

Dried pasta is usually made from water and semolina flour, sometimes with eggs for color and richness, and may include vegetable juices, herbs, or spices for flavor. The dough is mixed, kneaded, and then flattened into sheets. Air bubbles and extra water are removed, and the dough is steamed to kill any bacteria. It is then shaped, dried under specific conditions, and packaged. Fresh pasta is sealed in airtight plastic containers with gases to keep it fresh, while dried pasta is packed in plastic or cardboard.

Gluten-free pasta uses substitutes like rice, corn, quinoa, amaranth, oats, and buckwheat flours. Other ingredients may include hydrocolloids, xanthan gum, or polysaccharide mixtures to improve texture and moisture retention.

Storage of pasta depends on whether it is cooked or uncooked. Uncooked pasta can stay in a cupboard for about a year if kept dry and cool. Cooked pasta should be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days, and adding a little oil helps prevent it from sticking. Cooked pasta can also be frozen for two to three months. Completely dried pasta can return to the cupboard for storage.

Science

Pasta has a special mix of molecules that aren’t in a strict order. When dried, pasta is very dry, about 12% moisture, so it stays hard until you cook it. After cooking, it becomes soft and chewy.

The main ingredient in pasta is semolina flour from durum wheat. This flour has tiny pieces that soak up water when heated, making the pasta thicker. Proteins in the wheat, especially gluten, help the dough stretch and form nice shapes when it’s made into pasta.

Before making pasta, the flour pieces are all different shapes and sizes. When mixed with water, they soak it up. The right amount of water makes the dough about 32% wet, which depends on the shape of the pasta.

When the dough goes through a machine, it’s pushed through a shaped opening. The heat and movement make the starch and proteins fit together nicely. Cooking pasta in boiling water changes it a lot—both the starch and proteins react to the water, making the pasta cook evenly.

Production and market

In 2015–16, the biggest makers of dried pasta were Italy (3.2 million tonnes), the United States (2 million tonnes), Turkey (1.3 million tons), Brazil (1.2 million tonnes) and Russia (1 million tons). By 2018, Italy led the world in selling pasta, earning $2.9 billion, with China next at $0.9 billion.

In 2015, the people who ate the most pasta per person lived in Italy (23.5 kg/person), Tunisia (16.0 kg/person), Venezuela (12.0 kg/person) and Greece (11.2 kg/person). The United States ate the most pasta overall in 2017, with 2.7 million tons.

Nutrition

When cooked, plain pasta is mostly water and contains carbohydrates, protein, and a little fat. A 100-gram portion of plain cooked pasta gives a moderate amount of energy and some manganese, but it does not have many other important nutrients.

Pasta usually does not have many nutrients, but it can be made better by adding extra nutrients or using whole grains. Pasta also causes a slower rise in blood sugar compared to many other common foods like bread, potatoes, and rice.

International adaptations

When pasta was shared around the world, different places found their own ways to enjoy it. Each country added its own flavors and cooking styles. For example, in Tunisia, pasta is often mixed with a special tomato sauce and spices, and served with meat or seafood. In Hong Kong, pasta might be found in a soup with ham, eggs, and vegetables, similar to local noodle dishes.

In Armenia, there is a special pasta called arishta that is toasted and then boiled, often topped with yogurt and butter. In Brazil and parts of South America, pasta comes in many local names and styles, mixing Italian traditions with new ideas. Each place makes pasta its own way, showing how this food fits into many different cultures.

Regulations

Italy

In Italy, making and selling pasta has many rules. There are four main types of pasta:

• Dried pasta: This is made only with a special kind of wheat called durum wheat and water. It can sometimes have a little bit of soft wheat flour too.
• Special pastas: These are like dried pasta but have extra ingredients, like spinach. They still must be made mostly with durum wheat.
• Egg pasta: This type must have at least four eggs for every kilogram of wheat. It is labeled clearly as egg pasta.
• Fresh and stabilized pastas: Fresh pasta must have at least 24% water and be kept very cold. Stabilized pasta can be kept at normal temperatures.

These rules only apply to pasta made and sold in Italy, not for pasta made in other countries or for restaurant use.

United States

In the United States, pasta rules come from both the government and some states. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set rules for what pasta can be called and what ingredients it can have. These rules cover 15 types of dried pasta, including what can be added to them.

Some states have their own rules too, often requiring pasta to have extra nutrients. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also has rules for pasta served in school meals, requiring it to have extra nutrients or to be made from whole grains.

Main article: Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Main article: Food and Drug Administration
Main article: United States Department of Agriculture