Pasta

Composition

• Pasta is made from semolina flour and water

• Rolled thin and formed into different shapes

• Available in enriched and whole wheat

• Some pastas are flavored with carrots, spinach, tomatoes, or

other foods

Shapes of Pasta

Shapes of Pasta

Alphabets - This favourite kids' shape is usually

used in soups for a fun meal anytime

Macaroni - Can be topped with any sauce,

baked, or put in soups, salads and stir-fry

dishes

Rotini ("Spirals" or "Twists") - Rotini's twisted

shape holds bits of meat, vegetables and

cheese, so it works well with any sauce

Pasta Shapes

There are more than 600 pasta shapes world wide

Wagon Wheels, Ruote ("Wheels") - Wagon

Wheels make interesting salads, casseroles and

stir-fry dishes. Add to soups, or simply top with

sauce and enjoy

Lasagne (From "lasanum," Latin for pot) - Create

new Lasagne casseroles by using chopped

vegetables, cheeses and any kind of sauce.

Rigatoni ("Large Grooved") - Rigatoni's ridges

and holes are perfect with any sauce, from cream or cheese to the chunkiest meat sauces

Jumbo Shells - Best when stuffed with your cheese, meat or vegetables.

Bow Ties, Farfalle ("Butterflies") - Bow Ties

brighten any meal with their interesting shape.

Thick enough for any sauce, or make into a salad

or soup

Spaghetti ("A Length of Cord“) - Spaghetti

Bolognese – The UK and USA’s favourite pasta

dish.

Noodles

• Basically pasta made with eggs

• Noodles have higher fat content and cholesterol due to eggs

Who Invented Pasta?

The Chinese, The Italians or the

Indians?

Who Invented Pasta?

The Chinese – Eaten pasta as far back at 5,000 BC.

The origins of 'macaroni' in Italy go back as far as the time

of the Ancient Romans who gave the credit to the 'Gods’

Italian Marco Polo brought it back to Italy from China in

the 13th Century A.D

watch a Video about – History of Pasta

How is Pasta Made?

1. Blending of flour and water

2. Kneading and mixing of the dough

3. Shaping the Dough

4.Drying

5. Packaging and Distribution

Why Is Pasta Good for Us?

Calories 189

Fat (g) 0.9

Dietary Fibre (g) 1.7

Protein (g) 6

Carbohydrate (g) 38

Cholesterol (mg) 0

1 Cup of Cooked pasta contains;

Which country eats the most pasta?

Cooking Pasta

• Cooked in a large amount of boiling water

• Boil water first, then add pasta

• Stir to prevent sticking together

• Cook to al dente – firm to the bite, yet tender

• Drain pasta in colander or strainer

Design a Pasta Dish

What shape of pasta you will use?

Shells, spaghetti

What ingredients you are going to add to the pasta?

Meat, vegetables, Sauce

Things about Pasta

In your group write down 5 things you can think of about pasta!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Carbonara spaghetti Note: a delicious, creamy first course that you can taste in Rome,

at the restaurants; but you can realize them at home too! Follow our suggestions.

Serves 4

Ingredients

•350 g (12 oz) Italian spaghetti •100 g (3 1/2 oz) bacon, cubed •2 eggs •4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil •Grated Pecorino cheese •Grated Parmesan cheese •4 tablespoons light cream (single cream) •Salt •Freshly ground pepper, if you like

Level: easy recipe

•Time: preparation: 5 minutes cooking: 20 minutes •The wine: Frascati Secco (a white wine from Italy)

Traditional recipe Cook spaghetti in a large kettle of boiling salted water

according to package directions, until al dente. Pasta

must be al dente because you have to finish cooking it in

the sauce.

In the meantime, simmer bacon in a wide frying pan with

the olive oil, stirring, until it browns on all sides.

Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, the grated cheeses

and light cream. Season to taste with pepper, if you like.

Drain spaghetti very well, pour into the frying pan and stir

in order to flavor pasta. Then add the beaten eggs. Stir

accurately, keeping the pan lightly lifted over the flame to

avoid eggs cook: they must warm up, not cook! The

secret of this creamy first course lies in this step.

Serve immediately.

Ingredients

•400g spaghetti •500g small tomatoes (could substituted by San Marzano tomatoes in the right season) •2 cloves garlic •1 and 1/2 decilitre extra virgin olive oil •handful of basil •salt.

Procedure

Frizzle garlic with oil and add chopped tomatoes, a pinch of salt. Cook and remove garlic at the end. Boil spaghetti and drain slightly undercooked, pour into the sauce, add basil and mix. Serve hot with some more fresh basil.

Ingredients

•320g linguine, •300g small tomatoes, •60g black olives, •30g capers, •30g salty anchovies, •1 and 1/2 decilitre extra virgin olive oil, •2 cloves garlic, •chopped parsley, • red hot pepper, •salt

Procedure

Frizzle garlic and ret hot pepper in oil, add anchovies (unsalted and filleted) melt at low heat. Add chopped tomatoes and cook rapidly at high heat, mix with pitted olives and capers. Boil linguine and drain slightly undercooked, pour into the sauce, mix and complete with chopped parsley.

Ingredients

•350g linguine •4 big rock crabs •250g small tomatoes •1 clove garlic •1 and 1/2 decilitre extra virgin olive oil •chopped parsley •red hot pepper •salt.

Procedure

Mash crab's carapace and claws, rinse if necessary. Frizzle garlic and red hot pepper in oil, add crabs and frizzle both sides at high heat. Add 1 stirring spoon of water and tomatoes. Cook. Boil linguine and drain slightly underco

Ingredients

•350g mezzanelli (typical neapolitan pasta), •100g bacon fat, •50g lard, •150g small tomatoes, • 40g pecorino cheese, •1 clove garlic, •some onion, •basil, salt and pepper.

Procedure

Chopped bacon fat with garlic. Soften onions with the melted lard at low heat, add bacon fat and garlic, and then when melted, add chopped tomatoes and cook. Boil pasta and drain slightly undercooked. Pour into the sauce and sautè. Complete with basil, ground black pepper and pecorino cheese. Serve hot.

Ingredients

Notice that this recipe is for 10 serves in order to have a best result, since it's a traditional dish commonly prepared for some festivities. Ingredients are: •600-700g pasta for lasagna •450g meat balls •500g ricotta cheese •450g well dry buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte cheese •500g "cervellatine" (thin sausages) •abundant ragù •250g parmesan and pecorino cheese •ground black pepper (small quantity)

Procedure Boil pasta, drain and season it with some cheese, salt and pepper. Fry meatballs; frizzle sausages, cool and cut them into slices. Cut mozzarella in pieces and dissolve ricotta with part of ragù. Lay ragù on the bottom of a greased wide baking pan, superpose with a layer of lasagna in order to cover the bottom and borders (let pour out enough lasagna from the borders to cover at the end). Lay ragù and ricotta cheese, fior di late or mozzarella, meatballs and slices of sausage, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, a pinch of pepper and add some more ragù. Repeat lasagna layer and filling. At the end complete with the layer of lasagna (the one pouring out from borders), ragù and Parmesan cheese. Bake until a brown crust comes out and lasagna is compact. Cool down, pull out of the baking pan and serve with pecorino flakes and some more ragù.

Ingredients

For dumplings: •400g potatoes and 150g flour. For seasoning: •500g ragu (a thick tomato sauce could also be used, even if it's not the same) •60g pecorino or parmesan grated cheese •fresh basil •ground black pepper. Variant: •dried pieces of mozzarella can also be used.

Procedure

Bring potatoes to a boil, and when cooked, peel and sift. Let absorb the flour and knead the dough until it gets homogeneous. Divide and form long sticks, cut them into cylindrical pieces, give their characteristic shape with a fork or a utensil provided for that purpose. Drop into boiling and salty water and drain dumplings when float. For seasoning: mix dumplings with hot ragu, flavour with a pinch of pepper, and add basil and cheese. Pour into little and slightly greased pans and bake au gratin at 180 c. Complete with cheese flakes and fresh basil.

Ingredients

•320/400g pasta "paccheri", •700g beef, •1k onions, •2 carrots, •1 stalk of celery, •4 small tomatoes (purist prefer 1 teaspoon of tomato paste),

•1 decilitre extra virgin olive oil, 50g lard,

•1 decilitre white wine, •40g parmesan or pecorino cheese,

•salt and pepper

Procedure

It's important to point out that "alla genovese" is not referred to Genoa city, but maybe, to the name of the Neapolitan cook who created this sauce.

Procedure

Tie beef; cut onion into thin slices, chop carrots and celery. Put everything in a pan with oil, lard, chopped tomatoes (or with the paste dissolved in some water), a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and cook at low heat for at least one hour, until the vegetables are quite dissolved, stir from time to time. Uncover and pour white wine little by little and water until getting a thick, dark and bright cream. Boil pasta and season with the sauce; serve with a sparkling of cheese. Meat could be served as a main course.

•1 tablespoon olive oil •1/2 cup finely chopped onion •1 tablespoon minced garlic •1 teaspoon red pepper flakes •1/2 teaspoon salt •1 can tomatoes -- chopped (28 oz.) •1 pound linguine -- cooked according to -- package directions •1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes until softened.

Stir in garlic, red pepper and salt; cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their liquid; cook 15 minutes.

Toss sauce with hot pasta and parsley in large serving bowl.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons margarine • 1 large bunch scallions, including half of the greens -- thinly sliced • 2 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, sage, or tarragon -- finely chopped salt

and freshly ground pepper to taste • 2 pounds fresh asparagus -- tough ends removed • 1 pound linguine • 4 tablespoons pine nuts -- toasted • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped • 2 tablespoons fresh snipped chives, plus blossoms -- if available

While water is heating for the pasta, heat half the oil and

butter in a wide skillet over low heat.

Add the scallions, lemon zest, thyme, and a few pinches of

salt and cook slowly, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, slice 3-inch tips off the asparagus, the slice the

remaining stalks diagonally or make a roll cut.

When the water boils, salt it, add the asparagus, and cook

until partially tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Scoop it out, add it to the scallions, and continue cooking.

Cook the pasta, then add it to the pan with some of the water

clinging to the strands.

Raise the heat and stir in the remaining oil, the pine nuts,

parsley, chives, pepper to taste, and a few tablespoons of

cheese, if desired.

Divide among pasta plates, grate a little cheese over each

portion, and garnish with the chive blossoms (if available).

Serving Size: 4

•1 pound very ripe tomatoes -- chopped •6 large cloves garlic -- minced •1/4 cup fresh basil -- chopped •2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil •salt & freshly ground pepper to taste •pinch red pepper flakes •12 ounces linguine or cappelletti

Place tomatoes in a large bowl and add the remaining

ingredients except pasta.

Mix well and set aside for about 3 hours at room

temperature.

Cook pasta per package directions. Drain and add to tomato mixture. Toss well and serve immediately

•1/2 lb Fresh mushrooms, sliced •2 ts Olive oil •2 28-oz jars of spaghetti sauce (or your favorite homemade sauce) •9 Lasagne noodles •10 oz Frozen chopped spinach, thawed •1 lb Tofu •1 ts Salt •1-2 tb Nutritional yeast •1 ts Oregano •1/4 ts Garlic powder •1/2 ts Basil •1/8 ts Cayenne pepper

Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil until tender; remove from heat and

add the spaghetti sauce.

Place the tofu and thawed spinach in the food processor and process

briefly.

Add the remaining ingredients--except the noodles--to the processor and

blend until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spread half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x12-inch pan.

Place a layer of noodles over the sauce, using three dry noodles and

leaving a little space in between them.

Spead half of the tofu mixture on the noodles.

Cover with another layer of 3 noodles and then spread the remaining tofu

mixture over them.

Top with a final layer of noodles, and pour the remaining sauce over this.

Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Then, remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with soy parmesan if you want.

The lasagne will cut better if you allow it to cool for 15 minutes before

serving.

Heat olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Add garlic. Cook and stir constantly over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add onion and, stirring frequently, continue cooking for about 8 minutes or until the onion is soft and golden. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fresh basil and simmer 5 minutes longer. This recipe yields about 6 cups.

Ingredients Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:40

•2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

•2 large garlic cloves -- minced

•1/2 cup onion -- chopped

•2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

•1 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil – chopped

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.While spaghetti is cooking heat the oil in a pot large enough to hold the spaghetti when it is cooked. Add the garlic and cook over

low heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden (do not brown).Add the cooked,

drained spaghetti to the oil and garlic.

Add the salt, pepper, and parsley and toss to thoroughly coat the spaghetti

Couscous is a pasta dish

of semolina traditionally

served with a meat or

vegetable stew spooned

over it

Couscous is a staple food

throughout Algeria,

Morocco, Tunisia west of

Libya and Sicily.

Couscous was traditionally

made from the part of the

grain that resisted the

grinding of the relatively

primitive millstone.

In modern times, couscous

production is largely

mechanized, and the

product is sold in markets

around the world.

Preparation

The semolina is sprinkled with water and

rolled with the hands to form small pellets,

sprinkled with dry flour to keep them

separate, and then sieved.

Any pellets which are too small to be

finished granules of couscous and fall

through the sieve will be again rolled and

sprinkled with dry semolina and rolled into

pellets.

Preparation

This process continues until all the semolina

has been formed into tiny granules of

couscous.

This process is very labour-intensive.

In the traditional method of preparing

couscous, groups of women would come

together and make large batches over

several days.

These would then be dried in the sun and

used for several months.

Nutrition

Couscous is among the healthiest grain-based products.

It has a glycemic load per gram 25% below that of pasta.

Nutrition

It has a superior vitamin profile to pasta,

containing twice as much riboflavin, niacin, vitamin

B6, and folate, and containing four times as

much thiamine and pantothenic acid.

Nutrition

In terms of protein, couscous has 3.6 g for every 100 calories,

equivalent to pasta, and well above the 2.6 g for every 100

calories of white rice. Furthermore, couscous contains

a 1% fat-to-calorie ratio, compared to 3% for white rice,

5% for pasta.

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