Ever since spaghetti and macaroni started being called “pasta” in the U.S., Americans have fretted about how to buy and cook it, not least when fresh pasta became available in stores and pasta making machines were produced for home use.
For something seeming to be so easy to make, pasta has rules and traditions behind it, which are the reasons that so many Americans return from Italy frustrated that the pasta here doesn’t quite taste like the pasta over there.
To find out the answers as to differences and how to make pasta the correct way, I interviewed Furio Bragagnolo, owner and president of Pastificio Bragagnolo, a premium pasta in the Veneto made by the same family since 1898 and now being exported to the U.S.
What are the differences that make a good, dried pasta?
A good dried pasta needs a high-quality semolina with a high gluten index that will deliver as a final result the consistency of the shape as well as elasticity and resistance to the bite. After mixing with water the dough is compressed in a vacuum section of the mixer and extruded through the die, and the exact right pressure of extrusion is in the expertise of the pastaio (pasta master), who works within a “drying diagram” that must respect time, ventilation, humidity, internal temperature, external temperature, in order to dehydrate the pasta while preserving the organoleptic properties of the product.
MORE FROMFORBES ADVISOR
How do dry and fresh pastas differ?
Dry pasta has 12.5% humidity and is made of 100 % durum wheat semolina, while fresh pasta is minimum 24% humidity and can be made also of soft wheat flour or mixed with semolina.
Our continuous drying production units are fully automated and work 24 hours. Static drying is suitable for small sized pasta production units, which have semi-automatic lines, with smaller input capacity. Whatever the drying method, it must be rigorous and offer every guarantee of quality, otherwise the pasta, even if it is apparently dry, risks deteriorating rapidly and will have poor cooking properties, and brittleness.
Once finished, dry pasta is stable and suitable for dry storage. It has more “nerve”—crunchiness— and palatability. Fresh pasta is more chewy and less consistent. It must be refrigerated and eaten soon.
Is any dried pasta made with eggs?
Dry pasta can be with or without eggs and can be prepared with ingredients like tomato, mushrooms, spinach or whole wheat.
How does your pasta differ from other brands made in Italy?
Every pasta producer has his own features and recipes for the raw material, different methods of mixing semolina and water as well as differences in the way the pasta is extruded using pressure and a cutting die. Finally, the way the pasta is dried. Pasta Bragagnolo is made with 100% Italian durum wheat without glyphosate (an herbicide) grown with a reduced use of agro-chemicals and then extruded through a bronze die, which is better because it gives a raw surface to the product and enhances the capacity of pasta to catch the sauce; Also, bronze extrusion delivers a product that is more delicate during the cooking because of the scratched surface that allows the boiling water to penetrate the product more easily compared to the more usual Teflon extrusion. Therefore, a high-quality bronze extrusion needs a good gluten index (the measure the elasticity and consistency of the product). We are not the only company that uses bronze in Italy, but consumers know the difference.
Given the size of Bragagnolo’s production can you call it an “artisanal” pasta?
Pasta Bragagnolo is produced with artisanal care but in a modern industrial plant. By the way, there is no commercial artisanal pasta, due to the process of production. The only true artisanal pasta is the one made at home with soft flour made with soft dough from flour and water.
What is the size of the total pasta market in and out of Italy?
Pasta consumption in the world has doubled in the past decade, increasing from nine million tons to about 17, while Italy’s consumption is 51 pounds per capita.
What is US consumption?
It is now 19.4 pounds per capita.
Is the pasta market very competitive in Italy?
Pasta market is very competitive in Italy as pasta is our main meal.
Most of the People in Italy are eating pasta on daily basis. Most of the times, pasta is served as a primo (first course) followed by a secondo (main course).
Where is your wheat grown?
We use 100 % Italian wheat from Apulia and Sicily, where we find the perfect wheat in terms of protein content, colour and quantities.
What should the consumer look for in a good pasta?
The consumer should look for a product with light yellow color, a protein content of 13-14% and made by extrusion through bronze dies.
Most of this information is available on the label or finding the company’s website. But the real test is the cooking and preparation of a recipe. Experience in the use of the product is always the best source.
What mistakes do people make when cooking pasta?
To cook pasta, you need a large pot filled with water, approximately 1/2 gallon for each three ounces of dry pasta, so a pound of pasta requires two gallons. You also need to add a few tablespoons of salt. If you cook long pasta like spaghetti, use a taller pot. Pasta shouldn’t be left alone until is cooked through, so stir gently from time to time and taste it when gets closer to the cooking time to check the desired consistency. It should be al dente, meaning “to the tooth,” or a bit chewy. In Italy that means chewier than it usually is in America.
How do cooking times differ from, say, fettuccine to rigatoni to gnocchi?
Cooking time may vary from six minutes for fettuccine to ten for rigatoni and even fifteen for the big shapes like paccheri or candele. Gnocchi, which is made with either a potato or ricotta dough, takes only about two to five minutes.
Should you rinse the pasta while draining into a colander?
No, you should not rinse pasta because fresh water will wash out the starch on the pasta surface that the sauce clings to.
Why should you save some of the pasta water before draining?
You should save a cup of cooking water so that you may add it to the pasta and the sauce. After draining the pasta put it in a sauté the pan, add some sauce to coat then a little of the pasta water and sauté for about 30 seconds in order to emulsify the preparation. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
Which sauces go with which pasta shapes?
The main rule is thin pasta is best with light condiments, like spaghettini with clams and garlic; the wider or thicker the shape, you need a stronger condiment for a pasta like rigatoni with amatriciana sauce or fettuccine with mushroom, or a ragù meat sauce or even cacio e pepe.
