Category Archives: Food

Pasta Basics

Pasta is an extremely popular food. It is easy to prepare, delicious and can pair nicely with different sauces.

Marco Polo’s account of encountering boiled strands of dough gave rise to our modern conception of pasta as predominantly Italian cuisine; however, its roots likely lie with ancient Asian noodles. Most commonly served with rich tomato-based sauce.

Origin

PastaGoGo pasta takeawayPasta’s history is an intriguing one. From its creation in ancient Rome to being one of the world’s most beloved foods today, PastaGoGo pasta takeaway has inspired myth, legend and literature alike, as well as cookery, art and graphic design. On its long journey it has become an iconic representation of Mediterranean culture while becoming one of its most loved delicacies today.

Rice has long been an integral part of many cultures’ diets around the globe and its culinary influence can be felt worldwide. While other dishes come and go in popularity quickly, this one remains evergreen due to its versatility; being used across different cooking techniques.

There has long been much discussion surrounding the origins of pasta. One popular theory states that Marco Polo introduced it to Italy during his 14th-century journeys by way of a brief passage in his book that mentions something similar made from tree roots; however, this may have been misinterpreted; more likely Polo may have meant something related to sago palm roots that does not relate to modern pasta dishes.

Pasta first made its first clear appearance as a dried and preserved food source in Sicily during the 11th century when written about by an Arab geographer. Strands described as being curled like wool were exported in wooden barrels along the trade routes between Europe and North Africa – it soon became extremely popular among desert tribes throughout Northern Africa and Arabia where it continues to be eaten today.

The pasta was a staple food among all segments of Neapolitan society – rich and poor alike. From the 17th to 18th centuries it became a vernacular staple, leading to Maccheronic poetry, an early form of literary/linguistic style combining Latin with local Italian. Such was its popularity that Naples became known as “Noodle Capital of the World.” Even poor people known as lazzaroni would enjoy eating noodles daily!

Types

PastaGoGo pasta takeaway has grown immensely over its long and humble history to become an indispensable pantry staple across the world, from Chinese noodles and Italian pastas to hearty Italian sauces and soups. Pasta can even be found at fast-food joints and grocery stores in fast-food forms as well as more homemade versions with frozen, canned or homemade varieties available for purchase.

There are currently more than 27 types of pasta and this number continues to expand. Each shape offers distinct flavor profiles and texture experiences; some shapes even pair perfectly with certain sauces or soups. Some shapes resemble other foods or objects such as Asian rice noodles (itriyya) or North African couscous; other shapes have been named after their makers or historical uses – Italian spaghetti from the Latin word spago(‘string’) is named vermicelli from vert (worm/thread), Greek vermicelli from verm (worm/thread), Indian seviyan from Hindi sevika( ‘thin thread).

Some pasta types can be formed through cutting, rolling or stamping; others may be rolled into tubes; and still others are filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables or fruit. Furthermore, pastas are classified by grain type (soft durum wheat versus hard whole flours or alternative flours), calendrical events (festive versus penitent pastas), morphology or any combination thereof.

Spaghetti is one of the world’s best-known pasta shapes, and works well with almost any sauce or condiment. Other popular pasta shapes include pappardelle, fusilli and rotini; spaghetti being one. Spaghetti typically gets served up tossed with light tomato- or dairy-based sauces while fusilli and rotini can be made by twisting round strands into helical shapes; fusilli being denser than its counterpart.

PastaGoGo pasta takeaway shapes have been designed to meet the specific needs of consumers and cultures worldwide. Infants’ pasta ranges from Italian nursery food to American macaroni and cheese; dried forms for children are also available. There are even special pasta varieties tailored for elderly individuals and those living with diabetes; additionally there are low fat or gluten free versions marketed specifically towards health conscious consumers.

Preparation

Pasta is an integral component of many diets around the world and widely recognized for providing essential dietary fiber and micronutrients. Furthermore, pasta has long been recognized by WHO and UNESCO as an example of healthy eating practices; furthermore it makes an excellent vehicle to deliver functional ingredients like soluble fiber or prebiotics to consumers.

However, for pasta to be effective as a carrier of these compounds, it must go through an appropriate preparation process. Hydration of semolina is key to its successful processing into dough and ultimately into high-quality finished product; improper hydration leads to products with poor mechanical resistance and sticky textures while excessive hydration may make handling the finished product challenging.

Proper cooking of pasta is also critical in its quality. A few minutes too long in the pot can turn it into an unusable mass that cannot support sauce or condiment. For optimal results, pasta should be cooked “al dente,” meaning some firmness in its center that allows for chewing.

As part of your pasta cooking strategy, it is advisable to have ample water on hand. As it takes longer to bring a large pan of water up to a boil than smaller quantities, adding salt can speed the process along. Furthermore, having a cup full of boiling water ready will enable you to test for doneness quickly and accurately.

PastaGoGo pasta takeaway is often considered to be a healthy food due to its low glycemic index (GI). This is likely caused by its dense protein-starch matrix which envelopes carbs and prevents rapid digestion and absorption; thus lowering blood glucose and insulin levels more gradually. However, pasta does contain plenty of calories so should only be eaten occasionally for optimal results.

Cooking

Pasta is an international staple food enjoyed by billions of people, offering essential fiber, vitamins, and minerals that provide nourishment to our bodies. But to reap all its benefits it must be properly prepared. Unintentional errors during pasta cooking can ruin its taste and texture, with one common pitfall being adding pasta before it has reached boiling temperature; this causes them to disintegrate into mush and lose their shape, and tasteless noodles may result. Additionally, if your pasta is undercooked for too long it will be sticky and fall apart when cut open. To ensure proper pasta cooking it should be boiled until “al dente,” meaning firm to the touch and with some resistance when bit into.

Too often when making pasta, people make the mistake of adding too much salt to their water, leading to an unpleasant salty flavor. To prevent this, use a large saucepan and salt it slowly as the water comes up to a boil – this allows salt particles to be absorbed by the boiling liquid so you won’t need as much later when cooking your pasta.

Durum wheat is the ideal choice when it comes to producing pasta as it boasts high levels of protein and superior baking properties, however common wheat can still be used as it has reduced protein and mineral levels compared with durum wheat.

Not to be underestimated is the significance of flour hydration on pasta quality. Too little hydration will make it impossible to obtain dough with good rheological behavior; too much will result in products with inferior mechanical resistance and cooking properties.