I like the no boil thin De Cecco lasagna noodles.
1 Like
For Italian pasta, itās irrelevant for me.
For Asian noodles, always homemade (which means āhand pulledā and fresh).
I use TJās dry no-boil lasagna sheets. They contain egg, and are thin and tender.
2 Likes
But of course.
I believe I only mentioned I would prefer dry al dente pasta 8/10 times and I take it as a given that members here are grown up people, who can understand that āal denteā pasta is not a term, which is relevant in dishes where the pasta is partly or fully submerged into liquids or thick sauces and finalised in an oven, which lasagna indeed is.
Also gnocchi & ravioli and pasta types like these are not relevant in terms of āal denteā as they are only made to be eaten in a soft state.
Al dente pasta is only relevant in the classic Italian frying pan or sauter pan pasta dishes, which I thought it would be obvious Iām addressing here in this thread.
2 Likes
Bottom line . I like my pasta . With very minimal sauce or condiments on it . With over 300 shapes and sizes . Pasta is the star of the dish .
3 Likes
Precisely & exactly - like I would imagine a true Italian would express it.
When pasta plays second fiddle in a dish, itās no longer a pasta dish in my opinion.
I do most certainly also enjoy freshly home made soft pasta once in a while, especially if Iāve just spend 2 hours making it myself in the afternoon before my pasta dinner.
Fresh soft pasta can also be delicious, I just happen to prefer the dry al dente pasta 8/10 times, when Iām making classical inspired Italian frying pan/sauter pan pasta dishes.
2 Likes
I have an Italian market near me & will see if they carry that brand, tho it looks familiar. I got some sepia spaghetti from Divella that were very nice.
Both dry and fresh pasta have their place.
2 Likes
Hi Claus,
When it comes to - especially Italian - cooking Iām pretty boring: I like traditions. I donāt care for innovations in Italian cooking.
This is why I donāt really like this video. One cannot make pasta like one would make a risotto, by putting dried pasta in a pan where the sauce is being made. Not because of rules per se, but because those rules are steeped in hundreds of years of cooking history - with the objective of getting a superior plate of food.
As for dried pasta versus fresh Iām with you for shapes like spaghetti and such. It doesnāt make sense to make fresh pasta and then let it dry for say 48 hours. Itās a different product from store bought traditional dried pasta. The difference is in the bronze dies, which are being used by the good dried pasta makers, and which help in giving a rougher texture to the pasta so the sauce will stick better. See eg https://considered.substack.com/p/consider-de-cecco-pasta?s=r
Personally, I am struggling to appreciate al dente: imho pasta should be cooked just right, so neither undercooked nor overcooked when it is served on your plate. In fact Iām allergic to pasta that is undercooked, so I tend to follow the maximum amount of time as indicated on the package.
I usually buy De Cecco because it is available in my shop, the price is good and I love its taste.
Having traveled all over Northern Italy over the past 10 years or so, Iāve come to really love fresh pasta made by experts. If you ever want to experience top pasta go drive through Emilia Romagna and eat at country side restaurants. For example this one here, one of my favourites (from my profile pic): https://aidueplatani.com/en-EN/index.html
I still canāt put my finger on how you make your speed sauteed pasta: could you maybe give an example? Just curious - I know Iām a dinosaur when it comes to Italian food, and if people want to experiment and like their own creations then Iām all for it. Maybe I may one day try it out myself! 
4 Likes
(post deleted by author)
1 Like
I donāt think al dente ravioli is something I would like at all.
1 Like
So, hereās all the different pasta brands available at the Italian market near me. The sepia spaghetti from Molisana were very good, as were the Divella fusilli. Itās a fabulous place, and about 50-75% of the customers are Italian.
8 Likes
Passionate subject. Personal preference, I like dry pasta a bit more than fresh pasta. But they are different. Recently, Iāve eaten a sublime Sicilian fresh pasta with sardine, good fresh pasta has a slight resistance and elasticity. Iāve started to make fresh pasta since a year or two, occasionally, I donāt think I reach the stage that Iām happy yet.
For dry pasta, the French generally has a preference of softer cooked pasta (and non salted while cooking!), not the al dente Italian style which I like.
As for day to day brands, in the past, I ate a lot of Brailla but no more. Iāve gone through a short Di Cecco period, I donāt know if I agree with one of the video putting De Cecco on the top pasta category. Nowadays Iām eating Rummo, like the ārougher textureā or Garofalo for certain shapes.
OK, are you people buying organic pasta? Iāve heard the problem of application of insecticide days before harvest so wheat can store longer.
1 Like
Do you like egg pasta? Unless well coordinate with the sauce, I find them usually too heavy (dry or fresh).
Dried egg noodles pair well with crumbled goat cheese and bacon.
Also prefer it with Beef or tofu Stroganoff.
1 Like
Iām not affiliated with this brand what so ever, but my favourite brand dry pasta is Monograno Felicetti
1 Like
I make my fresh pasta from eggs, AP and semolina flour, and usually a dash of water/veg juice and EVOOā¦ and I would never use the word āheavyā to describe its density or texture. It is light, stretchy, with just the right amount of chew (provided it is not overcooked).
While I am pretty sure everyone here knows this, Iāll mention it anywayā¦ fresh pasta needs almost no time to cook. And if your heating it in sauce, making lasagna, manicotti, or cannelloni, it only needs to be blanched.
It is my fav for fettuccine, ravioli, lasagna, manicotti, cannelloni, pappardelle, etc. But I do use dry for angel hair, spaghetti, and linguine.
1 Like
I do enjoy egg pasta once in a while, but as you say they can be too heavy so I only eat them when I make them at home.
However I really enjoy egg noodles in my home made stir fried noodle dishes.
Me neither.
I take it as a given only grownup members here participate in the discussions.
The term Al dente pasta is only used when addressing the classic Italian pasta dishes made in a frying pan or a sauter pan.
The term Al dente pasta is never used when addressing pasta dishes partly or fully submerged into liquids nor when it comes to ravioli, gnocchi and the likes
Rummo is excellent. And/but thanks for the heads up on insecticide. I can see its application since pasta is a frequent host of pantry moths, but certainly prefer not to eat it.
1 Like
At current $/ā¬ exchange, those prices for premium pasta are astounding! Here, California, the same group would range from $3.99-4.99/500 gr.
