The History of Pasta The History of Pasta | Page 3

Types of Pasta

There are two main categories of pasta used in Italian food, dried pasta and fresh pasta. Right now there are
over 350 different shapes and varieties of dried pasta being used in Italian food. Some varieties are common
and others are specific to a certain regional area. The shapes used in Italian food can range from the classic
tubes and strands to butterflies or bowties and even unique shapes such as tennis rackets. Italian food is
taken very seriously in Italy and by law all dried pasta is required to be made with pure durum semolina
flour and water. This standard is adhered to by most pasta makers all over the world and only this type of
dried pasta is used in good quality Italian food.
The reason that Italian food in Italy tastes different than the Americanized Italian food is because pasta
makers in Italy take more care in making quality pasta. Dried pasta is meant to hold onto the sauce with
which it is being served. After all, Italian food wouldn't be Italian without the sauce. The pasta is made with
ridges or into complex shapes in order to grab onto the sauce. These ridges are formed during a process
known as extrusion. This is the step in pasta making where the pasta is forced out of a copper mold and then
cut into the desired length before being dried. The copper molds are the key. They are expensive and likely
to wear, but they make the best pasta. Unfortunately, most of the pasta used in American Italian food is
made with steel molds that make the pasta too slick to hold onto the sauce. However, more and more pasta
makers outside of Italy are beginning to use the copper molds in an effort to make better quality Italian food.
The drying process also greatly affects the quality of the pasta and the resulting Italian food.
Pasta should be dried for a specific amount of time in a specific temperature depending on the variety. Pasta
made in Italy is allowed to dry for long periods of time, up to fifty hours, and at relatively low temperatures.
Companies outside of Italy typically dry their pasta at high