Pasta
Pasta has been a staple food in Italy for centuries. The introduction of durum wheat in Italy and the development of different pasta shapes and varieties are part of all part of local traditions and regional preferences.
Durum wheat
Durum wheat (Triticum durum) was introduced to Italy during the Arab invasions of Sicily in the 9th century. The Arab conquerors brought this hard wheat, which thrived in the Mediterranean climate and soil conditions of southern Italy, particularly in regions like Sicily, Apulia, and Calabria. These areas are still the main producers of durum wheat.
Durum wheat is well-suited for making pasta due to its high gluten content and its ability to retain its shape and texture during cooking. It is the primary type of wheat used for pasta production in Italy. The semolina flour derived from durum wheat is often used for making traditional Italian pasta, including spaghetti, macaroni, and other shapes.
So it's not true that Marco Polo brought back pasta from China?
No. The earliest known mention of pasta can be traced back to ancient Greece. The Greek writer Archestratus, in the 4th century BCE, described a dish called “laganon” in his poem “Hedypatheia” (Life of Luxury) which was a type of pasta made from sheets of dough that were then cut into strips. However, the exact form and method of preparation of this early pasta differed from the pasta we are familiar with today. The Romans, particularly during the time of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, were also known to consume various pasta-like dishes. They called their pasta “lagana” or “laganum.” It was made from a dough of wheat flour and water, rolled out, and cut into strips.
Chinese noodles have a separate and distinct culinary heritage. Noodles have been a staple food in China for thousands of years, with evidence dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). Chinese noodles come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and textures, and their preparation methods often involve different types of wheat flour or other ingredients like rice or mung bean starch.
Although there are some similarities between Italian pasta and Chinese noodles in that they are both made from wheat-based dough, they developed separately with their own culture specific techniques and traditions of making and cooking distinct to each cuisine.
A compilation of pasta recipes giving options: vegan, gluten-free.
Egg Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp water or less
- fine semolina or plain flour for dusting
Instructions
- Put flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and yolks, and mix with hands or wooden spoon for a minute or so, until dough comes together. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.) If dough seems dry or crumbly, add 1 or 2 tablespoons cold water, but only enough to keep the dough together.
- Turn dough out onto a board and knead to form a ball. Flatten dough ball to a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Pasta (no egg)
Ingredients
- 100 g Flour T55 or plain flour
- 100 g Fine Semolina
- 100 ml Warm water
- More semolina for the work surface
Instructions
- To make the pasta, put the flour and semolina in a mixing bowl. Add the water bit by bit and mix together with your fingers until everything is combined into a dough. Put the dough on the work surface and knead by hand for 8 minutes or in stand mixer with paddle attachment.
- Put the dough in cling film for 1 hour.
Gluten-Free Pasta
Ingredients
- 240 g gluten free flour I use part lentil flour, 1 part rice flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 egg
- extra flour for kneading + dusting
Instructions
Gluten free pasta dough
- In a bowl, mix together the gluten free flour and xanthan gum until evenly distributed.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Break the egg. mix together with your fingers until everything is combined into a dough. Eventually, you will end up with a slightly sticky pasta dough.
- The dough should form a ball. If it is crumbly or dry, you can add a little water. If, on the other hand, the dough feels too wet or soft, you can add a small amount of additional flour.
- Turn the pasta dough onto a generously floured surface and knead it for 2 - 3 minutes, until you get a smooth ball of pasta dough.
- Because this is a gluten free pasta dough, there’s no gluten to stretch and “activate”. The kneading ensures an overall smooth dough.
Rolling the pasta dough
- Roll and shape the pasta as below
Nutrition
Rolling pasta
Equipment
- Pasta machine
Instructions
Rolling pasta dough
- Cut the dough into four evenly sized pieces. Wrap the three pieces of dough you won’t use immediately in cling film so that they don’t dry out.
- Different pasta machines can have different widest settings. To start, set the machine at its widest
- Flatten one piece of pasta dough and flour it generously on both sides. Pass the flattened piece through the pasta machine.
- Fold the rolled-out pasta dough into thirds, like a letter, and dust with flour. Turn the piece by 90 degrees so that the smooth edges are left-right, not top-bottom. Feed through the machine. Repeat this process until you get a smooth pasta sheet.
- Repeated the folding and rolling steps a few times until the pasta sheet comes out smooth.
- Generously dust the pasta sheet with flour and feed it through the next narrower setting on the pasta machine. (Note that there’s no more folding!) Keep reducing the settings until you get to a sheet about 1 mm thick.
Cut and shape the pasta
- Using a knife or the cutting setting on your pasta machine, cut the pasta sheet into tagliatelle (about 1/3 inch / 1 cm wide).
- Toss the cut pasta in some more flour and shape it into a nest.
Cooking
- To cook the fresh pasta, place it in boiling water, seasoned with a pinch of salt, for about 4 minutes, depending on how well-cooked you like it.