Pasta Flashcards
Pasta is a staple food in what country?
Italy.
Pasta is quick to cook. What it another name for this?
A convenience food.
From what wheat is pasta made from?
Durum wheat.
What is different about durum wheat to other varieties of wheat?
It has a higher protein content.
What does durum wheat produce on milling?
A grainy, yellow coloured semolina.
Why does durum wheat make good quality pasta?
Because it requires less water to make the dough, making it easier to dry the pasta.
What is pasta flour sometimes labelled as?
Tipo ‘00’ flour.
What 3 (sometimes 4) nutrients is pasta a good source of?
-Starchy carbohydrates
-Protein
-B vitamins
-Fibre in wholemeal pasta.
How is pasta dough formed on all scales of production?
Wheat semolina is mixed with salt and egg or water to form a crumbly mixture.
How is pasta dough kneaded and laminated on a small scale?
Kneaded by hand on a table and dough is rolled out using a rolling pin or a tabletop pasta machine.
How is pasta dough kneaded and laminated on a medium scale?
Kneaded by machine with some operator involvement.
How is pasta dough kneaded and laminated on a large scale?
Kneading and rolling is done by machinery - fully automated.
How is pasta dough shaped on a small scale?
All done my hand, with either a small attachment on pasta machine for strips or cut and shaped by hand for other shapes.
How is pasta dough shaped on a medium scale?
Can be cut by hand or by using a pasta making machine with a different selection of dies for different shapes.
How is pasta dough shaped on a large scale?
Using machinery with a die(to get the desired shape). The pasta shape is extruded from the machine and cut to the length wanted.
How is pasta dough dried on a small scale?
Hung or left out in the kitchen to dry, can be seen on coat hangers or the back of chairs.
How is pasta dough dried on a medium scale?
Specialist wooden trays are used, stacked to allow air circulation for drying. Pasta is often used quickly after production so extending shelf life is not always needed.
How is pasta dough dried on a large scale?
Pasta shapes are taken to a specialist drying room to remove the moisture - giving it an extended shelf life.
Name 4 different pasta shapes:
-Spaghetti
-Tagliatelle
-Macaroni
-Fusilli
How can the flavour of pasta be enhanced?
With fresh herbs such as basil and parsley.
Give 3 ways which pasta dough can be coloured:
-Spinach - green
-beetroot - purple
-Squid ink - blank
How should pasta be cooked?
In a large pan of boiling, salted water to allow the starch to wash off which prevents the pasta being sticky.
What term is used for pasta when it is said to be ready?
Al dente - the cooked pasta should still have a little ‘bite’ of firmness in the middle.
How should dried pasta be stored?
In a cool dry cupboard and it has a long shelf-life.
How should fresh pasta be stored?
It should be kept chilled. Packing should be clearly labelled with details of ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ dates and storage instructions.
What is laminating in terms of pasta?
Rolling out pasta into thin sheets.
What are dies in pasta making?
Machinery attachments used to make special pasta shapes that can not be made by hand.
What does it mean when pasta is extruded?
Pasta is forced through a die to achieve a special pasta shape.
