Pasta

Question 1

Pasta is a staple food in what country?

Answer 1

Italy.

Question 2

Pasta is quick to cook. What it another name for this?

Answer 2

A convenience food.

Question 3

From what wheat is pasta made from?

Answer 3

Durum wheat.

Question 4

What is different about durum wheat to other varieties of wheat?

Answer 4

It has a higher protein content.

Question 5

What does durum wheat produce on milling?

Answer 5

A grainy, yellow coloured semolina.

Question 6

Why does durum wheat make good quality pasta?

Answer 6

Because it requires less water to make the dough, making it easier to dry the pasta.

Question 7

What is pasta flour sometimes labelled as?

Answer 7

Tipo ‘00’ flour.

Question 8

What 3 (sometimes 4) nutrients is pasta a good source of?

Answer 8

-Starchy carbohydrates
-Protein
-B vitamins
-Fibre in wholemeal pasta.

Question 9

How is pasta dough formed on all scales of production?

Answer 9

Wheat semolina is mixed with salt and egg or water to form a crumbly mixture.

Question 10

How is pasta dough kneaded and laminated on a small scale?

Answer 10

Kneaded by hand on a table and dough is rolled out using a rolling pin or a tabletop pasta machine.

Question 11

How is pasta dough kneaded and laminated on a medium scale?

Answer 11

Kneaded by machine with some operator involvement.

Question 12

How is pasta dough kneaded and laminated on a large scale?

Answer 12

Kneading and rolling is done by machinery - fully automated.

Question 13

How is pasta dough shaped on a small scale?

Answer 13

All done my hand, with either a small attachment on pasta machine for strips or cut and shaped by hand for other shapes.

Question 14

How is pasta dough shaped on a medium scale?

Answer 14

Can be cut by hand or by using a pasta making machine with a different selection of dies for different shapes.

Question 15

How is pasta dough shaped on a large scale?

Answer 15

Using machinery with a die(to get the desired shape). The pasta shape is extruded from the machine and cut to the length wanted.

Question 16

How is pasta dough dried on a small scale?

Answer 16

Hung or left out in the kitchen to dry, can be seen on coat hangers or the back of chairs.

Question 17

How is pasta dough dried on a medium scale?

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

How is pasta dough dried on a large scale?

Answer 18

Pasta shapes are taken to a specialist drying room to remove the moisture - giving it an extended shelf life.

Question 19

Name 4 different pasta shapes:

Answer 19

-Spaghetti
-Tagliatelle
-Macaroni
-Fusilli

Question 20

How can the flavour of pasta be enhanced?

Answer 20

With fresh herbs such as basil and parsley.

Question 21

Give 3 ways which pasta dough can be coloured:

Answer 21

-Spinach - green
-beetroot - purple
-Squid ink - blank

Question 22

How should pasta be cooked?

Answer 22

In a large pan of boiling, salted water to allow the starch to wash off which prevents the pasta being sticky.

Question 23

What term is used for pasta when it is said to be ready?

Answer 23

Al dente - the cooked pasta should still have a little ‘bite’ of firmness in the middle.

Question 24

How should dried pasta be stored?

Answer 24

In a cool dry cupboard and it has a long shelf-life.

Question 25

How should fresh pasta be stored?

Answer 25

It should be kept chilled. Packing should be clearly labelled with details of ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ dates and storage instructions.

Question 26

What is laminating in terms of pasta?

Answer 26

Rolling out pasta into thin sheets.

Question 27

What are dies in pasta making?

Answer 27

Machinery attachments used to make special pasta shapes that can not be made by hand.

Question 28

What does it mean when pasta is extruded?

Answer 28

Pasta is forced through a die to achieve a special pasta shape.