Pasta Brand Preference ?

[Renee Profile]

Yes, I've used pasta squares when making cannelloni which is much easier than trying to fill the tubes.

Politeness does not bother me in the least. Member 461 is Spanish and their ways are different to ours. Criticism or rudeness upsets me. It is so unnecessary.

[Alexandria Profile]

Renée,


A good idea for filling the tubes of pacchere is a "pastry tube decorator" with a extra wide nozzle ..

If you take your stand up mixer and combine the ricotta with herbs of choice and place this ricotta in the "pastry tube decorator" .. It is very simple this way.

This is how my grandmothers, mom and the whole family do it for Christmas ravioli.

Note: Sometimes we use a bit of goat milk in the ricotta so that it is a bit less thick but not liquidy.

We use goat or sheep milk ricotta, however, cow milk with cow milk ricotta is fine ..

Please do not get upset ..
Thanks ..

[Renee Profile]

What a good idea to use the pastry decorator Member 461. I wanted to get the tubes again today, but they didn't have them in Sainsbury's. I can get them in Waitrose, so I'll be having a visit there very soon.

Thanks for your help.

[Alexandria Profile]

Renée,

Please make sure they have wide nozzles so the ricotta can pass through with a light squeeze (our´s are changeable nozzles in varying designs and widths).

A cake decorating kit and comes with assorted nozzles and pastry tubes too ..

Innovative grandmothers and mom !!

You are very welcome.

[Pampy Profile]

Politeness does not bother me in the least. Member 461 is Spanish and their ways are different to ours. Criticism or rudeness upsets me. It is so unnecessary.

But this is a British site, not Spanish.
Whilst we're in "plain speaking" mode, I'd like to ask why it's necessary to have the same sign-off statement on every post made by a couple of people? I don't see the point - we read it the first time and I think it's an affectation to continually repeat it.

[jeral Profile]

Pampy, it is a British site but I understand it to be welcome to all comers.

Signatures can be turned off via the User Control Panel if desired. Select: Edit Display Options, then click to No for Display Signatures, then click Submit to save.

Talking of having a nice summer, it struck me this grey and rainy morning that we've now had ours Therefore I'll sign off with hoping everyone had a nice one.

Back on pasta, the giant shells are good for filling and baking gratin style. Bought dried, I reckon they do need par cooking first although I do like my pasta cooked softer than "tough".

[Pampy Profile]

I didn't say the site wasn't welcoming to all comers - just that it seems to me that contributors whose mother tongue isn't British English should make the effort to be understood, rather than the majority struggling to understand them easily.
Thanks for the tip on turning the signatures off - I no longer waste my time reading them thinking they are relevant to the post!

[jeral Profile]

Erm, how would a non-English person know they were not being readily understood? Perhaps they should just shout louder like us lot do

[Pampy Profile]

Well, by not assuming that they understand the nuances of a language just because they've passed an exam would be a start. And, referencing Joan's point, by taking note of and learning from how other contributors do, or don't, say things - Alexandra is the only person on this board who ends virtually every post with "have a nice day/weekend/summer/whatever...". Repeating it all the time renders it insincere and meaningless.

[THE MOD TEAM Profile]

If you do feel you want to continue a running narrative off topic, we can move those posts over to the Admin board.

& back to pasta.

[Renee Profile]

Thanks jeral for the tip about par cooking first. I also like my pasta cooked.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I do like my pasta cooked softer than "tough"

You are in cahoots with my husband, Jeral.
I had the pasta made, and he decided he wanted pitta with it. Which put the pasta over by 3 or 4mins.
He loves it over, rather than under.

Particularly like trenne pasta. This brand - although it takes 15mins to cook

[Alexandria Profile]

Gil,

This is a lovely lovely Brand of ecological pasta.

[Alexandria Profile]

Jeral,

Yes, of course one must boil the pasta in salted wáter first.

The thing is, if you are baking the pasta, it is best to boil until "al dente" and then it is going to bake in tomato sauce and a topping of bechamel or mozzarella di bufala.

So you do not want the pasta mushy .. So it is best al dente in the boiling stage and it is going to bake to tender or your desired tenderness in the oven stage.