Pasta Brand Preference ?

[Alexandria Profile]

Most people are veered toward a specific Brand of products and even have a substitute product preference ..

Any body have a Pasta Brand that they prefer ?

For Pasta: (Made in Italy ) ..

Pastificio dei Campi (Gragnano )
http://www.pastificiodeicampi.it
(Click English)


Best regards from
Cagliari.

[Renee Profile]

Here are a few of my favourites, Member 461:

Napolina bronze die pasta

Giuseppe Cocco Tagliatelle

Waitrose 1 paccheri rigati pasta tubes. This is made in Gragnano near Naples which is thought to be the birthplace of dried pasta, also made using bronze dies which create a lightly roughened texture.

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/ ... 400-499401

Thank you for the very interesting website.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

If I want REALLY good pasta, I make it myself.
If I want really good BRAND pasta, I buy Di Cecco.
But most times, unfortunately, we buy what´s available.

[Alexandria Profile]

Renée,

Thank you for all your feedback.

I have heard of the Italian brands that you have mentioned.

Yes, the texture of the pacchere tube pasta is a marvel.

Do you prepare baked pastas with pacchere ?

Best regards from Cagliari ..


Karakoolaide,

Great to see your participation.

Yes, nothing like a home made pasta !! If time permits ..

During the Christmas Season, my grandmothers, mom, mom in law, daughter in laws and I always make home made ravioli or agnoletti or tortellini or tortello ..

I have not seen Di Cecco in quite sometime. Perhaps they are not exporting to Spain.

All my best regards. Thanks ..

[Stokey Sue Profile]

My local Italian deli sells mainly Di Cecco so that tends to be what I buy

[Renee Profile]

Member 461, I made an Italian sauce with added parmesan to go with the pacchere tube pasta. I have never made a baked dish.

[Alexandria Profile]

Renée,

Sounds good .. I usually use large tube shaped pasta for baked dishes filled with goat or sheep cheese ricotta and herbs.

Have a lovely day.

Tomorrow it is back to tourism beginning in Cagliari .. We have had 3 days 2 nights "break" !! We needed it to travel from the northeast to the southeast of the island.

We are enjoying this historical port city tremendously .. Eating our way through the city of course.


Sue,

This is a good standard brand.

Have a nice summer ..

Best regards from Cagliari.

[Renee Profile]

Member 461, what a good idea to stuff the tubes with the ricotta and herbs. I can see that it would work very well. Do you cook the tubes first, or does this happen whilst being baked in a tomato sauce?

What a wonderful time you are having and eating your way through the city!

[Joanbunting Profile]

As some of you know I just can't stand pasta but I do make it fresh with the GCs and if I have to eat it I do prefer fresh to dried. I usually have some Italian brand - can't remember what - in the house but it is mostly for the hens - their favourite treat.

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,

Your hens must have some "palate" !

Yes, I love fresh pasta too. Unfortunately, as a Professional working woman, it is nearly impossible to prepare on a steady basis, but at Christmas time we all pitch in and prepare fresh ravioli, tortello, tortellini and agnoletti.

My Italian paternal grandmother prepares freshly made ravioli with: peeled chestnuts, honey, dark chocolate, mandarine and walnuts.

The homogenous filling is actually: Puréed chestnuts with honey and dark chocolate. They are drizzled with mandarine and a tiny sprinkle of broken walnuts for the topping.

Have a lovely August.
Best regards from Cagliari.

[Alexandria Profile]

Renée,

The pasta tubes are boiled until al dente only.

Then, strain and run cold water over the pasta tubes, so that you can handle them and pat dry thoroughly.

Then, prepare your ricotta herb mix and place inside the tubes .. You can use a stand up Mixer to provide a finer texture of ricotta and herbs if you wish.

Lay them down in a glass casserole or an earthenware on a bed of your tomato sauce.

Once they fill the baking vessel, pour your sauce over and sprinkle your cheese or bechamel and bake until the tubes are tender and the cheese or bechamel is piping hot !

Have a great day,
Best regards from Cagliari.

[Wic Profile]

I find filling the tubes quite fiddly. An easier way to create the same effect is to use fresh lasagne sheets. Put the filling along one edges, as when making a sausage roll, and roll the sheet round the filling. Then bake. You can make them as big or as small as you like.

[scullion Profile]

other than fresh homemade - which is a totally different animal, i have no preference over pasta brands. once they are coated with a sauce i'm not that discerning.
my only preference is for the very long spaghetti you can get rolled up in blue paper - length matters. it was the type we had at school - one string was a forkful when swizzled up. we had italian cooks so i think they had a lot of say about which spaghetti was used - as well as the huge, glass carboys of olive oil, in metal cages padded with straw that were lined up by the kitchen door.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I tried to get the long spaghetti in blue paper - the brand I knew was Lily - some time ago


RIP Lily and your medusa like spaghetti hair

[Alexandria Profile]

Wic,

It would be much easier to purchase cannellone squared sheets or lasagne rectangular sheets, however, Renée was asking about her pacchere tube pasta ..

One can fill the "pacchere pasta" with a "pastry decorator tube" that has a nozzle, except she would be filling the tool with ricotta combined with herbs ..

(I am sure this squeeze tube used for decorative frosting on cakes, or pasta fillings, which is what we use, has a name ! Just cannot think of it at the moment ) ..

Have a nice summer.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Member 461.
Do you think you could possibly stop posting like an automatic American hotel receptionist. It isn't sincere and 2Have a nice daay, Have a good Augus /summer whatever just makes you sound like robot.

You may very well be trying just to be friendly but it comes over as something else.

I don't wish to offend, just advise as to how some of your post come across.

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,

Received your note.

Just being polite, as in conversation in Spain and Italy too, we say same as I have written more or less.

Maybe you should have sent this privately ..

American Receptionist ?

Spanish 100 % !

[Wic Profile]

True, Member 461, but using fresh pasta sheets is so much easier.

[Amyw Profile]

Member 461.
Do you think you could possibly stop posting like an automatic American hotel receptionist. It isn't sincere and 2Have a nice daay, Have a good Augus /summer whatever just makes you sound like robot.

You may very well be trying just to be friendly but it comes over as something else.

I don't wish to offend, just advise as to how some of your post come across.

Agreed Joan and I think you worded it very well . Always difficult to "sound right" when writing

[Alexandria Profile]

Wic,


Yes, I agree, it is much simpler to use the canellone or lasagne sheets ..

Whch Brand do you purchase ( Pasta Sheets) or do you prepare your own ?

If you do use fresh made at home, which flour type do you
use ?