Growing up with an Italian heritage -- and according to Ancestry.com my lineage is about 50% Italian as my parents always asserted -- we ate pasta frequently. I still enjoy it; but all I'd ever learned about this staple is that it's a mortal sin to over cook it. I never could discern any significant taste difference among the many different dried pastas I've eaten.
Recently; I've learned something new. Extrusion methods matter.
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Food photo created by timolina - www.freepik.com |
I'm going to rethink that assumption and try steel cut oats (though I'm not crazy about oatmeal). I've stumbled upon a dried pasta called "Bronze Cut" which is a reference to the metallurgy involved with the device that extrudes and cuts the pasta.
For those interested in the science and engineering behind this alloy for pasta making purposes; here's an article. For the rest of us, suffice it to say that the bronze cut process produces a noodle that's less dense and more porous. It simply tastes better and it adheres to sauce (or sauce adheres to the pasta) ….better. That's all I know.
It costs more; but worth it. Bon Appetit!