The first thing that comes to mind at the mention of Italian cuisine Italian Cuisine   - Pizza, pasta followed! Soft pasta with tomato or meat sauce, pasta with light salads, pastas, casseroles, pasta - main courses - the variations are infinite! For lovers of Italian cuisine in general and pasta in particular we have made this brief article about the kinds of pasta and how to paste can be the basis of a healthy diet.

Italian pasta

Pasta - any pasta - literally translated from Italian means "dough." Pasta, by law, must be made of durum wheat, besides Italians eat pasta «al dente», that is undercooked. It is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Most types of pasta, which can be seen on store shelves, cook pasta grains. Pasta - affordable and nutritious basis of any meal, you can add vegetables, meat, nuts and legumes - and delicious dish is ready! Spinach, asparagus, beans or pasta will make even more nutritious and beneficial.

Types of pasta

Here are some tips on how to deal in a variety of varieties of paste. First of all, distinguish fresh and dried pasta. Dry pasta - it's pasta, which are sold in shops, of all colors, shapes and sizes. Dried pasta is very convenient, because when properly stored, it is stored for a long time in good condition, much better than fresh pasta. Dried pasta perfectly with heavy sauces. Fresh pasta, judging from the title, a soft and tender, because it is not yet hardened. Fresh pasta is usually sold in the form of skeins of bands, and it can not be stored for more than 5 days in the refrigerator. Fresh pasta is best to cook with light sauces and tender, as it perfectly absorbs moisture.

In Italy, pasta produce the most bizarre, and some forms indicate in what region or city in Italy it did. Also, there are special forms for cooking pasta. Dry pasta is prepared from flour or durum wheat (di semola di grano duro) or egg dough (pasta all'uovo). Exotic form a paste prepared by compressing in a special shaped forms or matrices. The most popular long thin pasta - spaghetti (Spagetti), spagettini (Spaghetteni) and bucatini (Bucatini). Pasta short cylindrical shape is often used in soups and casseroles Casseroles. The variety and economy . Strips of pasta - fetuchchine (Fettuccine), tagliatelle (Tagliatelle) and linguine (Linguine) usually served with spicy sauce, or tomato-based fish (such as mackerel or smoked tuna) and cream sauce mascarpone (mascarpone). Pasta sheet (eg, lasagna (lasagna) and cannelloni (cannelloni)) is used for cooking casseroles. Pasta in the form of snails, shells and spirals will not only give the salad or main dish original taste, but original form. Small curly pasta (in the form of stars, bears, grains) to complement your soup. Red pepper, mushrooms, saffron, lemon, garlic and other seasonings and spices invariably accompany the pasta, giving it a sharp unique taste. Pasta egg test has a different smell and bright saturated yellow What color is combined yellow: Armed and Fabulous .

How to choose a paste

• Pasta Good quality does not stick together. Signs of quality pasta - a dense texture and a bright amber color. Pasta that stick together, are not suitable for cooking.
• The hallmark of quality pasta - a light nutty flavor.
• Pasta that does not hang limply, and a little springy, perfectly combined with a variety of sauces.

Dietetic pasta

As the paste has a low glycemic index (GI - the ability of a product to be processed into blood glucose), it does not cause an increase in blood sugar levels. In addition, the paste - an excellent source of B vitamins group, iron and niacin. The paste contains almost no sodium or cholesterol, of course, if not accompanied by a very fat sauce. Sometimes fresh pasta made from vegetable puree. Fresh egg pasta dough contains more fat than dry pasta. Sauces with seafood and vegetables lowers the paste of fat and cholesterol. You can find a paste of flour from whole grains, pasta with the addition of soy flour, wheat germ and dairy products.

The popularity of diets low in carbohydrates (eg Atkins diet) led to the fall in sales of pasta, which is known to be rich in carbohydrates. Therefore, many of the leading manufacturers of pasta began to produce pasta are low in carbohydrates. To prepare a paste using soy flour and egg whites, increasing protein content. Usually, 7 ounces of cooked pasta with low-carb contain 7 grams of carbohydrates - compare with 42 grams of carbohydrates in a conventional paste. Pasta with a low carb diet is a bit more expensive than the usual paste but, in the opinion of the majority of customers, can not be compared to her liking.

The machine for the production of pasta

Company Chitarra - one of the oldest and best-known manufacturers of pasta. The company was founded at the beginning of the XIX century in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo, Italy. Most of the machines for the production of paste made of chromed stainless steel, which provides a high level of safety. Mechanical machines for the production of paste is cut into strips of pre-rolled dough. Before loading the dough into the machine, you need to prepare a place for the unfolding of the finished paste (it should be powdered with flour surface to fresh pasta is stuck). On sale are also available and electric cars to cooking pasta various shapes - to change the shape enough to change the matrix. Modern cars are equipped with matrices and for making pasta shaped most bizarre, such as wheels or bows.

The main thing that you need for cooking pasta at home - high-quality flour and the dough of suitable consistency. Electric machine for the production of paste allows you to cook a lot of pasta in a short time. However, such a machine is not easy to clean, because the dough is almost every detail. In addition, electric cars are more expensive than mechanical - the price can reach $ 400. If you regularly have to cook the pasta, the purchase of such machines - a good investment. Homemade pasta requires more time and effort, as well as some skill and experience. Learn how to cook fresh pasta from the usual cereal flour or pasta. Careful and efficient use of flavorings significantly enrich the taste of any paste.

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