Dried Pasta

Dried pasta is one of the main staples of the modern pantry. It’s always on hand, quick and easy to prepare.
Dried pasta is also sturdier than fresh and pairs with more flavour options than delicate-tasting fresh pasta.

Dried pasta is the one to choose for hearty tomato sauces. It has also traditionally been used to hold richer, oil-based sauces that contain olives, anchovies, meat or seafood, as it has a firmer, denser texture than fresh pasta when cooked. Flavours such as spinach and tomato may also be added to dried pasta. When shopping, it is worth spending a little extra money when buying dried pasta and getting a good-quality brand—inferior brands can have a disappointing texture.

Dried pasta is made with flour, water and sometimes eggs and oil. Dried pasta made with 100 per cent durum wheat flour (durum wheat is a variety with a higher gluten content) is considered to be of superior quality. Pasta made with wholemeal flour is darker and nuttier in flavour. Dried pastas can also be made with flour ground from other cereals, such as corn, buckwheat, rice and soya beans.

There are many shapes and sizes and a lot of information can be gleaned from the name of a type of pasta. A name ending in -ricce means the pasta has a wavy edge; rigate means ridged; and lisce means smooth surfaced. Some names are visual descriptions of the shape: orecchiette are little ears; eliche (a type of spiral pasta) are propellers; ditali (small short tubes) are thimbles; conchiglie are shells; linguine are little tongues; while vermicelli are little worms.

Dried long pasta can partner well with smooth tomato, creamy or oily sauces. Some of the wider long pastas can hold meat sauces too, as there is room for the sauce to nestle and cling to the pasta. Types include spaghetti, spaghettini, angel hair, linguine, fettuccine, pappardelle and reginette.

Dried shapes for baking are perfect for meat and vegetable pasta dishes—it’s convenient to use dried pasta for these dishes as you can keep various types on hand at all times.

Some recipes call for them to be blanched before filling or layering. Types include lasagne sheets, cannelloni, conchiglioni and ziti.

Dried large shapes are great for chunky sauces as the dips and curves give the sauce something to cling to. Types include conchiglie, penne, rigatoni, pipe rigate, fusilli, orecchiette, rotelle and casarecci.

Dried small shapes are traditionally used with a simple sauce or as part of a soup. Children generally love small pasta shapes too. Types include macaroni, cavatelle, anelli, ditalini, stellini and risoni (also known as orzo).