Pasta: history of occurrence, types, composition, calorie content and benefits. How to choose high-quality and healthy pasta.

Pasta is a dried dough product that is kneaded with water and flour. In many countries, another name is common, which came to us from Italy - pasta. Flour is used wheat, less often - buckwheat and rice.
According to statistics, pasta is most loved in Italy, Venezuela, Greece, Tunisia, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and Russia. But if the average Italian eats about 26 kg of pasta per year, then the Russian is able to master only 6 kg.

Origin story

Most people associate pasta with Italian cuisine, but China is considered the real homeland of the popular product: it was from there that the merchant and traveler Marco Polo brought the secret of making pasta. True, scientists are still arguing where pasta appeared earlier - in Greece, Egypt, China, or still in sunny Italy. Be that as it may, it is Italian cuisine that cannot be imagined without pasta, it is in this country that so many of its varieties have appeared.

Today, store shelves are overflowing with pasta of various shapes, colors and sizes, from domestic and foreign manufacturers. But how not to get lost in this diversity? Is it possible to purchase a high-quality product, because pasta is often accused of being high in calories and completely lacking in useful ingredients? This is what we will try to find out, but we will start with the classification of pasta.

Types of pasta, benefits and calories

There are several criteria by which pasta is classified: the main ones are the composition and shape of the products. The taste, appearance, useful properties and cost of the finished product depend on the raw materials and technologies that were used in its manufacture.

1. Form
In appearance, pasta is divided into 5 volumetric groups: long, short, small, curly (bows, shells, horns) and pasta with filling. Separately, it is worth highlighting a pasta made from wholemeal flour, intended for diet food: usually such pasta has a brownish-gray color.

2. Composition
The classic pasta recipe is simple - water and flour. But why then some pasta is healthy, while others are harmful to health and contribute to weight gain?

The quality and usefulness of pasta depends, first of all, on the flour that goes into their production. According to the standards in force in Russia, there are three groups of pasta: A, B and C. The first category includes pasta made exclusively from wholemeal flour: it is obtained from durum wheat (most often it is the durum variety). Grade B pasta is made from glassy flour of soft cereals. Group B includes products made from baking flour.

Pasta that belongs to category A is the most useful and low-calorie. They store vitamins and minerals, they provide the body with fiber and complex carbohydrates - substances that help get rid of toxins and maintain a feeling of satiety for a long time.

The flour from which class B pasta is made is devoid of most of the useful components. In addition, it contains a lot of harmful amorphous starch. And baking flour, which is used for the production of category B pasta, is a completely purified, which means a completely useless product.

In some European countries, in particular in Italy, pasta is made only from healthy hard varieties of cereals, and this is monitored at the legislative level. Everything else is considered fake. It is a pity that our government is not so strict about pasta.

Benefits of durum wheat pasta

Whole grain pasta retains all the beneficial properties of cereals. Thanks to complex carbohydrates that are slowly broken down, maintaining a feeling of satiety for a long time and not being deposited as fat in “problem areas”, they are safe for the figure. They gain weight not from pasta, but from those additives with which they are eaten - from high-calorie sauces, butter, cheese and mayonnaise.

Durum wheat pasta is a source of natural fiber, vegetable protein, vitamins E and group B. Of the trace elements, they contain iron, manganese, potassium, and phosphorus. The vegetable protein in pasta is a supplier of tryptophan, an amino acid involved in the production of the "hormone of joy" serotonin. That's why pasta is good to eat when the blues are overwhelmed.

calories

100 g of dry durum wheat pasta contains about 330-350 kcal. Boiled pasta has lower calorie content - 100-125 kcal per 100 g of product; nutritional value: carbohydrates - 70 g, proteins - 10 g, fats - 1 g per 100 g of product.

What to look for when buying pasta?

1 package
Quality pasta is never sold by weight. Tightly soldered, sealed packaging with a transparent window through which you can evaluate the appearance of the product is a sign of good pasta.

2. Composition
Flour + water - nothing else should be in real pasta. The following inscriptions on the label speak of the high quality of pasta: “pasta di grano duro”, “pasta di semola di grano duro”, “exclusively from durum wheat”, “class A, premium” (GOST 875-92 in Russia) .

3. Structure
High-quality pasta has a smooth, as if polished surface. Products are whole, with a "glassy" break, without broken specimens, crumbs and flour in the package. Wholemeal pasta bends easily, but breaks with difficulty.

4. Color
Healthy pasta has a smooth, natural creamy, golden or amber yellow translucent hue. Snow-white, poisonous yellow or dirty gray color indicates a violation of production technology, the addition of low-quality flour, the use of artificial dyes in order to mask low-quality raw materials.

As for colored paste, it can only be useful if it contains natural dyes (beets, carrots, spinach, turmeric, tomatoes, cuttlefish ink). A small amount of black inclusions indicates the high quality of the products (these are particles of the grain shell).

5. Cooking
High-quality pasta is cooked for about 8-10 minutes, while it does not boil soft, retain its shape, does not stick together (therefore, it is not necessary to rinse the “correct” pasta with cold water after cooking), almost does not change color, and the water does not become cloudy during and after cooking, remains almost transparent.

6. Taste
The bitter taste of boiled pasta indicates that they are made from poor flour, which has been stored for a long time and has gone rancid.

7. Price
Quality pasta can't be suspiciously cheap. It is very important to know that the inscription on the package “from durum wheat” does not yet mean that the pasta is of high quality: whole grain flour may be present in such products in small quantities. Look for pasta that says "only durum wheat" on the package.

As you can see, choosing healthy pasta is not difficult at all. You just need to remember simple rules. If you want to diversify your home menu, you can’t think of anything better than pasta: you can please children with cute butterflies, multi-colored shells, bells with wavy edges, surprise guests with twisted spirals or wide noodles with corrugated edges, and add tiny stars, miniature rings or pasta in the form of letters - to persuade the child to eat it. Buy only healthy pasta and eat healthy!

In the usual sense, any diet is inextricably linked with the need to give up many foods, which include pasta. This dish, which came to us from Italy, has tightly entered the diet of most people, so giving it up even for the duration of the diet is not an easy task.

Those who decide to put their figure in order, get rid of excess weight and find strength in themselves for life do not have to limit themselves to such a product as pasta. However, in this case, strict adherence to the measure and the selection of high-quality samples made exclusively from durum wheat are necessary.

Nutritionists have long debunked the common myth that pasta causes weight gain. Products made from soft wheat varieties consist mainly of flour, which has virtually no benefit to the body.

Eating such products negatively affects the state of the pancreas, forcing it to produce insulin in excess. As a result of regularly eating pasta from soft varieties, blood pressure rises, body fat accumulates and there is a risk of developing diabetes.

Products from hard varieties, on the contrary, are rich in easily digestible protein, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and a number of B vitamins.

Fat in such pasta is completely absent, but it is a product with and does not actually affect the increase in blood sugar levels. Complex carbohydrates, which are part of durum wheat pasta, contribute to the long-term preservation of the feeling of satiety and increased production of serotonin. Thanks to this neurotransmitter, mood improves, which is very important during any diet.

Durum pasta and diet: are they compatible?

Vegetable protein is essential in the construction of a competent dietary diet. The starch contained in durum wheat pasta is not destroyed during grinding and does not lose its own structure, which makes it harmless to the human body. Slow carbohydrates are broken down over a long period of time, and do not have the ability to accumulate in the form of various deposits and excess weight.

Durum pasta is rich in fiber, which provides invaluable assistance with any diet, ridding the intestines of all kinds of toxins.

Composition and calories

Class A pasta made from durum (durum wheat) consists of the following components:

• Water.
• Durum wheat.
• 100 grams of such pasta contains about 338 kcal.
• 11-14 grams of protein.
• About 70 grams of carbohydrates.
• The fat content per 100 g of the product should not exceed 1.5%.

In addition, durum pasta is rich in such vitamins, minerals and trace elements:

• Sulfur.
• Copper.
• Zinc.
• Iron.
• Magnesium.
• Sodium.
• Calcium.
• Potassium.
• Choline.
• Biotin.
• Vitamins of groups B, PP

How to choose?

The packaging itself should contain information that the pasta is made from durum wheat or "durum".

The surface of the pasta should have dark dots, which are residues directly from the grain shells.

Soft pasta has similar dots of white. Quality products should be golden or amber in color. If there are fragments of pasta or crumbs inside the pack, then this clearly indicates a low quality product.

Finished products should not stick together, form lumps, boil soft and remain elastic. After cooking, the portion size is approximately doubled. The water remaining from cooking pasta should be relatively clear and in no case cloudy.

Otherwise, it can be argued that the composition of these products contains harmful starch, which is characteristic of soft wheat varieties.

The cost below one US dollar for a pack of 400-500 grams should alert the buyer, since the price of products from durum wheat is much higher than analogues from soft varieties.

Deciphering information on packages

When losing weight, you should not buy pasta, which contains the following components:

• Synthetic flavors.
• Salt.
• Traces of dairy products such as .
• Eggs.
• Artificial colors and preservatives.

Additives such as paprika, natural tomato or spinach powder do not pose a health risk and can be used in the diet. The package must contain the inscription “durum”, “durum wheat”, “group A” or “1st class”. Unlike pasta made from soft varieties, durum spaghetti bends perfectly and is quite durable. In order to break them, you need to make some effort.

How to cook pasta so as not to get fat?

It is important not only to choose a really high-quality product, but also to cook it correctly so that it does not lose its beneficial properties. Usually they are boiled until “al dente” (hard inside, soft outside) in this way:

1. It is necessary to put water on the fire at the rate of 1 liter per 100 grams of pasta.
2. Products are thrown into salted boiled water.
3. Stir the pasta for the first two to three minutes of cooking.
4. After seven to eight minutes, the dish is completely ready.

For people on a diet, it is unacceptable to eat pasta and pasta from durum wheat with various sauces, cheese and other fatty foods.

All kinds of vegetables and herbs are considered the best additive for such products.

Spinach, broccoli, green beans, carrots, tomatoes and other ingredients are added to pasta in virtually any amount without the risk of gaining excess weight. A small amount of extra virgin olive oil can be used as a dressing.

Video: durum wheat pasta

Durum pasta is an excellent option for a complete dietary dish that does not affect the occurrence of body fat. It is best to consume this product in small portions in the morning during breakfast or lunch.

Be sure to read about it

Pasta- long, fiber-like dough products, usually made from wheat flour with water. Another name for pasta, more common in other countries, is pasta (ital. pasta).

First of all, Italian cuisine is associated with pasta, but meanwhile, the real homeland of this product, popular in every family, even outside of Italy, is China. It was from there that the traveler Marco Polo brought the secret of making pasta.

Types of pasta

There are dozens and even hundreds of varieties of pasta (pasta) in Italy. Different shape, color, thickness, ingredients, cooking speed... Only a real Italian will not get confused in this abundance of pasta forms, but all Italian pasta can be divided into 3 types:

• Long pasta (Pasta lunga)
• Short pasta (Pasta corta)
• Stuffed pasta (Pasta ripiena)

According to the composition of the dough, pasta is divided into products only from durum wheat (ital. pasta di semola di grano duro) and on products with the addition of eggs (ital. pasta all'uovo).

Durum wheat pasta better, but more expensive. Durum wheat pasta has no fat and contains more vegetable protein than soft pasta. Carbohydrates in them break down more slowly and are not deposited in “problem areas”.

In Italy, for example, there is a special law that states: pasta - only from durum wheat, everything else - pasta. In Russia, the best pasta made from hard flour of the highest grade can be recognized by the marking "Group A. Premium". Experts assure that durum pasta will not add a single gram to your weight. But soft wheat pasta is the opposite. According to GOST, a pack of “soft” pasta says “Group B”, “1st or 2nd class of flour”.

The ending in the name of pasta indicates the size of the product:

• oni- large
• ette or etti- small
• ini- small

According to the shape, pasta is divided into five types:

1. Long Pasta

• capellini(ital. Capellini) are long, rounded and very thin. They are sometimes also referred to as angel hair". They are consumed only hot, with light sauces, broths, or simply mixed with olive oil and boiled vegetables.
• Vermicelli (Vermicelli) - long, rounded and rather thin (1.4 mm - 1.8 mm). Their name is translated from Italian as " little worms". They are consumed hot, sometimes cold, with light sauces or broken and mixed with vegetable salads.
• Spaghetti (Spaghetti) the most popular pasta in the world: long, roundish medium thickness. Their name translates as " small ropes". They are consumed only hot, with tomato sauces or in casseroles.
• Spaghettini (Spaghettini) are thinner than spaghetti.
• Bucatini (Bucatini).
• Tagliatelle (Tagliatelle) - long noodles.
• Fettuccine (Fettuccine) - thin flat strips of dough about 2.5 cm wide. They can be straight or slightly curved. Most commonly used in food preparation Fettuccine Alfredo, are used only hot, with thick sauces, especially good with creamy sauces.
• lasagna (Lasagne) - long and very wide, can be with straight or curly edges. The casserole is also called exactly the same, with their use. They are consumed only hot, they are laid in a form, in layers, spreading each layer with a thick tomato or cream sauce, and baked.
• lasagnette- wide noodles with corrugated edges.
• Linguine (Linguine) are long, flat and narrow, slightly longer than spaghetti. Their name is translated from Italian as " small tongues».
• Papardelle- flat noodles about 2 cm wide.
• Pasta (Maccheroni).

2. Short Pasta

• Fusilli (Fusilli) - in the form of an Archimedes screw (spiral).
• Pene (Penne) - tubules up to 10 mm in diameter and up to 40 mm long with diagonal cut edges (feathers).
• penne rigate (penne rigate) - corrugated feathers.
• Cannelloni (cannelloni) - tubes with a diameter of up to 30 mm and a length of up to 100 mm. As a rule, they are prepared with a filling.
• Cellentani (Cellentani) - spiral tubes. Details - tubes.

3. Fine pasta for soups

• Anelli (Anelli) - miniature rings for soups.
• Stelline (Stelline) are asterisks.
• Ditalini Orecchiete- small items in the form of ears, " letters».

4. Curly paste

5. Pasta stuffed

Disputes about whether pasta can be used for type 2 diabetes or not are still ongoing in the medical environment. It is known that this is a high-calorie product, which means it can do harm.

But at the same time, pasta ideas contain a lot of useful and irreplaceable vitamins and microelements, which are so necessary for the normal digestion of a sick person.

So can you eat pasta with type 2 diabetes? Despite the ambiguity of the issue, doctors recommend including this product in the diabetic diet. Products made from durum wheat are best suited.

Due to the high calorie content of pasta, the question arises of which varieties can be consumed in diabetes. If the product is made from fine flour, then they can be eaten. In type 1 diabetes, they can even be considered beneficial if they are prepared correctly. It is important to calculate the portion according to.

The best solution for diabetes are durum wheat products, as they have a very rich mineral and vitamin composition (iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, vitamins B, E, PP) and contain the amino acid tryptophan, which reduces depression and improves sleep.

Useful pasta can only be from durum wheat

Fiber in the composition of pasta perfectly removes toxins from the body. It eliminates dysbacteriosis and restrains sugar levels, while saturating the body with proteins and complex ones. Fiber gives you a feeling of satiety. In addition, products of hard varieties do not allow blood glucose to change sharply in their values.

Pasta has the following properties:

• 15 g correspond to 1 bread unit;
• 5 tbsp product correspond to 100 kcal;
• increase the initial characteristics of glucose in the body by 1.8 mmol / l.

Nutritionists treat pasta (another name is pasta or spaghetti) with caution, not advising to consume them in large quantities, as this can lead to overweight.

Is it possible to have pasta with diabetes?

Although it sounds unusual, however, pasta, prepared in the right way, can be useful for diabetics to promote health.

We are talking only about pasta from durum wheat. It is known that diabetes is insulin-dependent (type 1) and insulin-independent (type 2).

The first type does not limit the use of pasta, if timely is observed.

Therefore, only a doctor will determine the correct dosage to compensate for the received carbohydrates. But with type 2 disease, pasta is strictly forbidden to use. In this case, the high fiber content in the product is very harmful to the health of the patient.

With diabetes, the correct use of pasta is very important. So with types 1 and 2 of the disease, the paste has a beneficial effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

The use of pasta in diabetes should be subject to the following rules:

• combine them with vitamin and mineral complexes;
• add fruits to food and.

Diabetics should remember that starchy foods and foods rich in fiber should be consumed in moderation.

With types 1 and 2 of the disease, the amount of pasta should be agreed with the doctor. If negative effects are observed, the recommended dose is halved (replaced by vegetables).

Durum pasta is indicated for both types of diabetes, as they contain "slow" glucose, which maintains normal sugar levels. This product can be called dietary, since starch is contained in it not in its pure form, but in crystalline form.

How to choose?

There are few regions where durum wheat grows in our country. This crop gives a good harvest only under certain climatic conditions, and its processing is too time-consuming and financially costly.

Therefore, high-quality pasta is imported from abroad. And although the price of such a product is higher, durum wheat pasta has a low as well as a high concentration of nutrients.

Many countries in Europe have banned the production of products from "soft" wheat, as they do not have any nutritional value. So, what kind of pasta can you eat with type 2 diabetes?

To find out which grain was used in the manufacture of pasta, you need to know its encoding (indicated on the pack):

• class A- hard varieties;
• class B- soft wheat (glassy);
• class B- baking flour.

When choosing pasta, pay attention to the information on the packaging.

Real pasta, useful for diabetes, will contain the following information:

• category "A";
• "1 class";
• "Durum" (imported pasta);
• "Made from durum wheat";
• the packaging must be partially transparent so that the product can be seen and heavy enough even with a small weight.

The composition of the product should not contain coloring or aromatic additives.

It is advisable to choose varieties of pasta made specifically for diabetic patients. Any other information (for example, category B or C) will mean that such a product is not suitable for diabetes.

Compared to "soft" wheat products, durum varieties contain more gluten and little starch. The glycemic index of durum wheat pasta is lower. So, the glycemic index of funchose (glass noodles) is 80 units, pasta from ordinary (soft) wheat varieties GI is 60-69, and from durum varieties - 40-49. High-quality rice noodles have a glycemic index of 65 units.

It is important for all diabetics to know the GI of the foods they consume. This will help them eat properly, despite a complex illness.

Rules of use

A very important point, along with the choice of high-quality pasta, is their correct (maximally useful) preparation. Naval pasta should be forgotten, as it involves minced meat fried in oil and sauce sauce.

This is a very dangerous combination, because it provokes the active production of glucose. Diabetics should only eat pasta with vegetables or fruits. Sometimes you can add lean meat (beef) or vegetable, unsweetened sauce.

Preparing pasta is quite simple - they are boiled in water. But even here there are some "subtleties":

• do not salt the water;
• do not add vegetable oil;
• do not finish.

Only by following these rules, people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes will provide themselves with the most complete set of minerals and vitamins contained in the product (in fiber). During the cooking process, pasta should always be tasted so as not to miss the moment of readiness.

When cooked properly, the pasta will be a little firm. It is important to eat a freshly prepared product, it is better to refuse “yesterday's” portions. Cooked according to all the rules, pasta is best eaten with vegetables, and refuse from additives in the form of meat. Frequent use of the described products is also undesirable. The best interval between taking such dishes is 2 days.

The time of day when using pasta is also a very important point.

Doctors do not advise eating pasta in the evening, because the body will not “burn” the calories received before bedtime.

Therefore, the best time would be breakfast or lunch. Products from firm grades are made in a special way - by mechanical pressing of the dough (plasticization).

As a result of this processing, it is covered with a protective film that prevents the starch from turning into gelatin. The glycemic index of spaghetti (well cooked) is 55. Boiling the pasta for 5-6 minutes will lower the GI to 45. Cooking longer (13-15 minutes) raises the index value to 55 (from the initial value of 50).

The best pasta is undercooked.

How to cook?

Thick-walled dishes are best for cooking pasta.

For 100 g of product, 1 liter of water is taken. When the water starts to boil, add pasta.

It is important to stir them all the time and try. When the pasta is cooked, drain the water. You do not need to rinse them, so all the useful substances will be preserved.

Pasta is a very valuable product, with proper preparation and reasonable consumption, you can even lose some weight.

How much to consume?

With diabetes in any product, it is important to consider two indicators. First, it is a bread unit. It contains 12 g of carbohydrates (easily digestible).

Exceeding this rate makes the product dangerous, and blood glucose levels begin to rise.

Three full tablespoons of pasta, cooked without fat and sauces, corresponds to 2 XE. It is impossible to exceed this limit in type 1 diabetes.

Second, the glycemic index. In ordinary pasta, its value reaches 70. This is a very high figure. Therefore, with diabetes, it is better not to eat such a product. An exception is durum wheat pasta, which must be cooked without salt.

Type 2 diabetes and pasta is a rather dangerous combination, especially if the patient is overweight. Their reception should not exceed 2-3 times a week. With type 1 diabetes, there are no such restrictions.

If the disease is well compensated by taking insulin and the person is in good physical condition, properly prepared pasta can become a favorite dish.

Why you should not give up pasta with diabetes:

Durum pasta is great for a diabetic table.

It contains a lot of carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed by the body, giving a feeling of satiety for a long time. Pasta can become "harmful" only if it is cooked (digested) incorrectly.

The use of pasta from classical flour in diabetes leads to the formation of fatty deposits, since the body of a sick person cannot fully cope with the breakdown of fat cells. And products from hard varieties for type 1 diabetes are almost safe, they are satisfying and do not allow sharp jumps in blood glucose.

In type 2 diabetes, it is better to replace pasta with various cereals.

Related videos

So we found out whether it is possible to eat pasta with type 2 diabetes or not. Here are some tips on how to use them:

If you love pasta, you should not deny yourself such a "small" pleasure. Properly prepared pasta will not harm your figure, it is easily digested and energizes the body. With diabetes, pasta can and should be eaten. It is only important to coordinate their dosage with the doctor and adhere to the principles of the correct preparation of this wonderful product.

Some people think that all pasta is the same, and there is no difference between them, so you should take the cheapest one. Others, on the contrary, have extensive knowledge of the classification of pasta and have almost a dozen different options in the kitchen. Pasta is actually very diverse - not only in terms of shape, but also in terms of taste and composition. The choice of pasta is not something complicated and requires considerable knowledge - the only difficulty may be in finding products that have an optimal price-quality ratio.

Groups A, B and C

On the packaging of pasta, you can find information about which group they belong to. Group A is preferred over the other two. However, most pasta belongs to it. Sometimes you can find pasta of groups B and C - as a rule, these are the cheapest options, for example, "Red Price" from Pyaterochka and Perekrestok.

What does the phrase "group A" mean? The fact that the pasta was made from flour obtained from durum wheat, which contains a lot of gluten and little starch. Durum wheat pasta is tastier and has less effect on blood sugar (which is important, for example, for people with diabetes).

Group B pasta is made from flour obtained from so-called soft wheat; group B pasta - from baking flour.

Varieties

Pasta can be of the highest, first and second grades - depending on what grade of flour is used for their production. Now, in my opinion, only premium pasta is sold. I have not met others. Naturally, the highest grade is better than the first and second.

Russian or Italian?

Why pay big money for Italian pasta when Russian pasta is just as good? — so argue many buyers. Often this question does not arise before the buyer at all: he takes a package of pasta, focusing only on the price, brand or design of the package itself.

Indeed, quite decent pasta is produced in Russia, and sometimes they turn out to be tastier than budget Italian counterparts. Another thing is that now many Russian pasta costs the same as budget Italian pasta - if we take Italian ones produced by order of large chains (Magnit, Perekrestok). For example, Shchebekinsky pasta made in Russia costs slightly more than Pasta del Ricci pasta made in Italy by order of x5 Retail Group.

In any case, the best Italian pasta is tastier than the best Russian; moreover, they are much more diverse - in total there are more than a hundred varieties of Italian pasta! And many of them are available in Russian retail. Handmade pasta stands out especially, but now they are already very expensive.

Keep in mind that now, with the development of globalization, Italian branded pasta is no longer necessarily made in Italy. A striking example here is Barilla - part of the pasta of this brand is made in Greece, so if this is critical for you, you need to look at the label on the package.

Some interesting facts:

• Italy produces pasta mainly from wheat imported from the US and Canada.
• All Italian pasta belongs to group A, because the production of pasta of other groups is prohibited in this country.
• As a rule, pasta of real Italian brands is sold in packages weighing 500 grams, and pasta produced in Italy by order of Russian retail chains - in 450-gram packages. Russian pasta is packed in packages of either 450 or 400 grams; 500-gram packages are much less common.
• Pasta of the most promoted Italian brand Barilla in Italy itself costs 1.8-2.4 times cheaper than in Russia.

Weight of packing

When comparing prices for different brands of pasta, pay attention to the weight of the package. Usually there are three options: 400, 450, 500 grams. Sometimes there are 200, 250, 350 grams. For example, pasta for 45 rubles / 450 grams and pasta for 50 rubles / 500 grams cost exactly the same in terms of kilograms, and some elite Italian pasta for 100 rubles / 250 grams is not twice as expensive as pasta for 50 rubles / 500 grams, but four times.

Varieties of Italian pasta

There are just a huge number of them! I will mention only the most common, available in Russian stores.

Farfalle("butterflies", "bows") - one of my favorite varieties. They are easy to eat, they look original and beautiful. Small "butterflies" are called farfalette or farfallini. In Russia, in my opinion, pasta of this form is not made.

Fettuccine, pappardelle, tagliatelle- such long stripes with a width of 7, 13 and 5 millimeters, respectively. Eating them without proper skill is inconvenient.

Fusilli, fusillini- spirals, "spindles", if literally translated from Italian; they are made in large quantities in Russia. Fusilli are larger than fusillini; in general, "-ini" indicates a reduced size of the item.

penne rigate- tubes with oblique cuts and ribbed surface. There is also a subspecies of Penne lisce - with a smooth surface.

cannelloni- very thick, but short pasta with large cavities inside, which are supposed to be filled with minced meat and baked.

Lasagna- plates used for making lasagna.

- in fact, this is pasta (other types of pasta are not quite correct to call pasta). Classic tubes, quite thick and short.

Vermicelli- what we know as vermicelli. The name comes from the word verme, which means "worms" in Italian. This is a very thin pasta of medium length.

Spaghetti- classic spaghetti, long and thin. There is a smaller version: spaghettini.

Conchiglioni- giant "shells" that can be filled with stuffing.

Colored pasta

Of particular note is the so-called colored pasta. They, like their “colorless” counterparts, are produced in various forms. High-quality colored pasta is dyed only with natural dyes: red color is achieved by adding tomatoes, green - spinach. Cuttlefish ink can be used to produce a very dark color.

Colored pasta is more expensive than "colorless". One of the most affordable in Russia are colored pasta brands DonnaVera (Magnit, 45 rubles) and pastaZara (Crossroads, Victoria, 60-65 rubles). Both of them are made using only natural additives.

Pasta handmade

This paste is expensive. It often looks elegant and original, but it can also be quite standard in appearance. It usually costs 150 or more rubles per package, and the package may not contain 500 grams, but only 200-250. Suitable for gifts and special occasions.

Some brands, prices and personal impressions

red price- one of the cheapest pasta. They are sold in Pyaterochka and Perekrestok, they cost 9-10 rubles for a 400-gram package. The only pasta on the list that belongs to group B (the rest are group A). In my opinion, a classic example of a product from the "cheap and cheerful" series. The taste is pretty mediocre.

Fine- a good budget option. There are in Perekrestok and Pyaterochka, they cost about 20 rubles per 400 grams.

Just Macaroni- in my opinion, excellent, with excellent value for money. It is a pity that I met them only in one non-chain store, and then about a year ago. They cost 15 rubles / 400 grams.

Shchebekinskiye- regular pasta, nothing special. The price is too high in my opinion. In Auchan - 36 rubles / 450 grams, in Pyaterochka - 37 rubles, in Perekrestok and Victoria - 39-40 rubles.

Makfa- a little cheaper, but again not the best value for money. "Average" at a fairly high price. In Auchan - 32-33 rubles / 450-500 grams (depending on the variety), in Pyaterochka - 32-35 rubles, in Crossroads and Victoria - 36-37 rubles.

Veroni- are sold in Magnets, cost a little more than 20 rubles for a 400-gram package. Delicious, good value for money.

Now let's move on to Italian pasta.

PastaZara- In my opinion, excellent value for money. They cost 50 rubles / 500 grams (colored - 63-65 rubles, natural supplements). Meet in Auchan, Crossroads.

barilla- not bad, but too expensive. Overpayment for the brand and for a beautiful cardboard box. Pleases with a wide range, even in Russia. In Auchan - 70-75 rubles / 500 grams, at Crossroads - from 80 rubles, in Magnolia and Victoria - from 90 rubles.

Trattoria di Maestro Turatti- Crossroads, 49 rubles / 450 grams. Made in Italy by order of x5 Retail Group. Nothing special.

Pasta del Ricci- there are in Perekrestok and Pyaterochka, they cost 36 rubles / 450 grams. Similarly - Italy, but ordered by x5 Retail Group. Good value for money.

DonnaVera- sold in Magnit, made in Italy by order of CJSC Tander. They cost 45 rubles for 450 grams (in the "color" version). In my opinion, excellent value for money.

Italpasta- also made in Italy by order of CJSC "Tander" (Magnet). They cost a little more than 30 rubles for 450 grams. In my opinion, rather ordinary, but at the same time quite decent pasta. However, I don't want to buy again. By the way, it seems that there is another Italpasta brand, but I have not seen its pasta in Russia.

Maltagliati- original Italian brand; pasta of this brand is in Auchan and Victoria, they cost about 60 rubles per 500 grams. A good option, it is quite possible to buy.

Two main cooking levels

If in Russia pasta is cooked “to the end” and completely softened, then in Italy another method is common - “al dente”, when the pasta is not cooked “to the end”, and the middle of them remains a little hard and damp. It is believed that al dente pasta is healthier and tastier.