When we hear the term Italian cuisine, the first name that comes in our mind is pasta. Though it was originated in Italy, it is famous worldwide. Pasta is like noodles, made from certain grain flours with water and/or eggs mixtures. Among the different shapes and forms of pasta there are string shaped pasta called spaghetti and vermicelli. There are also ribbon shaped fettuccine and linguine, short tube shaped elbow macaroni and penne, tiny shapes like couscous and orzo and large shapes like lasagna. There are hollow pastas also like ravioli, manicotti and tortellini. You can have them stuffed with fillings. The paste is kneaded to give different shapes and forms. Pasta can also be the dishes where pasta is an important ingredient and served with sauce or different seasonings. Gnocchi is one of these pasta dishes. But here different ingredients are used and cooking process is also different.

You can also find frozen pasta all over the world. More varieties of pastas are mainly found in the places where the Italians and their culture have deep impact. There are companies that produce packed pastas that can be fresh for 7 weeks. According to FDA (Food and Drug Administration) of US, half cup of cooked pasta per day helps a person to meet the necessary folate level per day with an extra amount of 220 micrograms or more folate. Boiling pasta is the basic of recipes of all the pasta dishes. The sauces and the other ingredients make all the differences. There are obviously some exceptions like soups, gnocchi, lasagna and manicotti. But, as you know, exceptions cannot be the examples. There are some secrets for cooking pasta like cooking in salted water, adding the paste after the water starts boiling, stirring occasionally and fast draining and serving. Pastas do not need undercooking or overcooking. If there is any assistance that you need, always remember our website is only a click away.