L'amore Italian Restaurant

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What Makes Italian Pasta Different From Other Types of Pasta?

It is difficult to beat the pasta dishes that come from Italy. When people think about this boot-shaped country, they usually think about delicious wine, bread, and pasta. What makes Italian pasta better than pasta from other countries? There are several important points everyone should keep in mind. 

Italian Pasta Is Made Differently

First, Italian pasta usually tastes better because it is made differently. Italian pasta has to adhere to strict standards that have been set by the government. Usually, Italian pasta is made from 100 percent durum wheat, which is usually called semolina flour. Therefore, Italian pasta is higher in protein. Semolina flour also stands up to the rigors of the cooking process much better than other types of flour. What Italian pasta has been dried slowly, it retains some of the flavor and texture of the semolina flour, contributing to its unique flavor. 

The Water Plays A Major Role In The Cooking Process

Even though flour is important when making pasta, water is also important. Some people believe that water is only there to make the pasta softer, but the ingredients in the water also play a role. For example, there are a lot of countries that add certain chemicals to the water to make it safer. Even though this may be helpful in some situations, this is not necessarily great for cooking. For example, a lot of the water that Italians use in their cooking comes straight from the Alps. It doesn’t get much cleaner than that. This water improves the cooking process when making Italian pasta. 

Italian Pasta Dishes Are Properly Balanced

Finally, Italians have a lot of experience cooking pasta. As a culture, they have a significant amount of experience balancing their dishes. Usually, Italian sauce is relatively simple, showing respect for the quality of the pasta. For example, in Italian pasta sauce could be as simple as adding chopped garlic, chili, and olive oil. This allows the unique texture and flavor of the pasta to shine through. 

Get The Best Pasta From Italy

These are a few of the most important reasons why Italian pasta is simply better. Anyone who is looking for a delicious pasta dish should head over to L’Amore Restaurant for the best pasta.

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How To Make The Perfect Italian Pasta Sauce

If you are looking for the best way to make Italian pasta, then it is important for you not to overlook the sauce. When people think about Italian pasta, they usually think about Al Dente perfection. Even though this is incredibly important for your pasta dish, the sauce is just as important. Italian pasta sauce usually has a strong base with a bit of bite at the end of it. The secret is in the ingredients. 

Select Fresh Ingredients For Your Foundation

First, you need to make sure that you select fresh ingredients as the foundation of your pasta sauce. Even though you can certainly purchase something out of a jar, this is not going to create authentic Italian pasta sauce. Make sure that you select high-quality, extra virgin olive oil. Try to find an olive oil that comes in a dark bottle instead of a clear bottle. If the light strikes the clear bottle, is going to ruin the olive oil quickly. Then, make sure that you go with fresh garlic cloves instead of garlic powder. This is going to dramatically improve the quality of your sauce. Finally, don’t skimp on the air. Oregano, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes are going to go well with fresh tomatoes to create the body of your sauce. 

Allow The Sauce Time To Mix

When you put all of the ingredients together in the pot, make sure that you do not rush the process. You need to provide the sauce with plenty of time to sit. Do not hesitate to taste it along the way. Even though you might be worried about overpowering some of the flavors with your herbs and spices, this is also an incredibly important part of making perfect Italian pasta sauce. Spices and herbs are going to go a long way toward creating the authentic thing. 

Select The Right Pairing

Depending on what you are planning on serving with the pasta sauce, there are plenty of sauces from which to choose. Some of the most popular examples include marinara, arrabbiata, and vodka sauce. Do not hesitate to mix and match your meat, noodles, and vegetables with these various sauces. This can go a long way toward helping you figure out how to make the perfect Italian pasta sauce. After a few attempts, you should be able to bring Italy right to your kitchen!

 

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How Many Different Pasta Shapes are There?

We all know about spaghetti, penne, rigatoni and other pasta shapes, but did you know there are over 350 different pasta shapes?

That’s right. You can choose from hundreds of different types of pasta for your next authentic Italian meal – whether dining in or out. Read on to learn more about the fascinating world of pasta.

Pasta Groups

Overall, pasta is classified into different groups. For example there is the long pasta group, the tube pasta group, the soup pasta group, the stuffed pasta group, and the special shapes pasta group. Each group has a number of different kinds of pasta attributed to it.

Spaghetti and angel hair fit into the long group, while penne is considered a tube pasta, orzo and alphabet are soup pastas, ravioli and tortellini are stuffed pasta, and fusilli and farfalle are considered special shape pasta. Not only are there many different shapes, but many types of pasta have more than one name. For example, farfalle is also called bowtie or butterfly pasta.

Pasta Shapes

So why are there so many different pasta shapes?

The answer is simple. Texture and sauce.

The way pasta holds a sauce is paramount to Italian cooking. In general, chefs use different pasta shapes and sizes depending upon what kind of sauce they want to cook. For example, if a chef makes a superior thin sauce, he’ll want to pair it with thin pasta like angel hair.

On the other hand, if he prepares a thick sauce, he will serve it with a thick pasta, such as rigatoni whose grooves will hold the thick sauce for optimum flavor.  A cream sauce goes best with flat pasta, such as linguine while a traditional tomato sauce goes best with round shaped pasta like shells.

When it comes to stuffed pasta, ravioli, manicotti, and large shells are just some options. For soups, pastine, which means little pasta, is another great choice.

Why not make an effort to try a pasta shape you’ve never had before? Either choose something new from the menu at your favorite Italian restaurant or try your hand at cooking with a pasta shape you’ve never used.

There are multiple recipe books on the market that focus strictly on pasta shapes, how to cook them, and what sauces to pair with them. By experimenting with different pasta shapes, you’ll open a whole new world of Italian cuisine that you never even knew existed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tips for Making the Perfect Al Dente Pasta

How many times each week are you eating pasta?

If you are like other people throughout the country, this is likely a staple in your diet.

It’s easy, quick and filling. Also, you can prepare it a number of ways. However, to cook the perfect pasta, you have to know how to cook something al dente.

This means that it is still firm to the bite, but delicious and perfect for multiple meals a week. Al dente means the pasta isn’t hard, chalky, too soft, etc. After all, there isn’t anything quite as bad as overcooked pasta – it will ruin the entire meal.

Some tips to help you cook perfect al dente pasta can be found here.

The Al Dente Pasta Preparation

One of the biggest pasta “fouls” is just grabbing a pot, filling it with water, and dumping pasta in before the water even boils. Not only that but using a pot that is too small for the past you are cooking.

To make perfect al dente pasta, you need to start with a large pot so that your pasta can move freely. A general rule of thumb to follow is to use five to six quarts of water per pound of pasta you are cooking.

Boil the water. Don’t try to jump ahead. You need to make sure the water is at a hard boil, at which point you will add approximately two tablespoons of salt. Once the salt is added, add your pasta and allow the water to reach a hard boil once again.

General Tips for Cooking

When you add the pasta, you can add a lid to the pot to help it reach a boil faster; however, you should remove it as soon as it begins to boil again. This will prevent it from boiling over.

Another tip you can use is to stir the pasta constantly for the initial one to two minutes – but just the initial few minutes. This will help prevent sticking.

When the cooking process is done, you should taste your pasta. It should have an al dente bite if you cooked it properly. If the pasta is undercooked it will have a chalky and stiff center, but if it is overcooked, the noodles are going to be soggy and limp.

What You Should Never Do When Cooking Pasta

When cooking pasta, if you want to make sure it reaches that al dente cooked level, make sure to avoid doing the following things:

  • Never add oil
  • Don’t wait for the pasta to completely cool to add the sauce
  • Don’t rinse the pasta unless you are making a cold dish

Now you have the knowledge to make perfectly al dente pasta every time. You will find that once you get the hang of what to do, it is actually easy to achieve this cooked perfection each time you make pasta.

 

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3159 E Lincoln Dr
Phoenix , AZ 85016
Phone: 602.381.3159

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Credit for most photos: Kay W. Eskridge: Images By Kay

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Mon – Sat: 4pm–9pm
Saturday Dinner: 4pm–9pm

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