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About Pasta
 "Pasta," an Italian word meaning paste, describes the various shapes and sizes of products made with flour and water. There are at least 350 shapes and possibly 600 shapes worldwide. Pasta shapes can be used interchangeably in recipes. A general guideline to selecting shapes: thin delicate pasta should be served with light, thin sauces; thicker shapes work well with heavier sauces; and pasta shapes with holes or ridges are best for chunkier sauces. Some shapes have ridges that hold sauce better.
- Pasta can be purchased plain or in a variety of colors and flavors-tomato, spinach, herb and whole wheat, to name a few. Good quality pasta is a golden color, with a fine even grain. Pasta that is too white or too gray indicates poor quality flour; the pasta will not cook properly and will be limp and sticky and the water will be cloudy after cooking.
- Allow 2 ounces of dry pasta for a side dish serving and 4 ounces for a main dish serving. Although it will vary with the shape, 1 pound of pasta will yield about 8 cups of cooked pasta.
- To cook pasta, boil 4 to 6 quarts of water for 1 pound of dry pasta. Add salt if desired.
- Follow package directions for cooking time. If the recipe requires additional cooking, undercook pasta by one-third of the time specified on the package. Pasta should be cooked "al dente" meaning "to the tooth," or tender, yet firm. It should be slightly resistant to the bite, yet cooked through. Drain pasta to stop the cooking action. Do not rinse unless the recipe specifically says to do so. For salads, drain and rinse pasta with cold water.
- If cooked pasta is not to be used immediately, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Allowing the pasta to sit in water will cause it to absorb water and become mushy. When the pasta has cooled, toss lightly with salad oil to prevent it from sticking and drying out. Cover tightly and refrigerate or freeze. Refrigerate the pasta and sauce separately or the pasta will become soggy.
- Dry pasta can be stored up to two years if kept in a tightly sealed package or a covered container in a cool, dry place.
- To reheat, put pasta in a colander and immerse in rapidly boiling water just long enough to heat through. Pasta may also be reheated in a microwave.
- Nutritional value -- the 2000 "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" recommends six to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice and pasta daily, with at least three of the servings being whole-grain. One serving is one-half cup of cooked pasta. Pasta is a complex carbohydrate and very low in fat, calories, sodium and cholesterol.
- The nutrient profile for a 1/2-cup cooked, enriched pasta includes: Calories, 98; Carbohydrate, 20 g; Cholesterol, 0 mg; Dietary Fiber, 1 g; Fat (Total), .5 g; Potassium, 49.5 mg; Protein, 3.4 g; Sodium, 4.3 mg; Selenium, 3.4 mcg; Zinc, .2 mg; Folic Acid, 60 mg
Photo courtesy of the Wheat Foods Council.
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