Pasta & Noodles

VRQ2 TheoryVRQ2 TheoryUnit 712Unit 712UPK 712UPK 712

Origins of Pasta

• Pasta means “paste” or “dough” in Italian• It is one of the simplest forms of cereal product

manufactured• There has been long controversy surrounding

the origins of Pasta, did Marco Polo bring it back from China?

• Noodles were developed in China, but pasta in different forms’ has been available ever since wheat has been cultivated.

Dried Pasta

• Pasta is made from hard Durum Wheat (high in Gluten)

• This type of wheat produces a flour that is not as elastic as bread flour glutens

• In dried Pasta, only water is added, and mixed into dough

Dried Pasta

• This is then allowed to relax to allow the starch to hydrate and the glutens to form

• The pasta dough is then extruded at high pressure through dies into the forms required and dried

Dried Pasta

• Durum wheat pastas tend not to be made with eggs as their glutens are strong and abundant enough to hold the structure together

Cookery of Dried Pasta• Best boiled in a large

pan with 1 litre of water with 10g salt for every 100g of dried pasta

• Cook till al dente, just when it has lost it rawness but still firm

• If not to be used immediately, refresh and dress with oil to prevent sticking

Fresh Pasta

• These Pastas are made with standard bread flour and fresh eggs

• Whole eggs or just the yolks can be used

• The use of eggs has a twofold benefit, better flavour and improved cooking characteristics

Fresh Pasta

• Fresh Pastas must be laminated in order to remove any air bubbles and to layer the glutens

• This allows the formation of thin pasta sheets

• Care must be taken in the preparation and storage of Fresh Pasta due to the use of raw eggs

Cooking Fresh Pasta• Fresh Pasta only needs

to be cooked for a few minutes, unlike dry pasta

• Should be cooked to order, no holding as this ruins the quality

• If cooking filled pasta, the pasta should be slightly thicker to allow for the heating of the filling and no over cooking of the pasta

• Fresh pasta , like dry pasta, will continue to absorb liquids, so make sure you add a little more sauce than required

Types of Filled Pasta

• Tortellini• Ravioli• Capeletti• Mezzeluna

Things to remember when making filled pasta

• The Filling is equal in all pieces• The edges are firmly sealed• Make sure you have enough ingredients to meet

your needs• The pasta is rolled out to the necessary degree

of thinness• The position of the dish on a menu• Don’t over sauce

Noodles• Wheat is a crop that originated in the

middle and far east

• Noodles and other variations of, have been around for thousands of years

• Other sources of starch and flours have been used in the manufacture of noodles

• Different preparation and cookery methods have developed because of this

Wheat based Noodles

• The type of wheat that is grown the most in the far east is soft (low gluten content).

• This noodle base needs salt in order to strengthen the glutens and to prevent leakage of starch from the gluten network

Rice Based Noodles• Rice is the primary

staple in the Far East• Rice when ground

down into flour can be used to make noodles

• This flour has no starch, so it has to be partially cooked before being made into noodles

Starch based Noodles• Far Eastern countries

have access to various types of pulses and tubers that are high in Starch that can be used to manufacture noodles

• Mung Beans, Sweet Potato, Yam, Tapioca and Buckwheat

Cookery of Starch based Noodles• Because most starch

based noodles are cooked and then dried, you only need to re-hydrate them

• Do not over soak as they will go sticky or break down

• Mainly served with soup or stir fried

Questions ????