SOME INFORMATION ON PASTA

Typical Cuisine and ingredients from MOLISE

Living off the land is a vital aspect of Molisani tradition, and much of its agricultural pursuits are small-scale, reflecting the region’s sparse population base. Most people live in rural areas where subsistence farming is both traditional and necessary to keep families fed and healthy. Sheep, goats, pigs and cattle stock have been cultivated for centuries in Molise, but have historically been raised as a form of currency rather than food, giving rise to the transumanza tradition of traveling with one’s livestock to Abruzzo for sale at the markets. Because animals have been generally raised for sale, Molisani recipes are often vegetarian or use very small amounts of meat just for flavoring. Most dishes are prepared simply and with few ingredients, and work well within the region’s lingering transumanza mindset.

Beans, potatoes, grapes and olives are primary crops of the region, and the culinary tradition is quite similar to that of nearby Abruzzo with liberal use of olive oil, chilies and garlic. Durum wheat is also important to the region, so pastas are both hearty and abundant. Of the few distinct dishes native to Molise, p'lenta d'iragn is the one gracing almost every Molisani table when simple, pure comfort food is in order. A humble but delicious dish, this polenta variation is made from potatoes and wheat and is topped with a tomato sauce. Other polenta dishes are common throughout the region, and many recipes bear the markings of influence from surrounding regions. Even the flavors of nearby Croatia have made their way into the Molisani melting pot. Try this simple Polenta Crostini with Spicy Tomato Sauce in your own kitchen for a little taste of Molise

Pasta is a noodle made from an unleavened dough of a durum wheat flour mixed with water and formed into sheets or various shapes, then cooked and served in any number of dishes. It can be made with flour from other cereals or grains, and eggs may be used instead of water. Pastas may be divided into two broad categories, dried (pasta secca) and fresh (pasta fresca). Chicken eggs frequently dominate as the source of the liquid component in fresh pasta

Most dried pasta is commercially produced via an extrusion process. Both dried and fresh pasta come in a number of shapes and varieties, with

310 specific forms known variably by over 1300 names having been documented. Common forms of pasta include long shapes, short shapes, tubes, flat shapes and sheets, miniature soup shapes, filled or stuffed, and specialty or decorative shapes.

As a category in Italian cuisine, both fresh and dried pastas are classically used in one of three kinds of prepared dishes. As pasta asciutta (or pastasciutta) cooked pasta is plated and served with a complementary sauce or condiment. A second classification of pasta dishes is pasta in brodo in which the pasta is part of a soup-type dish. A third category is pasta al forno in which the pasta incorporated into a dish that is subsequently baked.

Pasta is generally a simple dish,versatile food item. Some pasta dishes are served as a first course in Italy because the portion sizes are small and simple. Pasta is also prepared in light lunches, such as salads or large portion sizes for dinner. It can be prepared by hand or food processor and served hot or cold. Pasta sauces vary in taste, color and texture. When choosing which type of pasta and sauce to serve together, there is a general rule that must be observed. Simple sauces like pesto are ideal for long and thin strands of pasta while tomato sauce combines well with thicker pastas. Thicker and chunkier sauces have the better ability to cling onto the holes and cuts of short, tubular, twisted pastas.

EtymologyFirst attested in English in 1874, the

word pasta comes from Italian pasta, in turn from Latin pasta "dough, pastry cake", itself the latinisation of the Greek παστά (pasta) "barley porridge", in turn from παστός (pastos), "sprinkled with salt, salted.

In modern times “It is estimated that Italians eat over sixty pounds of pasta

per person, per year, easily beating Americans, who eat about twenty pounds per person.”  Pasta is so beloved in the nation of Italy that individual consumption exceeds the average production of wheat of the country; thus Italy frequently imports wheat for pasta making.

Pasta was originally solely a part of Italian and European cuisine owing to its popularity there. With an increase in popularity on a world-wide scale, pasta has crossed international borders and it is now a popular form of fast food and a staple in North America and elsewhere. This is due to the great amount of Italian immigration into Canada and the United States around the beginning of the 20th century. Similarly an immense immigration of Italians into South Africa ensured that spaghetti with meatballs became an essential part of South African cuisine.

History In the 1st century BC writings of Horace, lagana (Sing.: laganum) were fine

sheets of fried dough  and were an everyday foodstuff. Writing in the 2nd century Athenaeus of Naucratis provides a recipe for lagana which he attributes to the 1st century Chrysippus of Tyana: sheets of dough made of wheat flour and the juice of crushed lettuce, then flavoured with spices and deep-fried in oil An early 5th century cookbook describes a dish called lagana that consisted of layers of dough with meat stuffing, a possible ancestor of modern-day lasagna  The first concrete information concerning pasta products in Italy dates from the 13th or 14th century.

Historians have noted several lexical milestones relevant to pasta, none of which changes these basic characteristics. For example, the works of the 2nd century AD Greek physician Galen mention itrion, homogeneous compounds made up of flour and water  The Jerusalem Talmud records that itrium, a kind of boiled dough,  was common in Palestine from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD. A dictionary compiled by the 9th century Arab physician and lexicographer Isho bar defines itriyya, the Arabic cognate, as string-like shapes made of semolina and dried before cooking. The geographical text of Muhammad al-Idrisi, compiled for the Norman King of Sicily Roger II in 1154 mentions itriyya manufactured and exported from Norman Sicily.

According to historians like Charles Perry, the Arabs adapted noodles for long journeys in the 5th century, the first written record of dry pasta] The dried pasta introduced was being produced in great quantities in Palermo at that time]

In North Africa, a food similar to pasta, known as couscous, has been eaten for centuries. However, it lacks the distinguishing malleable nature of pasta, couscous being more akin to droplets of dough. At first, dry pasta was a luxury item in Italy because of high labor costs; durum wheat semolina had to be kneaded for a long time.

There is a legend of Marco Polo importing pasta from  which originated with the Macaroni Journal, published by an association of food industries with the goal of promoting the use of pasta in the United StatesRustichello da Pisa writes in his Travels that Marco Polo described a food similar to "lagana". .[

In the 14th and 15th centuries, dried pasta became popular for its easy storage. This allowed people to store dried pasta in ships when exploring the New World A century later, pasta was present around the globe during the voyages of discovery.[The invention of the first tomato sauces dates back from the late 18th century.

Before tomato sauce was introduced, pasta was eaten dry with the fingers; the liquid sauce demanded the use of a fork.

Ingredients Lasagne Since the time of Cato, basic pasta dough has been made mostly of wheat

flour or semolina,  with durum wheat used predominantely in the South of Italy and soft wheat in the North. Regionally other grains have been used, including those from barley, buckwheat, rye, rice, and maize, as well as chestnut and chickpea flours. In modern times to meet the demands of both health conscious and coeliac sufferers the use of rice, maize and whole durum wheat has become commercially significant. Grain flours may also be supplemented with cooked potatoes.

Beyond hens' eggs and water, liquids have included duck eggs, milk or cream, olive or walnut oil, wine, ink from octopus, squid or cuttlefish, and even pigs' blood. Other additions to the basic flour-liquid mixture may include vegetables purees such as spinach or tomato, mushrooms, cheeses, herbs, spices and other seasonings. While pastas are, most typically, made from unleavened doughs, the use of yeast-raised doughs are also known for at least nine different pasta forms.

FreshFresh pasta is usually made with a mixture of eggs and all-purpose flour or “00” low gluten flour. Since it contains eggs, it is more tender compared to dried pasta and only takes about half the time to cook Delicate sauces are preferred for fresh pasta in order to let the pasta take front stageFresh pastas do not expand in size after cooking; therefore, one and a half pounds of pasta are needed to serve 4 people generously Fresh egg pasta is generally cut into strands of various widths and thicknesses depending on which pasta is to be made (e.g. fettuccine, pappardelle, and lasagne). It is best served with meat, cheese, or vegetables to create ravioli, tortellini, and cannelloni. Fresh egg pasta is well known in the Piedmont area near the border of France. In this area, dough is only made out of egg yolk and flour resulting in a very refined flavour and texture. This pasta is often served simply with butter sauce and thinly sliced truffles that are native to this region. In other areas, such as Apulia fresh pasta can be made without eggs. The only ingredients needed to make the pasta dough is semolina flour and water, which is often shaped into orecchiette orcavatelli. Fresh pasta for cavatelli is also popular in other places including Sicily. However, the dough is prepared differently: it is made of flour and ricotta cheese instead.DriedDried pasta can also be defined as factory-made pasta because it is usually produced in large amounts that require large machines with superior processing capabilities to manufacture.[Dried pasta is mainly shipped over to farther locations and has a longer shelf life. The ingredients required to make dried pasta include semolina flour and water. In contrast to fresh pasta, dried pasta needs to be dried at a low temperature for several days to evaporate all the moisture allowing it to be stored for a longer period. Dried pastas are best served in hearty dishes like ragu sauces, soups, and casseroles Once it is cooked, the dried pasta will usually increase in size by double of its original proportion. Therefore, approximately one pound of dried pasta serves up to four people The way to create the finest dried pasta is by mixing golden semolina flour, ground from durum wheat, with water. Good quality dried pasta is identified by its slight rough surface and compact body that helps maintain its firmness in cooking, since it swells considerably in size when cooked.  

MarketItaly produced 1,432,990 tons of spaghetti in 1955, of which 74,000 tons was exported, and had a production capacity of 3 million tons.[By 2011, the three largest producers of dried pasta were Italy (3,247,322 tonnes), the United States (3,000,000 tonnes), and Brazil (1,300,000 tonnes The largest per capita consumers of pasta in 2011 were Italy (26.0 kg/person), Venezuela (12.0 kg/person), Tunisia (11.7 kg/person), and Greece (10.4 kg/person).In the European Union, total pasta sales in 2008 were US $8.361 billion, of which $5.722 billion was for dried pasta, $2.244 billion was for fresh or chilled pasta, and $395 million was for canned or preserved pasta. In 2009, retail sales of pasta represented a $2.809 billion market in Italy, $1.402 billion in Germany, and $1.179 billion in France. Fresh pasta represented a $996 million market in Italy in 2008.[Italy is the world's largest exporter of pasta; in 2007, it exported 1.7 million tons of pasta, and the largest export markets were Germany (20.4%), France (13.7%), the United Kingdom (12.6%), the United States (9.5%), and Japan (4.25%). Italy's pasta exports represented 53% of its total production in 2007.

Pasta is mostly starch because it is made of flour. It also contains other minerals and vitamins either directly from wheat or from artificial enrichment. Whole wheat pasta contains considerable amounts of minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, selenium and manganese.  Pasta also contains a small amount of sodium, and has no cholesterol It contains vitamin B, which includes folic acid and niacin.The amount of proteins in pasta depends on the type of flour used to manufacture it. If it is made from durum wheat, the pasta contains proteins and gluten and six of the nine essential amino acidsIf the pasta is made with eggs, it contains more proteins.

Nutrition

WHAT TO TASTE

Dairy products are extremely popular in Molise region, in particular the caciocavallo and stracciata cheeses of Agnone and Upper Molise,” fior di latte” cow’s milk mozzarella from Boiano, buffalo mozzarella from Venafro.

Local wines particularly Tintilia, Biferno and Pentro are excellent. 

WHAT TO TASTE

There are many typical dishes in Molise: from maccheroni alla chitarra to pallotte (round balls) of egg and cheese, pasta and beans, polenta, lamb and roast turcinelli (lamb offal). Among the area’s best products , the extra virgin olive oil, Isernia truffle and durum wheat pasta stand out. There are several types of salami. The truffle, especially the black one (Tuber AestivumVitt.) or “scorzone”, is largely spread (the white truffle – Tuber Magnatum Pico – is less available) and is one of the most important richness of this Region