master-cooks | The Pasta Queen's Pro Tip For Choosing The Best Store Bought Pasta

The Pasta Queen, known for her culinary expertise and passion for Italian cuisine, offers valuable advice for selecting the best store-bought pasta. She emphasizes the importance of checking the ingredients list, advising that quality pasta should contain only two ingredients: durum wheat semolina and water. This ensures a firm texture and authentic taste. She also recommends examining the pasta's surface; a rough texture indicates it was made using traditional bronze dies, which helps the sauce cling better to the pasta. The Pasta Queen suggests considering the pasta's color, noting that a pale yellow hue often signifies high-quality wheat. Another tip is to pay attention to the cooking time indicated on the package; longer cooking times generally suggest better-quality pasta. She stresses the significance of finding the right shape to complement the sauce, as different shapes hold sauces differently. Lastly, she encourages experimenting with various brands to discover personal preferences and to always trust one's taste buds. By following these guidelines, pasta lovers can enjoy a delicious and authentic Italian dining experience, even when using store-bought options.

Popular high-quality pasta brands

Sourcing freshly-made pasta from Italy may not be practical for many home cooks, but understanding what to look for in supermarket pasta brands can help you create a dish worthy of a Pasta Queen. To simplify your shopping experience and avoid scrutinizing every pasta package at your local grocery store, consider opting for well-known brands recognized for their slow-dried, bronze die-cut pasta.

De Cecco is a budget-friendly option that offers a variety of pasta shapes, all crafted with bronze dies and slow-dried for up to 40 hours. DeLallo, a family-owned brand, also produces bronze die-cut pasta that is slow-dried at low temperatures. Rao's, famous for its pasta sauce, also makes slow-dried, bronze die-cut pasta. Another brand that meets Nadia Caterina Munno's standards is Rummo, which has patented its unique slow pasta-making technique. While high-quality pasta may be slightly pricier than those that are flash-dried and cut without a bronze die, it will impart a more authentic Italian flavor to your dishes.

From spaghetti cooking tips to inspiring kitchen wisdom, "The Pasta Queen" series is filled with heartfelt guidance from the queen of pasta. The next time you shop for pasta, remember Munno's labeling tips to ensure the freshest taste in your meal.

The Pasta Queen's Pro-Tip For Choosing The Best Store-Bought Pasta

Popular high-quality pasta brands

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