Pasta
Objectives:
• To explain the purposes of the flour
products used in pasta
• To understand the need and amount of
servings from pasta
• To experience the differences in fresh
and dried pasta
• To demonstrate the mechanics of
making homemade pasta and sauce
What is Pasta?
A mixture of flour & water
rolled thin then formed into
shapes, over 600 shapes
world wide.
Who’s eaten pasta within
the last week?
What kind?
Why is pasta so popular in our diets?
•
•
•
•
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Quick & easy to prepare
Inexpensive
Delicious
Nutritious
Versatile
What are the different ways that pasta
may be used in recipes?
•
Served hot or cold
•
Parts of the meal - Appetizers, Salads
Soups, desserts
•
Stuffed (spinach/ricotta)
•
With red sauces, cream sauces, garlic
How is Pasta Made
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZw5zMqmTdE
There are 2 types of pasta:
a. Dried:
• best with heartier, tomatobased sauce often with meat
•
Shelf life up to one year
•
1# dried pasta yields 3 pounds
after cooking.
b. Fresh:
• Best with rich cream, butter, &
cheese sauces ex. Alfredo
• May be wrapped in plastic & frozen
for 3 days
• Do not thaw before cooking
•
1# fresh pasta yields 2 pounds after
cooking.
The KEY to making a successful pasta is
Durum wheat which is a hard wheat.
Durum wheat:
• has a nutty flavor
• the ability to retain both shape and
firmness.
Homemade Pasta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV7_-_D26vY
Why…COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES?
•
Provides complex B vitamins. These
vitamins help the body to release
energy and to work more efficiently
•
Provides energy/fuel which is released
slowly
•
6 of the 8 essential amino acids
•
Athletes eat pasta because the complex
carbohydrates become glucose stored in
the muscles which release energy as
needed.
• Helps us feel full
• Provides some fiber in the diet
• Low in sodium
• Provides minerals such as iron &
calcium, folic acid(prevention of some
birth defects in pregnant women)
Kitchen family assignment
Create a low-fat, nutritional topping to
be used on any pasta.
Remember, it is not the pasta that is
fattening and high in calories but the
topping that you put with pasta.
List ways that you can make a pasta
dish healthy?
•
Tomato-based sauce provides
lycopene, a naturally occurring
antioxidant found in tomatoes
•
Low fat ingredients – ex. Cheeses,
low-fat or skim milk instead of
cream
•
Substitute non-fat yogurt, reduced fat
mayo, low-fat sour cream
•
Use whole grain/wheat pasta
•
Pasta itself has no fat, it is the sauces
etc.
•
Pair pasta with legumes such as
beans & lentils (protein rich)
•
Add vegetables
•
Use lean meats or fish
•
Use small amounts of oils
Where did pasta originate?
Italy, we like to say but it the Chinese
made these noodles first
Northern Italy :
Herbs & sauces with a lot of butter ,
cheeses for cream sauces
Rice's (risotto), corn for Polenta, gnocchi
Southern Italy:
Healthier, tomato sauces, olive oil,
eggplant
FUN FACTS
• The pasta machine was brought to
America by Thomas Jefferson.
• In 1848, the first pasta manufacturing
company was opened in Brooklyn, New
York.
• Pasta became an upscale menu item in
the 1980’s .
What is the best way to store cooked
pasta?
• Refrigerate in airtight container 3 to 5
days (add a bit of oil to prevent
sticking)
• Freeze pasta’s that are used in baked
recipes
• Best to prepare, freeze and then bake
• Store uncooked, dry pasta up to one
year in a cool, dry place.
Long Pasta
Commonly used by Easterners
Short Pasta
Commonly used by Midwesterners
Soup Pasta
Makes clear soups more nutritional
Shaped Pasta
Ravioli
Often stuffed
Canelloni
Tortellini
How to Cook Pasta Perfectly
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u
0p_dBCEDs4
Cooking Tips
• Cooking time determined by size
and thickness of pasta
• Cooked “al Dente” means
firm but not soggy
• Fresh pasta usually requires
shorter cooking time
“Shocking” pasta means:
• Rinsing cold water over pasta to stop
the cooking process.
• Shock angel hair pasta, pasta to be
used in soups, salads and pasta
needed to be refrigerated
Additional notes:
• A serving of pasta is __________ cooked
pasta.
½ cup
• No more than ¼ portion of your plates
should be grains.
• 1 c. pasta = 200 calories
• At least 1/2 of your daily servings of
grains should be whole grain.
• The key to success in making pasta
from scratch is using durum wheat
which is refined into semolina flour
which creates a high quality of pasta.
All-purpose flour vs. Semolina flour
White
Smooth
Yellow
Coarse
• 3 or more servings of whole grains
per day (which is at least ½ of your
servings of whole grains).
• ____ of our diet should be
composed of complex
carbohydrates.
55% - 60%
What is the purpose of:
• Adding salt to the water?
flavor
• Oil to water?
none
The End