Pasta has existed since the days of the Roman Empire and remains one of the most versatile cooking ingredients, as no storage room or cupboard should be without it. It can be combined with meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, or even a simple herb sauce to create a mouthwatering and nutritious meal within minutes.
Most pasta is made from durum wheat flour and contains protein and carbohydrates. It is a good source of slow-release energy and has the additional advantage of being value for money.
There are as many as 200 different pasta shapes and about three times as many names for them. New shapes are being designed and named allt the time and the same shape might be called a different name in different regions in Itally. Some types of pasta are the agnolotti, anelli, bucatini, cannelloni, capalletti, ditali, elicje, farfalle, fettuccine, fusilli, lasagne, linguini, macaroni, penne, ravioli, rigatoni, spaghetti and tagliatelle. Many can be found in both dried and fresh forms, but unless you have access to a good, Italian delicatessen, it is probably not worth buying fresh unfilled pasta, even from supermarkets that sell high-quality tortellini, capalletti, ravioli, and...