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Bucatini or Perciatelli?


Sid Post

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19 hours ago, Sid Post said:

Any comments on Colavita versus De Cecco versus Kroger Private Selection?  Those are the main "premium" brands in the <$4 range that I have reasonable access too (reasonable quantity, reasonable shipping, or reasonably close).

 

 

I think I'd rate the Kroger Private Selection above the De Cecco.  I've bought the latter before and, while better than generic, did not lead me to repurchase.  The Kroger brand however was an immediate winner.  I haven't tried the bucatini but the spaghetti and fettuccine are permanent staples for me now.

 

Now I need to figure out a use for 2 pounds of generic spaghetti I still have in my spaghetti canister.

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6 minutes ago, IndyRob said:

Now I need to figure out a use for 2 pounds of generic spaghetti I still have in my spaghetti canister.

Toasted pilaf and similar preps like these  https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/toasted-spaghetti-clams  and https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pilaf-with-vermicelli

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7 minutes ago, heidih said:

We call this "roni" in our house, short for and a home made version of Rice-a-roni.   A staple side-dish here.   My problem is that breaking spaghetti into 3/4" pieces, as we like to do, really does a number on my hands.    i wonder what would happen if you threw it into a processor?   Besides ear-splitting noise...

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eGullet member #80.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/31/2021 at 3:41 AM, Chimayo Joe said:

A couple of more fairly inexpensive bucatini possibilites are Safeway's Signature Reserve store brand and the Barilla Collezione line.  I've never had either, but Signature Reserve is a bronze cut Italian import and Barilla Collezione is bronze cut(but U.S. made, I think.)

 

There aren't any Safeway stores in my state.  Sounds like it might worthwhile to see if I can find some when I go to see my sister in another state.

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16 minutes ago, Sid Post said:

I'm looking forward to a trip to a town at 45 minutes away to go to a Kroger store and buy some of the pasta so highly recommended here.

The Kroger website appears to have a 'ship' option if you buy three or more.  Oddly, it's cheaper than the in-store price (before shipping I assume).

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On 12/31/2021 at 12:04 AM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

If you are searching for "quality pasta, not cheap mass-market pasta from the local grocery store" expect to pay more than your $2-$3 per pound limit.  This should not be a hardship.  We are not talking sashimi tuna here.  Besides, the more the pasta costs, the closer to free shipping.

 

My favorite commercial bucatini is Rustichella D'Abruzzo.  I buy from supermarketitaly.com.  Sadly I see they are currently sold out.  Always remembering the siege of Paris, thankfully I hoarded for the pandemic.  Last night's pasta was Rustichella D'Abruzzo linguini...

 

Dinner12302021.jpg

 

I also posses bucatini dies, and am not above extruding bucatini myself in an emergency.

 

As an aside, I used to be a fan of Colavita products until I read The Deadly Dinner Party.  In a way I feel sorry for the company, but more sorry for the poor people who gave up their lives.  I also recall an olive oil review that found half of Colavita olive oil samples were adulterated.  (Although Colavita was the least adulterated of any of the olive oil brands tested.)

 

 

I read the phrase "garlic oil" in a search of Deadly Dinner Party...botulism?

 

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3 hours ago, Sid Post said:

 

There aren't any Safeway stores in my state.  Sounds like it might worthwhile to see if I can find some when I go to see my sister in another state.

Albertsons and Safeway are owned by the same company.  You might try Albertsons if you have one nearby.

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3 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

I read the phrase "garlic oil" in a search of Deadly Dinner Party...botulism?

 

 

Botulism.  It was embarrassing for their PR.

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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On 12/31/2021 at 2:41 AM, Chimayo Joe said:

A couple of more fairly inexpensive bucatini possibilites are Safeway's Signature Reserve store brand and the Barilla Collezione line.  I've never had either, but Signature Reserve is a bronze cut Italian import and Barilla Collezione is bronze cut(but U.S. made, I think.)


I've had both of these bucatini now, Barilla Collezione a week or so ago and Signature Reserve earlier today.  They seem decent quality to me, but maybe I'm not too hard to please with pastas.  I don't buy a lot of bucatinis, so I don't know how much variation there is, but the Barilla Collezione bucatini is thinner than any I've had before which made it a bit easier to control on the fork but less bucatini-like to me.

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Regarding the size, with a lot of the Italian imports I see different sizes available with Bucatini. 

 

Regarding Barilla, I find it to be better than Skinner and American Beauty but, that is like saying I prefer it to the pasty glue we had in grade school!  With a ~20 cent premium over the common mass market pasta brands I guess my expectations are a bit high.  To be honest, in back to back personal tests of Barilla and Great Value (Walmart store brand) I find so little difference I'd call them the same personally.  Taste and texture to me of these two is basically the same and Great Value is about 40 cents cheaper on a 1lb box.

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1 hour ago, Sid Post said:

 

 

Regarding Barilla, I find it to be better than Skinner and American Beauty but, that is like saying I prefer it to the pasty glue we had in grade school!  With a ~20 cent premium over the common mass market pasta brands I guess my expectations are a bit high.  To be honest, in back to back personal tests of Barilla and Great Value (Walmart store brand) I find so little difference I'd call them the same personally.  Taste and texture to me of these two is basically the same and Great Value is about 40 cents cheaper on a 1lb box.

Barilla Collezione is definitely better than standard Barilla.  It only comes in 8 shapes some of which don't interest me, and one of the shapes that does interest me (casarecce), my supermarket doesn't have.  I'll probably get around to trying the rigatoni, penne, and spaghetti, but it will probably be a while because I'm well stocked with other brands right now.  
 

Speaking of Walmart, Sam's Choice Italia pasta from there isn't bad.  Not many choices for shapes, but it's bronze cut,  imported from Italy, and very inexpensive.  
 

Huh, I just checked Walmart's website, and it looks like Sam's Choice Italia pasta may not be available. Hope it hasn't been discontinued.  I have one package of spaghetti and one package of penne left. I've had their trompetti and fusilli, too.  Not a great fan of the trompetti shape, but I think the Sam's Choice was all I had locally for that.

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39 minutes ago, Chimayo Joe said:

Barilla Collezione is definitely better than standard Barilla.  It only comes in 8 shapes some of which don't interest me, and one of the shapes that does interest me (casarecce), my supermarket doesn't have.  I'll probably get around to trying the rigatoni, penne, and spaghetti, but it will probably be a while because I'm well stocked with other brands right now.  
 

Speaking of Walmart, Sam's Choice Italia pasta from there isn't bad.  Not many choices for shapes, but it's bronze cut,  imported from Italy, and very inexpensive.  

 

You do realize there is no difference (ingredients-wise) btwn collezione and regular?  Maybe the cut is ever so slightly different achieved by 'using traditional Italian bronze plates for a homemade "al dente" texture'.  Appears to be a (good) marketing ploy for new or limited release shapes. 

 

https://www.barilla.com/en-us/products/pasta/classic-blue-box/penne

https://www.barilla.com/en-us/products/pasta/collezione/penne

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6 hours ago, Eatmywords said:

 

Maybe the cut is ever so slightly different achieved by 'using traditional Italian bronze plates

 

https://www.barilla.com/en-us/products/pasta/classic-blue-box/penne

https://www.barilla.com/en-us/products/pasta/collezione/penne

The surface texture that bronze dies produce isn't a slight difference for me.  Maybe that matters less to some people.  If that's the case, Collezione may not be better than regular Barilla for them.

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On 1/15/2022 at 9:45 AM, Chimayo Joe said:

Barilla Collezione is definitely better than standard Barilla.  
 

Speaking of Walmart, Sam's Choice Italia pasta from there isn't bad.  
 

Huh, I just checked Walmart's website, and it looks like Sam's Choice Italia pasta may not be available. Hope it hasn't been discontinued.  I have one package of spaghetti and one package of penne left. I've had their trompetti and fusilli, too.  Not a great fan of the trompetti shape, but I think the Sam's Choice was all I had locally for that.

 

Regarding Walmart generally and Walmart.com specifically, there is no pasta available from "Great Value", "Sam's Choice" or, Barilla Collezione though I saw some Tortellini once on the shelf.

 

The "LOCUSTS" seem to really scarf up all the pasta round here in East Texas.

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On 1/15/2022 at 10:36 AM, Eatmywords said:

 

You do realize there is no difference (ingredients-wise) btwn collezione and regular?  Maybe the cut is ever so slightly different achieved by 'using traditional Italian bronze plates for a homemade "al dente" texture'.  Appears to be a (good) marketing ploy for new or limited release shapes. 

 

https://www.barilla.com/en-us/products/pasta/classic-blue-box/penne

https://www.barilla.com/en-us/products/pasta/collezione/penne

 

A lot of products with the SAME ingredients taste really different.  Bread and Beer are two obvious ones to me.  Beer brewed with the German Purity law have the same base ingredients but, in my experience over there vary in taste and mouth feel significantly.  German bakeries use common ingredients but, the variety of bread is enormous.

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