Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Your favorite brand of pasta


ghostrider

Recommended Posts

Rustichella d’Abruzzo - http://www.rustichella.it/English/home_eng.html - is one of my favorites.

Bigoli Nobili is another.

Try the multi-colored Pastificio Pozzo del Re ... beautiful and delicious.

Overall, any of the "rustic," Italian-made pastas that have been extruded through brass dies and which are slow dried do it for me.

 ... Shel


 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the time..regular ole Brialla.. Works for me too. I can pick it up for less than 1 dollar for a 16 oz box..comes in a lot of styles. When you feed 20 plus people on Sundays..regularly..it becomes economic.

Can you still buy Barilla in 1-lb boxes? Edited by Shel_B (log)

 ... Shel


 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have access to it, Heston Blumenthal's "in Search of Perfection" book (and show with less detail) discusses what he finds important in good pasta. I learned a lot reading it. Bronze extrusion was a consideration. Of the mass market brands, my recollection is that Barilla was one he liked. His highest remmendation went toa brand that I cannot find in the US at a reasonable price.

I used to choose Barilla. But after reading HB I switched to the Fresh Market-branded pasta. I am probably in the minority and do not like Rustichella d'Abruzzo. I can't explain why, but preferences are sometimes like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know I'll double ck!! I have about 20-25 box's

+

Most of the time..regular ole Brialla.. Works for me too. I can pick it up for less than 1 dollar for a 16 oz box..comes in a lot of styles. When you feed 20 plus people on Sundays..regularly..it becomes economic.

Can you still buy Barilla in 1-lb boxes?

Its good to have Morels

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some additional data: An interesting dried-pasta tasting

So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness."

So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the time..regular ole Brialla.. Works for me too. I can pick it up for less than 1 dollar for a 16 oz box..comes in a lot of styles. When you feed 20 plus people on Sundays..regularly..it becomes economic.

Can you still buy Barilla in 1-lb boxes?

Well..Mine are!!

454g = 1# according to Barilla

Its good to have Morels

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Growing up, the only pasta in the house was San Giorgio. In my own house, I stock Barilla. They're both fairly priced, and of good quality. Occasionally, I buy a brand from Whole Foods (the name escapes me) that uses a Jerusalem artichoke flour blend. I find that blend works well when using fettuccine noodles doused in a cream based sauce.

“You can’t define these in a recipe. You can only know them...”

-- Julia Child

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DeCecco is the only brand of dried pasta I have used for many years. I try to avoid cooking with dried pasta, but far too often I am lazy.

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

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd say egg pasta and water pasta (for lack of a better term) are different animals, as it were. As I recall MC has a topic about adding zanthan gum to egg pasta to endow it with the bite of a good commercial water pasta. Normal egg pasta is more tender. If egg pasta is even slightly over cooked it is not a nice experience.

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

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use home branded artisan pasta imported by my local Italian providore. Someone above mentioned bronze die extrusion. This leaves little ridges down the pasta to which the sauce will stick. This type of extruded pasta is a level above Barilla (which is good for a mass produced product) and typically a bit more expensive but the difference is noticeable and worth pursuing.

  • Like 1

Nick Reynolds, aka "nickrey"

"The Internet is full of false information." Plato
My eG Foodblog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't De Cecco made in bronze dies? I don't eat much pasta but I remember the raw product having a rougher feel (in a good way) than most other brands

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=setaro+pasta&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=33127594307&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1234567890&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_16freczrlm_e/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=setaro+pasta&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=33127594307&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1234567890&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_16freczrlm_e&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20">Setaro brand dried pasta from Naples. Comes in 1 kilo packages for about $7.

Barilla is produced both in Italy and in the U.S. The American product is fortified with niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin and folic acid, whereas the Italian product only lists two ingredients: semolina and durum flours. For the money, they're both pretty reliable.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really dislike Barilla. As everyday pasta I like De Cecco much more. As a nicer brand I like Cocco.

Interesting. I'm just the opposite - I dislike De Cecco - the texture is too heavy.

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I probably eat more of the Barilla Plus (a multigrain version of the usual stuff) than anything else. I do like the texture--it's a firm bite.

I've tried that and found it satisfactory. Nice texture and flavor. It's got a bit of earthiness to it that's appropriate in some situations.

 ... Shel


 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With so many recommendations for Barilla, I bought a box a couple of weeks ago, and tonight I tried it in a Cacio e Pepe. Got home from a short outing and wanted a quick snack.

I cooked the pasta precisely according to the directions, and it turned out nicely al dente. Other than that, it was a disappointment. Not very flavorful, and although cooked al dente, there was an outer layer to the pasta that was mushy - I'd bite through the mushiness to get to the good stuff.

I think I'll stick to the artisanal brands I've tried and liked. Sure, they're more expensive, but I eat pasta so infrequently, I want to really enjoy every bite.

 ... Shel


 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

De Cecco is what's usually available in the shops here in the UK, so I go with that. Or Garofalo if I'm in Costco. But really, I buy anything that's been made using bronze die extrusion. The smooth nylon die stuff that you normally get in supermarkets is just unpleasant as the sauce doesn't seem to adhere to it very well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...