Grain
Pasta
Also called spaghetti, bucatini, tonnarelli
What it is
Durum wheat dough extruded or rolled, then dried or cooked fresh.
Origin
Italy, with older Mediterranean and East Asian noodle cousins.
Flavour
Wheaty, especially bronze-die dried pasta.
How to use it
Boil in well-salted water until just shy of done; finish in the pan with sauce and pasta water.
Storage
Dried pasta is pantry-stable. Fresh pasta is a fridge item.
Can you recognise Pasta?
Ingredient challengeQuestions about Pasta
From this ingredient's notes in the catalogue — not a chatbot.
What is Pasta?
Durum wheat dough extruded or rolled, then dried or cooked fresh.
How do I use Pasta?
Boil in well-salted water until just shy of done; finish in the pan with sauce and pasta water.
How do I store Pasta?
Dried pasta is pantry-stable. Fresh pasta is a fridge item.
What does it taste like?
Wheaty, especially bronze-die dried pasta.
What allergens should I watch?
Wheat. Check the packet in your kitchen.
Nutrition
Per 100g · estimate · USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables. Values are typical, not lab tests of your shopping bag.
Allergens: Wheat
Recipes using it
Shoyu ramen
醤油ラーメン
A soy-sauce ramen you can make at home without pretending you run a 20-year tonkotsu shop.
2 hrA bit of workNo chilli
Carbonara
Carbonara
Roman pasta of guanciale, egg, pecorino and pepper — no cream, no peas, no debate in this house except the usual one.
30 minMediumNo chilli
Cacio e pepe
Cacio e pepe
Pecorino, pepper and pasta water — a Roman emulsion that looks like nothing and fails if you rush it.
20 minMedium🌶️
Aglio e olio
Aglio e olio
Garlic, olive oil, chilli and pasta — midnight cooking that only works if the garlic does not burn.
17 minEasy🌶️
Amatriciana
Amatriciana
Guanciale, tomato and pecorino — the Roman-Amatrice pasta that is not a generic bacon-and-red-sauce.
30 minEasy🌶️
Pesto alla Genovese
Pesto alla Genovese
Basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and oil — pounded, not cooked, and not a jar of green oil.
27 minEasyNo chilli
Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma
Sicilian eggplant, tomato and salted ricotta — named for an opera, cooked like a Tuesday.
45 minEasyNo chilli
Pastitsio
παστίτσιο
Baked pasta, cinnamon meat sauce and béchamel — the other Greek tray, related to Italy and not a copy of it.
1 hr 40 minMediumNo chilli
Chilli prawn linguine
Chilli prawn linguine from Italy. Times were inferred from the source steps.
21 minA bit of work🌶️
Squash linguine
Squash linguine from Italy. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hrEasyNo chilli
Seafood fideuà
Boil the kettle. Empty the mussels into a colander and run under cold water. Throw away any with broken shells. Pick through the shells, tapping each one on the side of the sink – they should be closed or should slowly c
1 hr 19 minA bit of workNo chilli
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Italy. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hrA bit of workNo chilli
Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti Bolognese from Italy. Times were inferred from the source steps.
44 minMediumNo chilli
Turkish rice (vermicelli rice)
rice
Turkish rice (vermicelli rice) from Turkey. Times were inferred from the source steps.
44 minEasyNo chilli
Venetian Duck Ragu
Venetian Duck Ragu from Italy. Times were inferred from the source steps.
2 hr 42 minA bit of workNo chilli
Chicken Alfredo Primavera
Chicken Alfredo Primavera from Italy. Times were inferred from the source steps.
51 minA bit of workNo chilli
Pilchard puttanesca
Pilchard puttanesca from Italy. Times were inferred from the source steps.
15 minMedium🌶️
Spaghetti with Spanish flavours
Spaghetti with Spanish flavours from Spain. Times were inferred from the source steps.
18 minEasyNo chilli
Syrian Spaghetti
Syrian Spaghetti from Syria. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 20 minMediumNo chilli