Pasta shapes and types

Pasta is made from a special hard grain called durum wheat or macaroni wheat, which when ground produces semolina, a coarse amber flour, quite different from the semolina we use in puddings. The majority of pasta is made from just semolina flour and water. Pasta all’uova, however, also contains eggs and is used for the flat noodle-shaped pastas like tagliatelle. Pasta verde has spinach to colour it green. Whole wheat pasta is produced in this country and some is exported to Italy. All these types of pasta are available dried, in packs, and keep almost indefinitely. Fresh pasta is now widely available and is very good. Nothing however takes the place of home-made egg pasta, which has a marvellous lightness and delicacy. I have included a section on making your own pasta at the end of this Introduction.