Pasta, Noodles, and Dumplings

Appears in

Published 2014

About

Macaroni products, or pastas, are popular alternatives to other starch foods. The word pasta is Italian for “paste,” so called because pasta is made from a mixture of wheat flour and water and, sometimes, eggs.

Not so many years ago, many of us knew only spaghetti with tomato sauce and elbow macaroni with cheese, among all pasta products. Today, thanks to the influence of Italian cooks, we have a choice of a great variety of pasta dishes.

In addition, noodle products play an important role in other cuisines, notably those of Asia. These include not only wheat noodles but also noodles made of rice and other starches. Although most of our attention here is devoted to Italian-style pastas, we take a look at these other products as well.