Forget yellow and shiny pastas.
Pasta that is pale in color and has a porous texture is considered the highest quality pasta. Adobe Stock/AOP
How to recognize high-quality pasta in the store? Top chef Henri Alen reminds X (formerly Twitter) of a simple rule that should be kept in mind when shopping for pasta: The lighter the pasta, the better the quality.
What exactly is the pasta rule about? The color differences are related to the way the pasta is prepared. When pasta is dried as quickly as possible in mass production, its color becomes more yellow, and the end result is usually shiny and slippery pasta. This kind of pasta should be avoided if you are looking for a product of the highest possible quality.
Slow drying keeps the color light
Slow-dried pasta is light in color, the tone is even close to white. In addition to the light color, high-quality pasta is also characterized by a cloudy, porous and rustic appearance. The sauce adheres best to rough pasta and does not remain on the bottom of the plate.
You should therefore look carefully at the pasta package and trust the appearance of the pasta when choosing.
In addition to slow drying, you should also pay attention to the “bronze drawing” label. In Italy, it is a sign of the highest quality pasta production method.
REMEMBER
The rule only applies to dried pasta made from white wheat, in which no egg has been used. Whole wheat pasta is naturally dark. Pastas containing egg, on the other hand, are more yellow.
Sources: Epicurious, whyitalians.com, TheKitchn.com