Top quality pasta

[DavidW]

Hello,

For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to know some good
brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy), which is the best I know by
quite a margin (I boil their no. 15, which is spaghetti, for 18 minutes and
it's still firm). However. it's not widely available in Australia. A mid-sized
local supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it in the major chains, so I'd like
a fallback for the day when I can't get it any more. If you are a pasta
connoisseur anywhere in the world please suggest a brand or two.

[Rheilly Phoull]

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to know some good
brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy), which is the best I know by
quite a margin (I boil their no. 15, which is spaghetti, for 18 minutes and
it's still firm). However. it's not widely available in Australia. A mid-sized
local supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it in the major chains, so I'd like
a fallback for the day when I can't get it any more. If you are a pasta
connoisseur anywhere in the world please suggest a brand or two.

If you are so fussy why not make your own ?
Could you identify brands in a blind tasting?

Rheilly P

[Hoges in WA]

Post by Rheilly Phoull

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to know
some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy), which is the
best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15, which is spaghetti,
for 18 minutes and it's still firm). However. it's not widely available
in Australia. A mid-sized local supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it
in the major chains, so I'd like a fallback for the day when I can't get
it any more. If you are a pasta connoisseur anywhere in the world please
suggest a brand or two.

If you are so fussy why not make your own ?
Could you identify brands in a blind tasting?
Rheilly P

It certainly is possible to tell the difference between Coles Home crap and
anything else. My daughter complained about it and after I tasted the stuff
I was forced to agree with her. Serves me right for buying house garbage.
hoges in WA

[Goomba]

Post by Hoges in WA

Post by Rheilly Phoull
If you are so fussy why not make your own ?
Could you identify brands in a blind tasting?
Rheilly P

It certainly is possible to tell the difference between Coles Home crap and
anything else. My daughter complained about it and after I tasted the stuff
I was forced to agree with her. Serves me right for buying house garbage.
hoges in WA

I once bought Skinner brand pasta. Never again. 'nuff said. Ugh!

[PeterLucas]

Post by Hoges in WA

Post by Rheilly Phoull

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to
know some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy),
which is the best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15,
which is spaghetti, for 18 minutes and it's still firm). However.
it's not widely available in Australia. A mid-sized local
supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it in the major chains, so
I'd like a fallback for the day when I can't get it any more. If you
are a pasta connoisseur anywhere in the world please suggest a brand
or two.

If you are so fussy why not make your own ?
Could you identify brands in a blind tasting?
Rheilly P

It certainly is possible to tell the difference between Coles Home
crap and anything else. My daughter complained about it and after I
tasted the stuff I was forced to agree with her. Serves me right for
buying house garbage. hoges in WA

Awhile back, I went on a bit of a shopping spree....

http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa216/PeterL_2007/Shopping%20spree/


I then got a copy of Jamie Olivers Pasta dough recipe.....

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-and-pizza/a-basic-recipe-for-
fresh-egg-pasta

The end result..........

http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa216/PeterL_2007/Homemade%20pasta/

I don't remember what the sauce was that I made to go on it, but I sure do
remember what the pasta was like. Which is why (even though it's a PITA)
I'm still making my own pasta dough.

Try it........ you won't go back to pre-packaged (unless it's an absolute
emergency!!).

[Giusi]

"Rheilly Phoull"

Post by Rheilly Phoull

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to know
some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy), which is the
best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15, which is spaghetti,
for 18 minutes and it's still firm). However. it's not widely available
in Australia. A mid-sized local supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it
in the major chains,

If you are so fussy why not make your own ?
Could you identify brands in a blind tasting?
Rheilly P

You mistake egg pasta made at home for the hard wheat pasta he's talking
about. One does not stand in for the other, they are totally different
things.

It is not important to know one brand from the other blind folded. It is
important to educate your taste buds and teeth to quality, so that cheap or
costly, you get the quality that matters to you. To you, not to me.

[Sarah]

Post by Giusi
"Rheilly Phoull"

Post by Rheilly Phoull

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to know
some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy), which is the
best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15, which is spaghetti,
for 18 minutes and it's still firm). However. it's not widely available
in Australia. A mid-sized local supermarket has it, but I haven't seen
it in the major chains,

If you are so fussy why not make your own ?
Could you identify brands in a blind tasting?
Rheilly P

You mistake egg pasta made at home for the hard wheat pasta he's talking
about. One does not stand in for the other, they are totally different
things.
It is not important to know one brand from the other blind folded. It is
important to educate your taste buds and teeth to quality, so that cheap
or costly, you get the quality that matters to you. To you, not to me.

The problem I encountered was that I tried the superior brands. Then to go
back to what I used to purchase and eat was awful. So an educated palate is
an expensive one! Warning if you haven't tried them don't, unless you intend
paying for superior products forever!!!
Sarah

[DavidW]

Post by Rheilly Phoull

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to
know some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy),
which is the best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15,
which is spaghetti, for 18 minutes and it's still firm). However.
it's not widely available in Australia. A mid-sized local
supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it in the major chains, so
I'd like a fallback for the day when I can't get it any more. If you
are a pasta connoisseur anywhere in the world please suggest a brand
or two.

If you are so fussy why not make your own ?

So far I haven't needed to because I'm happy with what I'm buying. In any case,
I doubt that what I'd make would be as good.

Post by Rheilly Phoull
Could you identify brands in a blind tasting?

Not specific brands, but I could certainly distinguish good from not so good.
Different quality pastas have different textures and the differences are not
subtle. There was a period when I couldn't get La Molisana, so I tried a bunch
of other Italian imported brands to find an alternative, but nothing measured
up. And it wasn't because I had already decided what was the best. I _wanted_ to
find something as good.

["Michael" @hotmail.com>]

http://www.rustichella.it/English/home_eng.html is the one I use. I like
the thinner spaghetti; the spaghettini, especially with seafood. It's about
AUD$14/kg from my local deli here in Brisbane and seems to last a long time.
Here's their spam:
In the town of Pianella, artisan pasta maker Gianluigi Peduzzi maintains the
proud Rustichella d' Abruzzo tradition started by his grandfather. What
makes Rustichella d'Abruzzo different from all other pastas? They are made
from two natural ingredients: Stone-ground durum wheat flour from hard
winter wheat and pure well water. These two ingredients, when mixed together
and extruded through hand carved bronze dyes, produce textured pasta that
holds the sauce beautifully.

The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't imagine
any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start it from cold water
or something?

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to know some
good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy), which is the best I
know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15, which is spaghetti, for 18
minutes and it's still firm). However. it's not widely available in
Australia. A mid-sized local supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it in
the major chains, so I'd like a fallback for the day when I can't get it
any more. If you are a pasta connoisseur anywhere in the world please
suggest a brand or two.

[DavidW]

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
http://www.rustichella.it/English/home_eng.html is the one I use. I
like the thinner spaghetti; the spaghettini, especially with seafood.

I've bought that by mistake a few times (packets mixed up in the supermarket),
but I find it very unsuitable for a bolognaise-style meal.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It's about AUD$14/kg

Wow. The last time I looked at the price La Molisana it was around $2.20 for
500g - more than other brands but not that much.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
from my local deli here in Brisbane and seems to
In the town of Pianella, artisan pasta maker Gianluigi Peduzzi
maintains the proud Rustichella d' Abruzzo tradition started by his
grandfather. What makes Rustichella d'Abruzzo different from all
Stone-ground durum wheat flour from hard winter wheat and pure well
water. These two ingredients, when mixed together and extruded
through hand carved bronze dyes, produce textured pasta that holds
the sauce beautifully.

Sounds good, though the 'pure well water' sounds like marketing BS. Anyway, I'm
curious, so I'll see if I can find some.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start it
from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and sits there for
18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it loose) starting from when it's
all under water, which takes 1 minute (so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean
not too soft. The firmness I like is what I would call 'medium', which is
probably slightly softer than my understanding of al dente, but is not _soft_.
The strands seem to be the same thickness as other brands of spaghetti. I think
the packet says 12 minutes.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to
know some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy),
which is the best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15,
which is spaghetti, for 18 minutes and it's still firm). However.
it's not widely available in Australia. A mid-sized local
supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it in the major chains, so
I'd like a fallback for the day when I can't get it any more. If you
are a pasta connoisseur anywhere in the world please suggest a brand
or two.

["Michael" @hotmail.com>]

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
http://www.rustichella.it/English/home_eng.html is the one I use. I
like the thinner spaghetti; the spaghettini, especially with seafood.

I've bought that by mistake a few times (packets mixed up in the
supermarket), but I find it very unsuitable for a bolognaise-style meal.

Yeah, ragout styles are normally better with nice fresh rag pasta, (or
lasagne sheets roughly ripped up in biggish strips).

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It's about AUD$14/kg

Wow. The last time I looked at the price La Molisana it was around $2.20
for 500g - more than other brands but not that much.

That's a lot cheaper then. I don't use much so it's not a big expense, but
if you were eating regularly it's a big difference.

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
from my local deli here in Brisbane and seems to
In the town of Pianella, artisan pasta maker Gianluigi Peduzzi
maintains the proud Rustichella d' Abruzzo tradition started by his
grandfather. What makes Rustichella d'Abruzzo different from all
Stone-ground durum wheat flour from hard winter wheat and pure well
water. These two ingredients, when mixed together and extruded
through hand carved bronze dyes, produce textured pasta that holds
the sauce beautifully.

Sounds good, though the 'pure well water' sounds like marketing BS.
Anyway, I'm curious, so I'll see if I can find some.

Like I said, spam. :) The sauce does cling to it though.

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start it
from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and sits
there for 18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it loose)
starting from when it's all under water, which takes 1 minute (so 19
minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean not too soft. The firmness I like is
what I would call 'medium', which is probably slightly softer than my
understanding of al dente, but is not _soft_. The strands seem to be the
same thickness as other brands of spaghetti. I think the packet says 12
minutes.

I guess it's a personal preference. I normally find the pasta is al dente a
couple of minutes sooner than the packet instructions recommend.

[DavidW]

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It's about AUD$14/kg

Wow. The last time I looked at the price La Molisana it was around
$2.20 for 500g - more than other brands but not that much.

That's a lot cheaper then. I don't use much so it's not a big
expense, but if you were eating regularly it's a big difference.

1 kg/week.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start it
from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and
sits there for 18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it
loose) starting from when it's all under water, which takes 1 minute
(so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean not too soft. The firmness
I like is what I would call 'medium', which is probably slightly
softer than my understanding of al dente, but is not _soft_. The
strands seem to be the same thickness as other brands of spaghetti.
I think the packet says 12 minutes.

I guess it's a personal preference. I normally find the pasta is al
dente a couple of minutes sooner than the packet instructions
recommend.

Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off buying it. I
can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's satisfaction in 10 minutes.

[Dan Abel]

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It's about AUD$14/kg

Wow. The last time I looked at the price La Molisana it was around
$2.20 for 500g - more than other brands but not that much.

That's a lot cheaper then. I don't use much so it's not a big
expense, but if you were eating regularly it's a big difference.

1 kg/week.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start it
from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and
sits there for 18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it
loose) starting from when it's all under water, which takes 1 minute
(so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean not too soft. The firmness
I like is what I would call 'medium', which is probably slightly
softer than my understanding of al dente, but is not _soft_. The
strands seem to be the same thickness as other brands of spaghetti.
I think the packet says 12 minutes.

I guess it's a personal preference. I normally find the pasta is al
dente a couple of minutes sooner than the packet instructions
recommend.

Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off buying it. I
can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's satisfaction in 10 minutes.

What's your elevation?

[DavidW]

Post by Dan Abel

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It's about AUD$14/kg

Wow. The last time I looked at the price La Molisana it was around
$2.20 for 500g - more than other brands but not that much.

That's a lot cheaper then. I don't use much so it's not a big
expense, but if you were eating regularly it's a big difference.

1 kg/week.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start
it from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and
sits there for 18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it
loose) starting from when it's all under water, which takes 1
minute (so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean not too soft. The
firmness I like is what I would call 'medium', which is probably
slightly softer than my understanding of al dente, but is not
_soft_. The strands seem to be the same thickness as other brands
of spaghetti. I think the packet says 12 minutes.

I guess it's a personal preference. I normally find the pasta is al
dente a couple of minutes sooner than the packet instructions
recommend.

Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off buying it. I
can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's satisfaction in 10 minutes.

What's your elevation?

Near sea level (Melbourne, Australia inner city suburb). I was nearly going to
add that before, but I thought, "Nah. No one will think of that."

[Dan Abel]

Post by DavidW

Post by Dan Abel

Post by DavidW
Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off buying it. I
can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's satisfaction in 10 minutes.

What's your elevation?

Near sea level (Melbourne, Australia inner city suburb). I was nearly going to
add that before, but I thought, "Nah. No one will think of that."

Actually, we've had this discussion before on this group (at least, I
*think* it was pasta). There are at least a couple of frequent and
longtime posters on this group who live "mile high", and must compensate
for it in cooking.

I think my town is ten feet above sea level.

[Spice West]

Post by Dan Abel
Actually, we've had this discussion before on this group (at least, I
*think* it was pasta). There are at least a couple of frequent and
longtime posters on this group who live "mile high", and must compensate
for it in cooking.
I think my town is ten feet above sea level.

Is that when the tide is in or out ... ;-)

************************************************

Herbs, spices, mustards, curry blends and more.

http://www.spicewest.com.au

*************************************************

[Dan Abel]

Post by Spice West

Post by Dan Abel
Actually, we've had this discussion before on this group (at least, I
*think* it was pasta). There are at least a couple of frequent and
longtime posters on this group who live "mile high", and must compensate
for it in cooking.
I think my town is ten feet above sea level.

Is that when the tide is in or out ... ;-)

Don't laugh. We get major flooding when it rains and it is high tide.
The water just can't get down the river.

Fortunately, even though the town is only 10 feet above sea level, I
think my house is higher.

["Michael" @hotmail.com>]

Post by Dan Abel

Post by DavidW

Post by Dan Abel

Post by DavidW
Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off buying it. I
can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's satisfaction in 10 minutes.

What's your elevation?

Near sea level (Melbourne, Australia inner city suburb). I was nearly
going
to
add that before, but I thought, "Nah. No one will think of that."

Actually, we've had this discussion before on this group (at least, I
*think* it was pasta). There are at least a couple of frequent and
longtime posters on this group who live "mile high", and must compensate
for it in cooking.
I think my town is ten feet above sea level.

Melbourne is only about 10m (30 feet), so I doubt it makes any difference.
Some people obviously just like their pasta soggier than others; or
undercooked depending on how you look at it.

[cybercat]

Post by DavidW
Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off buying
it. I can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's satisfaction in
10 minutes.

What I don't understand is why you seem to think that it is a positive thing
that it takes a long time to cook. Or some kind of sign of quality.

[DavidW]

Post by cybercat

Post by DavidW
Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off
buying it. I can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's
satisfaction in 10 minutes.

What I don't understand is why you seem to think that it is a
positive thing that it takes a long time to cook. Or some kind of
sign of quality.

I find that the longer the cooking time the better the texture when it _is_
cooked. Something to do with the hardness of the wheat I imagine.

[ViLco]

Post by DavidW

Post by cybercat
What I don't understand is why you seem to think that it is a
positive thing that it takes a long time to cook. Or some kind of
sign of quality.

I find that the longer the cooking time the better the texture when
it _is_ cooked. Something to do with the hardness of the wheat I
imagine.

True. In the 80's pasta made from Barilla had very short cooking timings,
spaghetti were ready in 5 or 6 minutes and thicker formats were ready in 10
minutes or so. It was crap. Now Barilla has changed much of it's ingredients
and the quality is lightyears better, and the cooking times are now about 10
minutes for spaghetti and 12-15 minutes for the other formats.
Quick cooking pasta (not egg pasta) is usually scarce in semola and,
consequently, has a soggy texture anyway you cook it.

[cybercat]

Post by DavidW

Post by cybercat

Post by DavidW
Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off
buying it. I can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's
satisfaction in 10 minutes.

What I don't understand is why you seem to think that it is a
positive thing that it takes a long time to cook. Or some kind of
sign of quality.

I find that the longer the cooking time the better the texture when it
_is_ cooked. Something to do with the hardness of the wheat I imagine.

That's really odd.

[DavidW]

Post by cybercat

Post by DavidW

Post by cybercat

Post by DavidW
Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off
buying it. I can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's
satisfaction in 10 minutes.

What I don't understand is why you seem to think that it is a
positive thing that it takes a long time to cook. Or some kind of
sign of quality.

I find that the longer the cooking time the better the texture when
it _is_ cooked. Something to do with the hardness of the wheat I
imagine.

That's really odd.

If hard-wheat pasta takes longer to cook than soft-wheat pasta then it doesn't
seem odd to me, since hard wheat is generally considered to make the best
pasta.

[cybercat]

Post by DavidW

Post by cybercat
That's really odd.

If hard-wheat pasta takes longer to cook than soft-wheat pasta then it doesn't
seem odd to me, since hard wheat is generally considered to make the best
pasta.

Do you mean harder than "hard durham semolina," as the pasta I buy says on
the label? It's my understanding that semolina is a variety of durham, and
both are made from hard, (meaning coarsely ground) grain.

Do you eat your pasta al dente?

I guess it seems odd to me because I've just never heard anyone say this
before. I'll have to pick up that brand you like and try it myself.

[Default User]

Post by DavidW
If hard-wheat pasta takes longer to cook than soft-wheat pasta then
it doesn't seem odd to me, since hard wheat is generally considered
to make the best pasta.

Every brand of commercial pasta I've seen, including the store brands,
have been made with 100% duram semolina.




Brian

[DavidW]

Post by Default User

Post by DavidW
If hard-wheat pasta takes longer to cook than soft-wheat pasta then
it doesn't seem odd to me, since hard wheat is generally considered
to make the best pasta.

Every brand of commercial pasta I've seen, including the store brands,
have been made with 100% duram semolina.

Then how do you explain the difference in quality between brands? There is
obviously poor pasta out there. One indicator is what the spaghetti does when
you put it in the boiling water. With some brands the strands collapse almost
immediately. With La Molisana they don't; it takes nearly one minute before they
become flexible enough to stay submerged.

[Default User]

Post by DavidW

Post by Default User

Post by DavidW
If hard-wheat pasta takes longer to cook than soft-wheat pasta
then it doesn't seem odd to me, since hard wheat is generally
considered to make the best pasta.

Every brand of commercial pasta I've seen, including the store
brands, have been made with 100% duram semolina.

Then how do you explain the difference in quality between brands?

I don't know, and frankly I don't experience that much difference.

Post by DavidW
There is obviously poor pasta out there.

Then it would be up to you to explain why. Ingredients would not seem
to be it. Presumably processing and/or handling.

Post by DavidW
One indicator is what the
spaghetti does when you put it in the boiling water. With some brands
the strands collapse almost immediately. With La Molisana they don't;
it takes nearly one minute before they become flexible enough to stay
submerged.

As I'm not familiar with the brand, I can't add anything. If it's 100%
semolina, like most, then it isn't the flour.



Brian

[Giusi]

"DavidW"

Post by DavidW

Post by Default User

Post by DavidW
If hard-wheat pasta takes longer to cook than soft-wheat pasta then
it doesn't seem odd to me, since hard wheat is generally considered
to make the best pasta.

Every brand of commercial pasta I've seen, including the store brands,
have been made with 100% duram semolina.

Then how do you explain the difference in quality between brands?

The quality of the flour, the quality of the water, what kind of extrusion
plates are used and whether the product is air dried or heated to dry.
Those are the differences that make one pasta superior to another.

[Giusi]

"DavidW"

Post by DavidW

"DavidW"

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start it>>>>
from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and>>>
sits there for 18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it
loose) starting from when it's all under water, which takes 1 minute
(so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean not too soft. The firmness
I like is what I would call 'medium', which is probably slightly
softer than my understanding of al dente, but is not _soft_. The
strands seem to be the same thickness as other brands of spaghetti.
I think the packet says 12 minutes.

I guess it's a personal preference. I normally find the pasta is al
dente a couple of minutes sooner than the packet instructions
recommend.

Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off buying
it. I can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's satisfaction in
10 minutes.

And I simply could not eat it after you'd cooked it 18 minutes. It would
resemble canned spaghetti.

When you bite into a piece of pasta and it shows a microscopic dot or ring
of white in the center, it is done.

[DavidW]

Post by Giusi
"DavidW"

Post by DavidW

Post by Giusi
"DavidW"

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start
it>>>> from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water
and>>> sits there for 18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to
keep it loose) starting from when it's all under water, which
takes 1 minute (so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean not too
soft. The firmness I like is what I would call 'medium', which is
probably slightly softer than my understanding of al dente, but is
not _soft_. The strands seem to be the same thickness as other
brands of spaghetti. I think the packet says 12 minutes.

I guess it's a personal preference. I normally find the pasta is al
dente a couple of minutes sooner than the packet instructions
recommend.

Maybe they only say 12 minutes so they don't put unfussy people off
buying it. I can't believe this stuff would be cooked to anyone's
satisfaction in 10 minutes.

And I simply could not eat it after you'd cooked it 18 minutes. It
would resemble canned spaghetti.

Sorry, but you wouldn't know unless you've tried it. My whole point is that
it's only one brand that I cook for that long. It does not resemble canned
spahgetti. It is not soggy. It is not soft. It is much firmer than canned
spaghetti. It is of medium consistency, in that it is a little resistant to the
bite. It is wonderful, which is why I'm asking for alternatives. Nothing else
I've tried measures up.

[DavidW]

"Victor Sack"

Post by DavidW
Sorry, but you wouldn't know unless you've tried it. My whole point
is>> that it's only one brand that I cook for that long. It does not
resemble>> canned spahgetti. It is not soggy. It is not soft. It is
much firmer than>> canned spaghetti. It is of medium consistency,
in that it is a little>> resistant to the bite. It is wonderful,
which is why I'm asking for>> alternatives. Nothing else I've tried
measures up.

There is no accounting for tastes, but FWIW, here is what the
manufacturers of La Molisana brand say about cooking their No. 15
http://www.lamolisana.it/pages/schedaProdotto_en.jsp?idpasta=40&idfamiglia=3.

Yes, that's what the packet says (I said 12 minutes earlier from memory).

Which means our friend is cooking his pasta for double the
recommended time. He thinks we should try before commenting? Not on
his life!

First, you don't know how old those times are or where they came from. It may be
that recommended cooking times for pasta are ingrained and the company is not
going to depart from that (that's certainly the impression I'm getting here,
with everyone dismissing 18 minutes as too long and the person who said it as
necessarily an idiot, even though I entirely agree that it's far too long for
most brands). Second, it may be that the pasta I use holds out longer before it
becomes too soft. I haven't said that it's too hard at 11 minutes, only that
it's still firm at 18 minutes. Anyway, tonight I will fish out some strands at 9
minutes and 11 minutes and see how they are.

[Giusi]

"DavidW"

Post by DavidW

"Victor Sack"

Post by DavidW
Sorry, but you wouldn't know unless you've tried it. My whole point
is>> that it's only one brand that I cook for that long. It does not
resemble>> canned spahgetti. It is not soggy. It is not soft. It is
much firmer than>> canned spaghetti. It is of medium consistency,
in that it is a little>> resistant to the bite. It is wonderful,
which is why I'm asking for>> alternatives. Nothing else I've tried
measures up.

There is no accounting for tastes, but FWIW, here is what the
manufacturers of La Molisana brand say about cooking their No. 15
http://www.lamolisana.it/pages/schedaProdotto_en.jsp?idpasta=40&idfamiglia=3.

Yes, that's what the packet says (I said 12 minutes earlier from memory).

Which means our friend is cooking his pasta for double the
recommended time. He thinks we should try before commenting? Not on
his life!

First, you don't know how old those times are or where they came from. It
may be that recommended cooking times for pasta are ingrained and the
company is not going to depart from that (that's certainly the impression
I'm getting here, with everyone dismissing 18 minutes as too long and the
person who said it as necessarily an idiot, even though I entirely agree
that it's far too long for most brands).

I live in Italy, cook exclusively with Italian pastas, make hard wheat
eggless pasta and several of the people who have responded to you know the
brand and use the brand you like. No one who knows pasta agrees with your
cooking time.

I never called you an idiot or any other name, but if the packet says 9
minutes for al dente, you apparently believe they are lying! Why? Because
they would rather print their packages incorrectly than change their
instructions! I find that conclusion incredible, because if they want
people to buy their products they must tell them how they are best prepared,
right? If you tell an entire country of Italians to cook their pasta half
the amount of time it takes to make it good, aren't you shooting yourself in
the foot?

While you can cook pasta in 1 liter per 100 grams, for smaller amounts I use
more than that. The usual serving is 100 grams so obviously you like what
you make!

You asked for other brands and I think we have given you a bunch of names to
go on with.

[DavidW]

Post by Giusi
"DavidW"

Post by DavidW

"Victor Sack"

Post by DavidW
Sorry, but you wouldn't know unless you've tried it. My whole
point is>> that it's only one brand that I cook for that long. It
does not resemble>> canned spahgetti. It is not soggy. It is not
soft. It is much firmer than>> canned spaghetti. It is of medium
consistency, in that it is a little>> resistant to the bite. It
is wonderful, which is why I'm asking for>> alternatives. Nothing
else I've tried measures up.

There is no accounting for tastes, but FWIW, here is what the
manufacturers of La Molisana brand say about cooking their No. 15

http://www.lamolisana.it/pages/schedaProdotto_en.jsp?idpasta=40&idfamiglia=3.

Post by Giusi

Post by DavidW
Yes, that's what the packet says (I said 12 minutes earlier from memory).

Which means our friend is cooking his pasta for double the
recommended time. He thinks we should try before commenting? Not on
his life!

First, you don't know how old those times are or where they came
from. It may be that recommended cooking times for pasta are
ingrained and the company is not going to depart from that (that's
certainly the impression I'm getting here, with everyone dismissing
18 minutes as too long and the person who said it as necessarily an
idiot, even though I entirely agree that it's far too long for most
brands).

I live in Italy, cook exclusively with Italian pastas, make hard wheat
eggless pasta and several of the people who have responded to you
know the brand and use the brand you like. No one who knows pasta
agrees with your cooking time.
I never called you an idiot or any other name,

I wasn't referring to you. Others are implying it.

Post by Giusi
but if the packet says
9 minutes for al dente, you apparently believe they are lying! Why?

Because I've tried it. Here is my report from about one hour ago. Large
saucepan (a larger one than my usual) with about 2.8L of water. Gas on full and
water boiling vigorously. Add 250g La Molisana no. 15. Water stops boiling but
restarts soon after. Prod with fork until submerged (about 40 sec.). Start
clock now. Continue agitating with fork for a minute or two (more than usual)
to keep it swimming and the strands separate. Take samples at different times.
9 min. Hard in the middle. Indedible.
11 min. Slightly hard in the middle.
13 min. Consistent to the middle, but quite firm.
15 min.
At this point I decided to stop and serve to see how a whole meal is at this
point. It was still quite firm, and very nice. A mouthful required noticeably
more chewing than I'm used to, to the point where it was slightly tiring.
18 min. (based on all my previous meals) Nicely between hard and soft.
Perfecto.

Post by Giusi
Because they would rather print their packages incorrectly than
change their instructions! I find that conclusion incredible,
because if they want people to buy their products they must tell them
how they are best prepared, right? If you tell an entire country of
Italians to cook their pasta half the amount of time it takes to make
it good, aren't you shooting yourself in the foot?

I don't believe that anyone, Italian or otherwise, could eat La Molisana no. 15
after only 9 minutes' cooking. Try it!

Post by Giusi
While you can cook pasta in 1 liter per 100 grams, for smaller
amounts I use more than that. The usual serving is 100 grams so
obviously you like what you make!
You asked for other brands and I think we have given you a bunch of
names to go on with.

Yes, and I thank you for it.

[cybercat]

Post by DavidW
I don't believe that anyone, Italian or otherwise, could eat La Molisana no. 15
after only 9 minutes' cooking. Try it!

I am going to try it as soon as I can find it, David. I will report back
when my mission has been completed!

[Giusi]

"cybercat"

Post by cybercat

Post by DavidW
I don't believe that anyone, Italian or otherwise, could eat La Molisana

Post by DavidW
no. 15

after only 9 minutes' cooking. Try it!

I am going to try it as soon as I can find it, David. I will report back
when my mission has been completed!

At least do start timing at reboil as it sounds like David starts counting
as soon as it is in the pot, which means his times are not as long as they
sound.

[Giusi]

Post by DavidW

Post by Giusi
I live in Italy, cook exclusively with Italian pastas, make hard wheat
eggless pasta and several of the people who have responded to you
know the brand and use the brand you like. No one who knows pasta>>
agrees with your cooking time.
but if the packet says
9 minutes for al dente, you apparently believe they are lying! Why?

Because I've tried it. Here is my report from about one hour ago. Large
saucepan (a larger one than my usual) with about 2.8L of water. Gas on full and
water boiling vigorously. Add 250g La Molisana no. 15. Water stops boiling but
restarts soon after. Prod with fork until submerged (about 40 sec.). Start
clock now. Continue agitating with fork for a minute or two (more than usual)
to keep it swimming and the strands separate. Take samples at different times.
9 min. Hard in the middle. Indedible.
11 min. Slightly hard in the middle.
13 min. Consistent to the middle, but quite firm.
15 min.
At this point I decided to stop and serve to see how a whole meal is at this
point. It was still quite firm, and very nice. A mouthful required noticeably
more chewing than I'm used to, to the point where it was slightly tiring.
18 min. (based on all my previous meals) Nicely between hard and soft.
Perfecto.

What is perfect is that you are happy three minutes earlier. To us, pasta
is ready when there is still a microscopic white line in the center which is
what you had at 9 minutes. BTW you start counting when it boild again, not
when it folds into the water. So your 9 min could be my 11!

Post by DavidW
I don't believe that anyone, Italian >or otherwise, could eat La >Molisana
no. 15 after only 9 >minutes' cooking. Try it!

That is not my fave brand, but I almost always take the pasta off a minute
or so before the time stated on the packet. So you'd be wrong. I still
think the company prints the time they recommend sincerely on the packet!

Anyway, now you are happy and you tried a little less time, so that makes me
happy, too. The trying, I mean.
Pasta is considered healthier when firmer because you have to chew it. A
great deal of digestion of carbs is done by enzymes mixed into the food
while chewing it.

[DavidW]

Post by Giusi

Post by DavidW

Post by Giusi
I live in Italy, cook exclusively with Italian pastas, make hard
wheat eggless pasta and several of the people who have responded to
you know the brand and use the brand you like. No one who knows
pasta>> agrees with your cooking time.
but if the packet says
9 minutes for al dente, you apparently believe they are lying! Why?

Because I've tried it. Here is my report from about one hour ago.
Large saucepan (a larger one than my usual) with about 2.8L of
water. Gas on full and
water boiling vigorously. Add 250g La Molisana no. 15. Water stops boiling but
restarts soon after. Prod with fork until submerged (about 40 sec.).
Start clock now. Continue agitating with fork for a minute or two
(more than usual)
to keep it swimming and the strands separate. Take samples at
different times.
9 min. Hard in the middle. Indedible.
11 min. Slightly hard in the middle.
13 min. Consistent to the middle, but quite firm.
15 min.
At this point I decided to stop and serve to see how a whole meal is at this
point. It was still quite firm, and very nice. A mouthful required noticeably
more chewing than I'm used to, to the point where it was slightly
tiring. 18 min. (based on all my previous meals) Nicely between hard
and soft. Perfecto.

What is perfect is that you are happy three minutes earlier.
To us,
pasta is ready when there is still a microscopic white line in the
center which is what you had at 9 minutes.

What I had at 9 min. was a hard core, and it wasn't microscopic. It still had a
slightly hard core at 11 min., so that would be where it was microscopic.

There appears to be differing definitions of "al dente". Some say that it is
firm but not hard and cooked through (so consistent texture). Others say that
there should be a slightly hard core. So, depending on your definition al dente
was at 11-13 minutes.

Post by Giusi
BTW you start counting
when it boild again, not when it folds into the water.

That doesn't make sense to me, since not all the pasta has got into the water,
but if that's the convention then add 30 sec.

Post by Giusi
So your 9 min
could be my 11!

No, the water reboiled in 5-10 sec. and I started the clock about 30 sec. later.
Anyway, if I started too late then the actual times are even longer than I've
been saying.

Post by Giusi

Post by DavidW
I don't believe that anyone, Italian >or otherwise, could eat La

Post by Giusi
Molisana no. 15 after only 9 >minutes' cooking. Try it!

That is not my fave brand, but I almost always take the pasta off a
minute or so before the time stated on the packet. So you'd be
wrong. I still think the company prints the time they recommend
sincerely on the packet!

Well, that's not what I've found.

Post by Giusi
Anyway, now you are happy and you tried a little less time, so that
makes me happy, too. The trying, I mean.
Pasta is considered healthier when firmer because you have to chew
it. A great deal of digestion of carbs is done by enzymes mixed into
the food while chewing it.

Yes, but it's personal taste. I prefer pasta cooked through with medium
firmness.

[Phred]

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
http://www.rustichella.it/English/home_eng.html is the one I use. I
like the thinner spaghetti; the spaghettini, especially with seafood.

I've bought that by mistake a few times (packets mixed up in the supermarket),
but I find it very unsuitable for a bolognaise-style meal.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It's about AUD$14/kg

Wow. The last time I looked at the price La Molisana it was around $2.20 for
500g - more than other brands but not that much.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
from my local deli here in Brisbane and seems to
In the town of Pianella, artisan pasta maker Gianluigi Peduzzi
maintains the proud Rustichella d' Abruzzo tradition started by his
grandfather. What makes Rustichella d'Abruzzo different from all
Stone-ground durum wheat flour from hard winter wheat and pure well
water. These two ingredients, when mixed together and extruded
through hand carved bronze dyes, produce textured pasta that holds
the sauce beautifully.

Sounds good, though the 'pure well water' sounds like marketing BS.

Most well water is contaminated with all sorts of crap these days.

Post by DavidW
Anyway, I'm curious, so I'll see if I can find some.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start it
from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and sits there for
18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it loose) starting from when it's
all under water, which takes 1 minute (so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean

When you say "and sits there", I presume you mean with the water still
boiling?

Post by DavidW
not too soft. The firmness I like is what I would call 'medium', which is
probably slightly softer than my understanding of al dente, but is not _soft_.
The strands seem to be the same thickness as other brands of spaghetti. I think
the packet says 12 minutes.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by DavidW
Hello,
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to
know some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy),
which is the best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15,
which is spaghetti, for 18 minutes and it's still firm). However.
it's not widely available in Australia. A mid-sized local
supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it in the major chains, so
I'd like a fallback for the day when I can't get it any more. If you
are a pasta connoisseur anywhere in the world please suggest a brand
or two.

Cheers, Phred.

[DavidW]

Post by Phred

Post by DavidW

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
http://www.rustichella.it/English/home_eng.html is the one I use. I
like the thinner spaghetti; the spaghettini, especially with
seafood.

I've bought that by mistake a few times (packets mixed up in the
supermarket), but I find it very unsuitable for a bolognaise-style
meal.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It's about AUD$14/kg

Wow. The last time I looked at the price La Molisana it was around
$2.20 for 500g - more than other brands but not that much.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
from my local deli here in Brisbane and seems to
In the town of Pianella, artisan pasta maker Gianluigi Peduzzi
maintains the proud Rustichella d' Abruzzo tradition started by his
grandfather. What makes Rustichella d'Abruzzo different from all
Stone-ground durum wheat flour from hard winter wheat and pure well
water. These two ingredients, when mixed together and extruded
through hand carved bronze dyes, produce textured pasta that holds
the sauce beautifully.

Sounds good, though the 'pure well water' sounds like marketing BS.

Most well water is contaminated with all sorts of crap these days.

Post by DavidW
Anyway, I'm curious, so I'll see if I can find some.

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
The thinner stuff only needs about 4 minutes to cook, but I can't
imagine any spaghetti being firm after 18 minutes. Do you start it
from cold water or something?

No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and
sits there for 18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it
loose) starting from when it's all under water, which takes 1 minute
(so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean

When you say "and sits there", I presume you mean with the water still
boiling?

Yes. The gas is on full and it's boiling vigorously.

[DavidW]

Post by Phred

Post by DavidW
No, it goes into a largeish saucepan of already-boiling water and
sits there for 18 minutes (with a couple of stirrings to keep it
loose) starting from when it's all under water, which takes 1
minute (so 19 minutes all up). By 'firm' I mean

When you say "and sits there", I presume you mean with the water
still boiling?

After the pasta is added to water at a boil and the water resumes
boiling the water should reach a hard rolling boil so that the pasta
is continuously agitated until it's done... there should be no need to
stir once a rolling boil is reached. If the pasta just sits there
then the water is not boiling hard enough

The water is boiling hard.

and the pasta will not cook
properly (stewed pasta is awful, slimey exterior, interior raw);

I cook 200-250g (a meal for one) in 2L of water. Once I get it all under water
(about 1 minute) the strands are still all in a solid bunch. I stir it after
three or four minutes because it takes that long for the strands to become loose
enough to swim around on their own. That's probably enough stirring, but I stir
it again when I put the sauce on (about 5 min. from the end) just to make sure
no strand is sticking to the bottom.

Maybe those the few early minutes extend the overall time compared with softer
brands, since it's not cooking well at that stage.

probably not enough BTUs, not enough water, incorrectly shaped pot. I
find an 8 qt pot filled with 6 qts water to 1 pound of pasta works
best...

The packet recommends 1L/100g, which corresponds to 4.3 quarts per pound.

also to achieve a rolling boil the pot should be taller than
it is wide... the more surface area the more difficult to achieve a
rolling boil with typical wimpy residential burners. There needs to
be enough water so the pasta has room to agitate and not sit all
jammed against itself in a lump.

It has enough room to agitate and it does agitate. It just takes a while, and a
stir, before it gets there.

Btw, it's not possible to cook pasta
properly with those so called pasta pots with the perforated basket...
most low quality restaurants use perforated baskets for reheating
already cooked pasta, a high quality restaurant does not serve
reheated pasta, each order is cooked fresh from scratch. I never
order pasta at restuarants, it's almost always reheated crap, already
coated with sauce so it's looks and tastes like canned, or worse, left
overs scraped from other diner's plates. Pisghetti w/meata balles is
cheap, I'm not going to pay $14.95 for a peasant's dish that I can
cook much better at home for under $3... a pound of pasta, a dozen
meat balls (I use fresh ground meat), tomato sauce, and a sprinkle of
grated cheese feeds a family of four and costs under $12, even
includes a glass of dago red each. And if I'm feeling lazy meat sauce
is much simpler... top round and boneless pork loin costs $2/lb, takes
me five minutes to grind. Naturally when I make meat sauce (or any
pasta sauce) I'll make like 6-8 quarts so I have plenty to freeze,
then whenever I decide on pasta last minute all I gotta do is boil
water...

Yes, sauce keeps very well and once it's made spaghetti is a great meal that's
very quick and easy to prepare. That's why I virtually live on it on work days.

and that's why I don't order pasta at restuarants, it's a
very inexpensive dish and restaurants make it all up in advance, in
fact the vast majority use canned pasta sauce, and maybe doctor it a
bit, maybe. Today just about every item on a restaurant menu comes in
#10 cans, frozen, or dehydrated... pasta comes all three ways. You
really don't want meat sauce at a restaurant.

[Phred]

"Mark Thorson"

quality while getting the last miles out of the dies. I don't really
care to go into a lesson on extruding here so I will impart just one
bit of advice; those who like to make their own pasta at home should
continue so they know what/who's in it, but stick to non-extruded
shapes, no home style pasta extruder is capable of producing quality
pasta, and actually ruins your ingredients.

Lidia Bastianich made extruded pasta on her cooking show,
using a meat grinder with a fine plate and the blade removed.
But what does she know, compared to Sheldon?

She knows it isn't as good, so did she lie about that? I think she probably
showed people how to use extruders they already have. I don't know anyone
who thinks extruded hard wheat pasta is as good as well made manufactured.
The hand formed ones made in Italy are actually hand formed, but even that
is rarely because no one wants to spend that much time or buy the rods and
forms to form it on.

Some years ago I saw a master pasta maker doing a demo in a shopping
centre in the tourist ghetto of Cairns. He started out with a lump of
dough and, following a sequence of flouring and folding and slamming,
he ended up with 64 (or was it only 32?) discrete strands of spag.
Almost magical! (But I admit I've no idea what it tasted like. :)

Cheers, Phred.

[Melba's Jammin']

the day when I can't get it any more. If you are a pasta connoisseur
anywhere in the world please suggest a brand or two.

I just picked up some Creamettes cappellini at Cub this afternoon. It
was $1/pound box. I think satisfaction with pasta is about cooking it;
I'm not convinced that brand matters. JMO and I've got my asbestos
panties in place.

[cybercat]

Post by Melba's Jammin'

the day when I can't get it any more. If you are a pasta connoisseur
anywhere in the world please suggest a brand or two.

I just picked up some Creamettes cappellini at Cub this afternoon. It
was $1/pound box. I think satisfaction with pasta is about cooking it;
I'm not convinced that brand matters. JMO and I've got my asbestos
panties in place.

I have never been able to get Creamettes or Mueller's al dente.

[Giusi]

"Melba's Jammin'"

Post by Melba's Jammin'

the day when I can't get it any more. If you are a pasta connoisseur >>
anywhere in the world please suggest a brand or two.

I just picked up some Creamettes cappellini at Cub this afternoon. It
was $1/pound box. I think satisfaction with pasta is about cooking it;
I'm not convinced that brand matters. JMO and I've got my asbestos
panties in place.
--
-Barb,

I believe you are wrong and that if you do the side by side with a crap
brand and a fine brand, (and this may have nothing to do with price) you
will easily see the difference. That is supposing that you follow correct
cooking practice with both.
The method is certainly important, and very few foreigners are serious about
getting the pasta on the plate fast enough. That perfect moment disappears
quickly.
For most people the whole subject isn't important enough to pay any
attention at all to the rules. For us it is 25% of the importance of 1/3 of
our food. It's like people who care profoundly about coffee.
"Pasta does not wait for people, people wait for pasta."

[cybercat]

Post by Giusi
"Melba's Jammin'"

Post by Melba's Jammin'

the day when I can't get it any more. If you are a pasta connoisseur >>
anywhere in the world please suggest a brand or two.

I just picked up some Creamettes cappellini at Cub this afternoon. It
was $1/pound box. I think satisfaction with pasta is about cooking it;
I'm not convinced that brand matters. JMO and I've got my asbestos
panties in place.
--
-Barb,

I believe you are wrong and that if you do the side by side with a crap
brand and a fine brand, (and this may have nothing to do with price) you
will easily see the difference.

This is true. I may not be able to tell the difference between "top shelf"
Italian pasta and the several common brands sold around here (De Cecco,
Barilla, Da Vinci) but I can tell the difference betwee Creamettes,
Muellers, and those three.

[DavidW]

Post by DavidW
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to know
some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy), which is
the best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15, which is
spaghetti, for 18 minutes and it's still firm). However. it's not
widely available in Australia. A mid-sized local supermarket has it,
but I haven't seen it in the major chains, so I'd like a fallback for
the day when I can't get it any more. If you are a pasta connoisseur
anywhere in the world please suggest a brand or two.

La Molisana is a very good brand.

So I can pick out the best stuff by eating it. It's odd that a complete pasta
moron, somone who apparently thinks soggy and soft pasta is firm (as some here
seem to think) is able to do that.

IIRC, here in Italy it's about 1.50
euros for a 1/2Kg box, while other brands are about .90 euros, with
the lesser brands around .80 and the superior ones around 1 - 1.20.

Well, I'm not surprised. It deserves to be the most expensive.

Another good brand which is widely distributed is Garofalo, very nice
texture, i love theyr linguine and penne. Liguori, also from Gragnano
area as Garofalo, is another good brand.
Barilla, once the symbol of low quality industrial pasta, has
improved much over the years and is nowadays an average quality
product, IOW it so no more the worst pasta you can find. It's
reasonably priced and, probably, the most widespread italian pasta on
the globe.

Thanks very much. This is exactly the kind of information I was after.

[DavidW]

Post by DavidW
For those who are very particular about their pasta, I'd like to
know some good brands. I use La Molisana (imported from Italy),
which is the best I know by quite a margin (I boil their no. 15,
which is spaghetti, for 18 minutes and it's still firm).

Unless you live on top of a tall mountain, boiling pasta for 18
minutes is way too long.

Most spaghetti, yes.

Some brands of Sardinian fregula are about
the only exception, as they may require 20 minutes or even longer, at
sea level.

Post by DavidW
However. it's not widely available in Australia. A mid-sized local
supermarket has it, but I haven't seen it in the major chains, so
I'd like a fallback for the day when I can't get it any more. If you
are a pasta connoisseur anywhere in the world please suggest a brand
or two.

Latini
Cav. Giuseppe Cocco
Rustichella d'Abruzzo

Okay, thanks.