I bought some and served it to my husband who rarely comments on his food. After finishing the pasta, he commented on how different it was and what did I do differently. First food comment on 10 years! it really is better. Now it's all I use. Yum.
3
Italian pasta and even jarred Italian sauces carry on the tradition of excellence that one experiences when eating in Italy. It takes a very good Italian restaurant in the U.S. to achieve the freshness and quality of ingredients used in Italy. We have a shelf of pastas of many varieties from a number of Italian pasta companies (some noted in the article), all produced in Italy and shipped here. The quality, texture and flavor have no equals from domestic companies. More expensive? Of course. Worth it even at $15/pound (not typical by the way), which represents at least a few meals.
1
For what its worth, the best pasta I have ever had was at a restaurant in rural Hokkaido in Japan. The pasta was made from locally grown wheat. Great pasta doesn't have to be Italian or even European...
1
That is not the point of the article. Exceptions are always possible and tastes are subjective. Still, pasta remains an Italian masterpiece.
1
Best pasta I have ever had is by Verigini.... used to be sold at Williams Sonoma.
It's cut with a gold dye. You can still buy it online at igourmet.com.
It's like no other pasta I have ever eaten... elegant!
It's cut with a gold dye. You can still buy it online at igourmet.com.
It's like no other pasta I have ever eaten... elegant!
I suspect there's a pasta war going on between American and Italian wheat products. Currently, there is a west-of-the-Mississippi ad campaign by American Beauty, touting American Durham wheat as the best grain for pasta. In fact, AB points out they have nearly 40 products are non-GMO verified. Standard disclaimers apply, but I find the timing interesting.
You can have to be courageous to compare italian and american pasta
1
Try Baia Pasta from SF - mail order, mainly. American durum wheat, bronze die cut, with great shape choices. Also in kamut, spelt, etc. Flat rate shipping. I have been loving it for the last 3 years. Better than most Italian "artisanal" pasta brands available in the US, and much less expensive.
Sounds great except Pastificio Felicetti mono pasta is $15 a pound and the versions by Rustichella d’Abruzzo and Pasta Mancini are only slightly less in the U.S. It would be great if an American pasta company would follow.
Hello DR,
Actually, the prices of Felicetti Monograno range from $5.80 a pound to $9.80 a pound per the listings on Eataly's website.
Actually, the prices of Felicetti Monograno range from $5.80 a pound to $9.80 a pound per the listings on Eataly's website.
Nonsense. Who can tell the difference? Snob appeal only. Who eats pasta without sauce? I do know one eccentric guy who asks for sauce on the side and none on the Pasta...What a mess. RDA is great, I love their Farfella, orchiette, speghettini because the are shaped right, cook right and provide a great backbone for the cause. Taste? Compared to cheaper Barilla...no discernible difference. My advice: Cook the pasta for the right time and concentrate on sauce. The idea is that the sauce makes the dish, the pasta, cooked right, is the conduit.
1
Wrong my friend. This is only true in the US where pasta is drowned in sauce and you can no longer taste the pasta. It Italy, it's about the pasta not the sauce. There, pasta is lightly sauced and the pasta shines through.
3
I'm surprised at how many fine pasta producers who use 100% Italian grown wheat are left out of this story. (Pasta in Italy has to be made from durum so that's a no-brainer.) I'm thinking of Benedetto Cavaliere from Puglia, Martelli from Tuscany, Masciarelli from the Abruzzo, and Faella, Setaro, di Martino, and many others, all from Gragnano, in the heart of the heart of Italy's pasta production just south of Naples. Rustichella is excellent, I'm sure Monograno is too, but there are so many others who are doing this good work. It's too bad they can't be recognized.
8
Well, in the 1800s Italy relied heavily on wheat from the Black Sea - Russia, Ukraine - for its pasta. To be sure Italian durum was used, but not more than 50% according to this 19th century report:
https://books.google.ca/books?id=E109AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA210&dq=wheat+...
So, without in any way derogating from the merits of what sounds like very good pasta, Italy should offer a version from Russian fields, or Ukraine's, as well.
And why not all-American, or Canadian?
A line of "varietal" pastas. Compare and contrast.
https://books.google.ca/books?id=E109AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA210&dq=wheat+...
So, without in any way derogating from the merits of what sounds like very good pasta, Italy should offer a version from Russian fields, or Ukraine's, as well.
And why not all-American, or Canadian?
A line of "varietal" pastas. Compare and contrast.
What no one in Italy's food sector -- especially those obsessed with GMOs -- likes to mention is that the particular type of durum wheat used to make pasta in Italy and most of the west today is a hybrid created in a lab jointly funded by the IAEA and FAO. In the lab seeds are bombarded with radiation to cause genetic mutations, some of which are useful commercially. Given Italy's obsession with the purity of its food and its staunch anti-GMO policies, this is rather ironic to say the least.
I'll stick with Barilla. Best product for the money hands down.
Felicetti and Primo Grano are both available on Amazon.com. The problem is they're not eligible for Prime so you have to pay shipping.
I completely appreciate your efforts. I have paid extra to shop at Jimmy's Food Store in Dallas to buy non GMO products from Italy since my kids were born. Krackers from Italy are the greatest!!! olive flavor especially :-) BRAVO!
1
This article nicely exemplifies the differences between the USA and other countries when it comes to issues of economic nationalism. In the USA, the default attitude is that imported products (foods, cars, luxury products, especially from Europe) are always better and must be bought. In Europe, the default attitude is that local products are always better and must be favored.
No wonder we run a 300 billion dollar-plus trade deficit year after year.
No wonder we run a 300 billion dollar-plus trade deficit year after year.
5
Maybe is not nationalism. In the US there is a large use of GMOs, antiparassitic and liberal use of monsanto's and other chemicals no good for people health, and no so much care for quality. Quantity is more important than quality, the (economic) health (greed) of the big corporation more important than the citizen health. In Europe quality and small producers are more important. Local products are better also because of the regulating laws, that predatory US politics try to overcome (see TTIP)
11
I've eaten Rustichella d’Abruzzo for years and love it. It costs about $5-8 depending on type of pasta - and is available at Whole Foods and many smaller specialty stores. I got as a 'present' for Christmas of a Southern Italian pasta called Marino - which cost $12 (which is why it was a present:-) Definitely had a distinctive taste. Each good brand of pasta has its own favor, but I'm not surprised that some people can't taste the difference. It's just a reflection of the old saying "Some people eat to live and others live to eat".
4
JM ...Thanks for the Whole Foods tip...it is on my list. Looking forward to trying the one from Abruzzo.
1
Globalization for the EU means the individual countries still get the local good stuff, but export the mediocre. Look for 'DOP' on the label - it means it's grown and produced in the country of origin. Sometimes the importer's label is on exported product, but that doesn't mean it's manufactured outside of Italy. Basically, Italian cooking is very simple, with the emphasis on the quality of ingredients. Eating in Italy is a revelation. This could be done in any other country, if they slowed down and paid attention to the best local conditions for individual ingredients, and build their dishes accordingly. Up here in Quebec, when they've done that at times and local cuisine using carefully cultivated local ingredients stands up in every way to European. I actually see no harm in Italy importing olives from Spain to produce olive oil for export. The olives and oil from Spain or Greece are really excellent. The weird thing is our emphasis on 'authenticity', which makes up the export market demand, and marks us as suckers. If locally, we as North Americans just step up our game in producing high quality ingredients, we wouldn't need exports, save for the snobbish minority.
5
Sounds delicious. I'm curious as to the cost, which the article doesn't really go into. I love reading about successful local food endeavors and expect the cost to be higher. But I have to admit the prices for local and other "prestige" foods can be just silly, which frankly invites derision from many quarters. The piece mentions savings on energy use, transport, etc. - and I realize those are systemic savings & not necessarily all realized by the manufacturer. It would be interesting to see a piece about the economics of local food. That said, I wish them great success.
4
Bionaturae Organic pastas from Italy are also 100% durum wheat , i find them across the country in either Whole foods or better health food stores. Their website explains the artisan manufacturing techniques they use, www.bionaturae.com, as well as a 4th generation pasta maker! You can't go wrong trying bionaturae
3
Sounds to me like the United States' latest food craze is Italian durum wheat pasta. Italians don't do food crazes very well. Maybe that means something.
1
For several years we have been eating imported Italian non-GMO durum wheat that we buy at our local produce store. Those on a gluten-free diet can consume this wheat without any reaction whatsoever. The taste? Marvelous. Made in Italy is not enough. The package also has to say durum wheat.
2
I hope that someone with a serious gluten allergy does not follow your advice to eat this type of wheat. This wheat DOES contain gluten.
9
Excellent point, Ernie. And it just points up also the ridiculous nature of most gluten-intolerant claims. Durum wheat is wheat, pure and simple, and closely related to some of the most ancient wheats we know of. As such, it has loads of gluten, just like farro and einkorn. As for non-GMO durum, I do not believe you can find any wheat, of any variety or cultivar, that is produced with GMO technology. Not to say it might not come down the road, but it is not there yet.
1
Durum wheat is magically gluten free?
1
I am surprised they did not mention pastas by Jovial Foods using Einkhorn wheat. Company out of Connecticut but using ancient wheat grown in Italy.
6
Jovial also makes cookies that are delish and also made from Einkorn wheat. One flavor is chocolate, one is vanilla/chocolate checkerboard, and a third is ginger, if memory serves. All are nicely crunchy and NOT overly sweet.
5
So Italians are going local by eating pasta made in Italy from wheat grown in Italy. Now American chefs are importing this pasta? Does the irony of American chefs turning a local slow food trend into the exact opposite strike anyone besides me?
If American restaurateurs really wanted to copy this they would buy pasta made from local wheat (local to the restaurants) and not ship it halfway around the world.
If American restaurateurs really wanted to copy this they would buy pasta made from local wheat (local to the restaurants) and not ship it halfway around the world.
13
@JE Garrett
To paraphrase your last sentence, there is something terrible about most American food, period. And it begins, and ends, with giant agribusiness, and the subsidies of corn and soy.
To paraphrase your last sentence, there is something terrible about most American food, period. And it begins, and ends, with giant agribusiness, and the subsidies of corn and soy.
40
Try 100%whole wheat pasta from Italy. Now you have real flavor as well as real nutrition.
4
American Italian cooking is too heavy. I learned to cook light Italian while on Weight Watchers. There is no going back for me. A fresh marinara with a dash of olive oil, fresh garlic and basil on wheat pasta with only a hint of cheese is how pasta should be eaten.
5
Food fads. Those who pay higher prices to follow every fad pay the price at the market. And they don't eat any better than those who buy non-hyped regular foods--though they think they do. That's called smugness.
1
We solved the problem of having good local food made from the best local produce. We moved to Italy thirty three years ago. We eat the pasta and other great food stuffs grown and produced in the region we happen to be eating in at moment. Or we buy the best local produce, for example, the extraordinary pomodorini piennolo da Vesuvio which only grow on the side of Mont Vesuvio facing the sea near Napoli when we are there for our annual visit and bring them home to the Veneto to create the world's most perfect salsa di pomodorini on Planet Earth until the pomodorini piennolo run out. Then we wait for our own to come in late July. Yes, we are quite lucky to live here and benefit from the bounty produced by farmers ... and by us in our own orto.
4
Exquisite! I've done much the same sort of thing in Lecce, Puglia. Good eating to you!
3
"better" is quite relative. In the US culture, it may be smugness to appreciate deeply, in loving detail, the pleasures of the table, as the French call it. It's often perceived that way. But when people behave like this for a long period, their whole adult lives even, by definition it's not a fad. You can dismiss it as such if you're not interested, but there is a subgroup - admittedly a minority, and usually it falls along the same old coastal elites vs inland "real America" divide - who sincerely appreciate these things.
For people who are quite passionate about food, the only way to continually eat very well and NOT be seen as smug may be to move away, as Gondoliere and I have done, to a culture where this delight in great food is more normal.
For people who are quite passionate about food, the only way to continually eat very well and NOT be seen as smug may be to move away, as Gondoliere and I have done, to a culture where this delight in great food is more normal.
5
If you are looking at some pasta or oil and it says "product of Italy" on the package, that tells you nothing about where the wheat or olives were grown.
In fact it does. These goods are imported (and pay heavy duties) in the US based exactly on rules of origin (WTO). In non-preferential terms a good originates where it has undergone the last, economically significant processing operation. For simple foodstuffs like olive oil (only one stage of processing) it would be pretty difficult to establish the major part of the value of the good to have been obtained anywhere else than Italy. Pasta (2 stages of processing) is more likely that part of its main material (grain) may have been imported (30%-50%).
4
Unless something has changed in the past couple years, the labeling of olive oil is not accurate due to fraud. Most Italian olive oil is mixed with cheaper oils imported from elsewhere & sold as extra virgin product of Italy. Tom Mueller wrote about his investigation in the New Yorker and followed up with a book in 2012.
3
I love all things Italian, but you are so right! Look for harvest date of the olive crop on the label. If that is not provided skip it. California olive growers provide the information and are great quality!
When I am home I eat pasta about once a week, I enjoy it but would rather have foods that we are better at producing here (steak,chicken etc).I travel to Italy once or twice a year and when I'm there I enjoy pasta often twice a day...it is different there, not as filling(smaller portions?) and sublime. I rarely have any meat there, just have the local pasta and sauce in the trattoria from whatever little town I'm in and I'm in heaven.
4
Ever get "Pennsylvania Dutch" egg noodles from an Amish store? The ones that are made in ladies' kitchens and not in factories? As good as Italy's best.
5
I've been making my own stuff for sometime now. It's almost just second nature now. I have an old pasta roll out machine that I found at an antique store about 7 years ago. However the majority of the time I prefer to roll it out myself and cut it myself. My CSA partners with a farm that sells durum wheat flour, not from Italy however. I find it does the job pretty well, however when I run out I just order online.
All that said, I'm all into the idea of more pasta producers in Italy and abroad. This goes with anything really, wine-cheese-pork-you name it. Ideally with specializations in rare breeds, rare forms, lost arts and preserving the old. Now..if we can just get a grocery store to start selling all the great cheeses and products without concern of being too pricey..well that would be a dream come true... - nope..Whole Foods nor Eataly come close to this..
All that said, I'm all into the idea of more pasta producers in Italy and abroad. This goes with anything really, wine-cheese-pork-you name it. Ideally with specializations in rare breeds, rare forms, lost arts and preserving the old. Now..if we can just get a grocery store to start selling all the great cheeses and products without concern of being too pricey..well that would be a dream come true... - nope..Whole Foods nor Eataly come close to this..
4
Lost arts? If you know about them, if one person is working the old way, they are not lost arts. Pay no attention to TLC or the so-called "History" Channel. There is nothing the ancients could do that we can't do, and it is a myth to think that something that was done for hundreds of years and abandoned is better than a new way of doing the same thing. As for looking for "great cheeses," etc., if you live near a city there are "upscale" delis that specialize in supplying speciality foods to elitists.
2
I go to NYC, Philly and DC relatively often. DiBrunos does not even come close to Barthélémy or Fromager Marie-Anne Cantin in Paris or Cellerier in Lyon. Murrays is a joke. Eataly is pretty much Italian on Disney.
Lost arts, it takes an individual to pick up a book such as La Varenne's Cookery and to try to start bringing back old styled meat pies, or deer antler jellie. There are endless amounts of various recipes that may not be technically lost but simply we are too lazy to do..or simply have a post-wwII food mindset that sees kidneys and brains as a negative thing.
I collect cookbooks as a hobby; old cookbooks, if it's been published after 1990 then I generally have little interest, however I mostly focus on books publish before 1910. Sure we do plenty of things well, however sous vide steak versus lighting up a charcoal grill, or using an open flame heart out beats such "new" styles any day of the week.
History Channel, TLC? TV? Go open a book, start with the Epicurean or Escoffier or The Viandier of Taillevent.
Lost arts, it takes an individual to pick up a book such as La Varenne's Cookery and to try to start bringing back old styled meat pies, or deer antler jellie. There are endless amounts of various recipes that may not be technically lost but simply we are too lazy to do..or simply have a post-wwII food mindset that sees kidneys and brains as a negative thing.
I collect cookbooks as a hobby; old cookbooks, if it's been published after 1990 then I generally have little interest, however I mostly focus on books publish before 1910. Sure we do plenty of things well, however sous vide steak versus lighting up a charcoal grill, or using an open flame heart out beats such "new" styles any day of the week.
History Channel, TLC? TV? Go open a book, start with the Epicurean or Escoffier or The Viandier of Taillevent.
10
Further, I want to recommend Food in England by Dorothy Hartley. That book is filled with plenty of lost techniques...for example cooking eggs in ashes (instead of hard boiling). The flavor is profound. Eh..I should max on the typing space here with other book recommendations but I'm unsure it's worth it.
Consumers deserve to be aware of where the raw ingredients in their purchases originate. The movement of locally grown produce has saved many jobs in countless communities worldwide. If the Pasta I like to eat is an Italian made product I would like to expect that the production was native from start to finish. Besides if I am willing to support a particular country's products I would like to be certain that sourcing material originate in that country.
14
Italians eat 60 lbs of pasta a year.
Americans eat on average 20.
Italians do not seem to be having an obesity problem.
So much for all my dieting American friends who refuse to eat pasta like it's one of the seven deadly sins!
Americans eat on average 20.
Italians do not seem to be having an obesity problem.
So much for all my dieting American friends who refuse to eat pasta like it's one of the seven deadly sins!
42
one small portion vs 3 pounds ..
6
"among OECD countries, Italy has the second highest rate of overweight children behind Greece"
Source: http://www.thelocal.it/20151106/why-are-italian-children-so-fat
Source: http://www.thelocal.it/20151106/why-are-italian-children-so-fat
4
Unfortunately, you are correct...but that Is because Italian kids are following the kids in this country and eating to much fast food and sodas. There is a big push to bring back "traditional" Italian cooking to the households in Italian, spearheaded out of Bologna University, "cucina casa" ,which promotes the old style Italian cuisine with a modern slant....pasta is an important part of this movement.
4
Ahem. Does anyone in this country make their own pasta? After all, it is quite easy to learn how. Marcella Hazan's cookbooks instruct as do many tv cooking shows. Semolina is available in almost every grocery store. There are several pasta machines on the market.
Here in the boonies, the Italian made DaVinci brand is competitive with Barilla, Muellers, Ronzoni, etc. They offer a variety of styles others do not. Undoubtedly, there are other made - in - Italy brands available nationwide.
Here in the boonies, the Italian made DaVinci brand is competitive with Barilla, Muellers, Ronzoni, etc. They offer a variety of styles others do not. Undoubtedly, there are other made - in - Italy brands available nationwide.
3
And you don't even need a pasta machine either. For years, Nonna has simply rolled the dough with a rolling pin and cut it to the desired thickness or shaped it with her hands.
2
I make my own, most recently with recipes like Serious Eats "The Science of the Best Fresh Egg Pasta". And after my Atlas hand-cranked pasta machine finally died on me after nearly 20 years of service, I've started to use a good old rolling pin, with nearly as good results (still working on rolling it thin enough for tortellini, but man's reach must exceed his grasp, etc etc)
2
Even Marcella Hazan took care to differentiate between recipes for fresh pasta and the type that is dried and comes in a box. You cannot readily make the latter at home, but there is, indeed, a large place for it in classic Italian cooking.
3
Recently, I read that wheat crops, among others, are sprayed with Roundup shortly before harvest for dessication purposes which up the yield a bit. This happens in the US and Canada, but this practice is banned in Italy (and France, Germany). Apparently, people who consider themselves gluten-intolerant don't have the same reaction to Italian- made pastas, although we learn in this article that most have some percentage of wheat from elsewhere.
15
One more reason to buy certified organic pasta.
6
I've been traveling and partly living in Italy for the past 37 years. I used to buy Barilla until one day I noticed a different in taste and texture. When I checked the box, it no longer said, "Made in Italy." That was the end for Barilla, as far as I was concerned. As Italy's largest pasta maker, they decided to cut costs and open a plant in America. Immediately, their pasta went downhill. I switched to De Cecco and haven't regretted my decision. Occasionally, I buy some specialty pastas made in southern Italy that pass through bronze dies and are dried slowly. Those are the keys, along with, of course, 100% quality durum wheat. So if Mr. Felicetti and his colleagues/competitors produce a similar product, great. Consumers are terrific at determining price/value ratios and will buy accordingly. There is always room for a quality pasta manufacturer.
35
I too noticed that about Barilla a number of years ago. They tried to disguise the change by saying something like "Italy's best selling pasta" on the box.
same experience. I used Barilla until the switch (I have been told there are outlets where you can buy "made in Italy" Barilla, but I couldn't find anything on line). I use De Cecco now. The article lists places to buy Monograno pasta and I intend to get some.
Over the Columbus Day weekend, pasta sells for 50 cents a pound at Aldi and Sam's Club.
This story is about pasta that sells for $10 to $15 a pound, or more.
I doubt that it's 20 or 30 times better. I doubt most people can tell the difference in taste and mouth feel between the cheap stuff and the expensive stuff.
This story is about pasta that sells for $10 to $15 a pound, or more.
I doubt that it's 20 or 30 times better. I doubt most people can tell the difference in taste and mouth feel between the cheap stuff and the expensive stuff.
8
I fully agree, Guy, as long as we distinguish WHICH people we're talking about. Probably 95% of Americans cannot tell the difference between a low grade and a quality pasta (with the exception, of course, of places like San Francisco and New York, which Monograno's marketing is targeting, not surprisingly)
But I think most Italians, Northern or Southern, not only for having been passionately devoted to pasta for generations, but being in general much more naturally cultivated in such sensory matters, could easily pass scores and scores of blindfold tests proving that they do indeed value the finer grade stuff.
I've lived in Italy ten years, and I can tell you that the average Joe here knows and loves his pasta, olive oil, caffè, etc., with a passion that is a cultural norm. There is an oft-used expression in Italian - "buona forchetta" - similar to the French 'gourmand', which means a person who loves to eat. But it has a distinctly different sense here than "foodie" or "gourmet", or other such words that in the US indicate an aberration, a snobbish - dare I say 'elite' ? - kind of person. Here, it's a very normal, and even enviable trait, no snobbishness at all.
Actually, this is yet one more example - as if we needed it - of how the two Americas differ sharply from each other.
But I think most Italians, Northern or Southern, not only for having been passionately devoted to pasta for generations, but being in general much more naturally cultivated in such sensory matters, could easily pass scores and scores of blindfold tests proving that they do indeed value the finer grade stuff.
I've lived in Italy ten years, and I can tell you that the average Joe here knows and loves his pasta, olive oil, caffè, etc., with a passion that is a cultural norm. There is an oft-used expression in Italian - "buona forchetta" - similar to the French 'gourmand', which means a person who loves to eat. But it has a distinctly different sense here than "foodie" or "gourmet", or other such words that in the US indicate an aberration, a snobbish - dare I say 'elite' ? - kind of person. Here, it's a very normal, and even enviable trait, no snobbishness at all.
Actually, this is yet one more example - as if we needed it - of how the two Americas differ sharply from each other.
29
But it is 20 or 30 times better! Since I have been cooking Setaro pasta (produced in the Naples area), which I buy at a local Italian grocery at about $9 for a little over 2 pounds, I can't go back, even to DeCecco's, which I used to think was pretty good. The taste and texture are superb, and it makes the other stuff taste like kleenex. Eating this pasta is one of the great joys of my life. Personally I would much rather eat less of what is better than waste time, money, and taste buds on the depressingly inferior stuff. That goes for everything, not just food.
31
I doubt that anyone would fail to notice the difference in a 50 cents vs. $10 pound of pasta unless their taste buds are dead. Different shapes of pasta have different tastes, let alone different ingredients. It's easy to say that "most people" couldn't tell the difference, but in fact, "most people" could. Whether the difference is worth the money to someone is a different question.
13
The New York based pasta maker Sfoglini immediately came to mind when reading this article. I am a fan of their Trumpets made from organic american grown semolina flour. They also have a line of specialty grains that I recommend like Whole Grain Radiators or Spelt Fusilli, all organic made from american or local NY State grains.
3
When it comes down to it, pasta is like any other food - the better quality the ingredients the better the nutrition and taste. There are companies in America that have similar philosophies, like Sfoglini Pasta in Brooklyn. They use 100% American organic wheats with no additives or preservatives. Different areas of the world produce durum wheat better than others. Italy is a great place as well as the American midwest. The way it's harvested and milled is also very important.
13
Pasta in Italy is, generally speaking, made from pure, unadulterated ingredients. No GMOs. No fillers, no preservatives, no dyes, no "added nutrients". The taste is unforgettable and Italians seem to be able to eat it constantly without becoming obese. Here in Liguria, we also feast on locally produced sauces such as pesto, noci and pomodoro. The taste is divine. My diet makes me feel fit and energetic. If I try to eat American equivalents when I return to The States, I balloon up like the Michelin Man. I feel (and am) bloated and lethargic. Purity matters. There is something terribly different about most American food.
68
Sad but true. The quality of ingredients found in the States leaves a lot to be desired. This translates in restaurants saturating the food with cheese or other ingredients to provide flavor. Italian food in the states does not compare to that Italians eat. I visited Iceland recently and the food there also tasted more vibrant and was cooked with a lot of finesse. Americans have fallen prey to celebrity chefs but the food continues to leave a lot to be desired.
9
Si mangia molto meglio in Italia.
In Italy it seems I am always walking, not only on tours, but alongside residents up and down stairs or rushing to catch public transportation, carrying a bag from the station back to the apartment, etc. Back home in the States, not so much. I do think Italian food is wonderful, but I also think America's weight problem is a lifestyle and infrastructure problem.
3
It's probably a psychological thing, but when I make spaghetti and clams with De Cecco pasta it's WAY better tasting than when I use Ronzoni
25
NOT psychological at all. see comment by J E Garrett and portanero.
No, it's not. DeCecco is better!
3
De Cecco pasta is delicious and comes out a perfect al dente. It's not in your head - it's in your mouth. Life's too short to eat mediocre food.
3
I like to refer to myself as an Italian convert, having lived there for many years. There is a difference in pastas. The gold standard which no one talks about is De Cecco, which 9 times out of 10 is what is served in restaurants in Italy. There IS a difference. As someone just commented, Barilla, probably the largest selling pasta in Italy, is no different from domestic varieties, and that is quite understandable because the Barilla in America is made in America. (Not that I oppose expanding the domestic job market). Technicalities out of the way, having tried a number of "artiginal" Italian pastas imported here, I am totally unimpressed. None have yet come up to my De Cecco bar. However, I am more than willing to try these new guys. If they are better than D.C., great, especially if they are priced accordingly. If not up to standards, nice try, keep working at it. California produced a hell of a lot of plunk wines in its day before Napa and Sonoma got up to speed. Perhaps we are seeing the same thing here. (OBTW: regarding imported duram. The bulk of it comes from the American heartland. But what the Italians can do with our products is magic!) Buon appitito!
5
Have you tried Grarofalo brand which is selling at Costco and Fresh Market? This brand was recommended by the gourmet food store owner in Rome.
5
Ye, Garofalo is a great pasta and at Costco a great deal. It comes to about $! a pound. The slight problem is that it comes in 8 pound packages.
3
It's not one eight pound package, it's a wrap-up of 8 one pound packages (and there are several different types of pastas in some of those wrap-ups).
1
Sure, I have evidence concerning Barilla sold in the US. If you look closely at the label you'll notice an Iowa address (they also have a New York State facility). I eschew it, as I think De Cecco is better. There are a couple of pastas from Italy and those packages state: "Product of Italy.
16
Pasta from Italy is vastly superior to anything you can buy in the States. I brought back a bunch of pasta when I visited. I could tell as soon as I cooked it, there was a huge difference. I nearly cried when I ran out. In fact, all food in Italy, from the tiniest lettuce leaf, the cheese, the pasta, to the produce, is like night and day from what we get in the States. While our food is bland and devoid of flavor, their food explodes with flavor. They just do food better.
45
You're eating and drinking through smoke-colored glasses. While many of Italy's pastas are better tasting than those in the U.S. (consult with Cooks Illustrated to see who they recommend), it varies depending on the pasta type.
Regarding your other comments on "all food", apparently you're not absorbing/reading about the vast majority of adulterated Italian extra-virgin olive oils, nor the poisoned soils of many parts of Italy (ie. mafia dumping of chemicals and other debris into the tomato fields of southern Italy, etc.).
After living in Italy for several years, I can attest to the lack of quality across many of the food items that are produced there. Much of the produce in Italy is imported by the way - very limited portfolio truly from Italy. Yes, much of the lettuce is imported.
Regarding your other comments on "all food", apparently you're not absorbing/reading about the vast majority of adulterated Italian extra-virgin olive oils, nor the poisoned soils of many parts of Italy (ie. mafia dumping of chemicals and other debris into the tomato fields of southern Italy, etc.).
After living in Italy for several years, I can attest to the lack of quality across many of the food items that are produced there. Much of the produce in Italy is imported by the way - very limited portfolio truly from Italy. Yes, much of the lettuce is imported.
2
There is a local market here in Dayton that carries the Rustichella pastas from Italy. After trying it I don't buy anything else.
Being an old-school drown-it-in-red-sauce guy, I find one pasta tastes the same as another. One exception: when we make gluten-free spaghetti for my granddaughter (celiac disease) I opt for a sandwich. Even dumping on the tomato sauce doesn't make that stuff palatable to me.
10
Try DeLallo, they nailed it.
1
You should try Jovial's gluten free brown rice pasta, it's wonderful.
I am interested in knowing if this wheat is unenriched, unbleached, and unbromated. For people with gluten sensitivities (not Celiac disease), the 3-"un"s is often digestible. In the U.S. it is difficult to find this flour but can be obtainable online.
6
Just last week we were vacationing out of state and found this: Bionaturae organic gluten free pasta. It is made in Italy and is very delicious and has the wheat pasta mouthfeel, also. Pricey, but worth it.
I have heard rumors that Italy began doing gluten free pasta ages ago because so many Italians are gluten intolerant. Whether this is true or not, I do find that gluten free pasta made in Italy is better than that made here.
I have heard rumors that Italy began doing gluten free pasta ages ago because so many Italians are gluten intolerant. Whether this is true or not, I do find that gluten free pasta made in Italy is better than that made here.
5
When we lived in italy, the local-sourced pasta was always tasted better. Our Italian friends showed us the difference.
Today, back in the US, I seek out brands made with Italian grown durum wheat. Interestingly, this product seems to be found either at the high end gourmet shops or the low end outlet stores. The supermarket (least favorite place to shop anyway) simply doesn't carry it.
it isn't food snobbery, simply a preference.
Today, back in the US, I seek out brands made with Italian grown durum wheat. Interestingly, this product seems to be found either at the high end gourmet shops or the low end outlet stores. The supermarket (least favorite place to shop anyway) simply doesn't carry it.
it isn't food snobbery, simply a preference.
11
It's hard to be a snob about peasant food, but if anyone can make you do it, it would be the NY Times. Agreed, though, there is a vast difference in the taste of pasta based on many factors, as anyone who has ever eaten pasta knows. We all have our preferences. There is definitely something to be said about locally sourced wheat, unadulterated, fresh, etc. That's not being a snob, that's being someone who grew up knowing the difference. I am fortunate to live in an Italian neighborhood (or what's left of it) and pasta choices abound, from dozens of imports to fresh made down the block.
5
yes
Although I have no opinion on the advantages of the pasta made of durum or soft wheat, there is one item sorely lacking on the market: meter-long or even longer spaghetti and macaroni. Nothing compares with the pleasure of a very long string of spaghetti, fried in butter to light crispness, and held by the end high above the mouth, to be consumed one bite after another.
5
Although I have no evidence one way or another, I have read that the Barilla pasta sold in the US is not the same as Barilla sold in Italy. (Which the US adverstises as "the best selling pasta in Italy.")
I'd welcome factual information about this.
I'd welcome factual information about this.
13
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide any factual information about this matter. I can, however, subjectively say that I cannot detect the slightest difference between the Barilla pasta I eat in Italy and its U.S. counterpart, aside from the shape and name of some kinds of pasta, such as mezze penne (different shape), or "rotini" (which are called "fusilli" in Italy).
6
I don't know whether they have a different formulation or not, but even if they do they may also have different formulations for different areas in Europe or even different areas within Italy. Maybe the water in coastal areas is different from water in the mountains so they do something to account for that. Who knows? There is nothing sinister about it -- many manufacturers adjust their products to suit local conditions where they are sold, often due to differing local regulations.
6
US produced pasta uses Domestic wheat, likely commingled with inferior GMO wheat. Quality Italy pasta is 100% durum wheat / GMO-FREE. Bronze die extrusion used in Italy, along with slow drying, creates a rough-surfaced sauce-hugging pasta compared to quick drying, smooth nylon or teflon forms. Why not experiment? Prep a favorite sauce with both types. BTW, in 2016 (New Yorkers, naturally) filed a class action suit against Barilla re deceptively packaging 13 and 14 oz varieties packaged in 16 oz boxes.
1