Question 1

What are the health benefits of pasta?

Accepted Answer

Pasta is a perfect foundation for healthy, nutritious and satisfying meals: pasta is generally eaten with nutrient-dense food partners, such as fiber-filled vegetables and beans, heart healthy fish and monounsaturated oils, antioxidant-rich tomato sauce and protein-packed cheese, poultry and lean meats.
 
* SUSTAINED ENERGY: Carbohydrates like pasta provide glucose, the crucial fuel for your brain and muscles. Pasta is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which provide a slow release of energy. Unlike simple sugars that offer a quick, yet fleeting boost of energy, pasta helps sustain energy.
 
* LOW SODIUM & CHOLESTEROL-FREE: Pasta is very low in sodium and cholesterol-free. Per cup, enriched varieties provide a good source of several essential nutrients, including iron and several B-vitamins. Whole wheat pasta can provide up to 25% of daily fiber requirements in every one cup portion.
 
*FOLIC ACID: Enriched pasta is fortified with folic acid – essential for women of child-bearing age. A serving of dry pasta supplies the equivalent of roughly 100 micrograms of folic acid, or 25% of the recommended daily intake.
 
* BALANCED DIET: Pasta is part of a well-balanced diet. Current dietary guidance calls for up to 65% of daily calories to come from carbohydrates, such as pasta.LOW GI: Pasta has a low Glycemic Index (GI) so it does not cause blood glucose levels to rise quickly. Blood glucose is sometimes referred to as blood “sugar”

Question 2

Why is pasta so popular?

Accepted Answer

According to the National Pasta Association (NPA), among the reasons cited for pasta’s popularity are its nutritional value, taste, convenience and economical value. Eighty-four percent of consumers consider pasta to be a healthy food and an important part of a well-balanced diet. What’s more important, consumers who describe themselves as ‘health conscious’ are more likely than others to eat pasta three or more times a week. In addition, 44 percent of the health-conscious are eating more pasta today than they were five years ago.

Question 3

Who “invented” pasta?

Accepted Answer

Popular legend has it that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century; however, we can trace pasta back as far as the fourth century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta. The Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as 3000 B.C. And Greek mythology suggests that the Greek God Vulcan invented a device that made strings of dough (the first spaghetti).Pasta made its way to the New World through the English, who discovered it while touring Italy. Colonists brought to America the English practice of cooking noodles at least one half hour, then smothering them with cream sauce and cheese. But it was Thomas Jefferson who is credited with bringing the first “maccaroni” machine to America in 1789 when he returned home after serving as ambassador to France.The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848 by, of all people, a Frenchman, who spread his spaghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine.

Question 4

How is pasta made?

Accepted Answer

Mixing dry pasta is made with semolina, which is produced by grinding kernels of durum wheat. Sometimes other hard wheats are also used. The semolina is mixed with water until it forms a dough. If any other ingredients are being added to the pasta, such as eggs to make egg noodles, or spinach or tomato to make red or green colored pasta, those ingredients are added at this stage.
 
2. Extruding The dough is kneaded until it reaches the correct consistency, and then it is pushed, or extruded, through a die, a metal disc with holes in it. The size and shape of the holes in the die determine what the shape of the pasta will be. For instance, dies with round or oval holes will produce solid, long shapes of pasta, such as spaghetti. When the extruded pasta reaches the right length, it is cut with sharp blades that rotate beneath the die.
 
3. Drying The pasta is then sent through large dryers, which circulate hot, moist air to slowly dry the pasta. Because different pasta shapes vary in degrees of thickness, they dry for different lengths of time. Most take 5 or 6 hours to dry.
 
4. Packing The dried pasta is then packed in bags or boxes. Some of the more fragile pasta shapes, such as lasagna and manicotti, are often packed by hand to protect them from breaking.

Question 5

What are the ingredients in Tenderoni’s Pasta?

Accepted Answer

TENDERONI pasta is made from the finest durum wheat semolina to give you delicious old-world taste and ‘al dente’ texture for your special pasta dishes. With TENDERONI you get the healthy advantage of enriched semolina, making TENDERONI the perfect pasta for health conscious pasta lovers. Ingredients: Durum Wheat Semolina, Niacin, Iron Lactate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid.

Question 6

What is semolina?

Accepted Answer

Semolina is the key ingredient in the finest pasta. It is ground from Durum wheat and slightly yellow in color.
Some brands of pasta are made from white flour (ordinary, soft wheat). DURUM SEMOLINA is more nutritious, more proteins, easier to digest than white flour.
WHITE FLOUR – lacks proteins, fibre, wheat germ, mineral salts, vitamins and digestive enzymes.
White flour forms a paste in the intestine, hindering digestion.

Question 7

What is Durum wheat?

Accepted Answer

Durum wheat is the hardest of all wheat classes. There are a number of different varieties of Durum wheat, of which some are coveted for making pasta due to their high protein content, strong gluten strength, and golden color.

Question 8

Why is Tenderoni pasta labeled “enriched?”

Accepted Answer

Enriched pasta products are defined by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, who mandates vitamins and minerals lost in the milling process must be added to the finished pasta. The current enrichment includes: niacin (Vitamin B3), Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B3), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), and Folic Acid, all of which are part of a healthy diet.

Question 9

What’s the serving size of pasta?

Accepted Answer

A serving of pasta is two ounces (56g) of dry pasta.

Question 10

How do you cook pasta perfectly every time?

Accepted Answer

1. Boil four to six quarts of water for one pound of dry pasta. (You can divide this recipe depending on how much pasta you are cooking.)
 
2. Add the pasta with a stir and return the water to a boil, salting the water is optional, but not necessary to cook pasta.. Just because people expect it.
 
3. Stir the pasta occasionally during cooking.
 
4. Follow the package directions for cooking times. If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking, undercook the pasta by 1/3 of the cooking time specified on the package.
 
5. Taste the pasta to determine if it is done. Perfectly cooked pasta should be “al dente,” or firm to the bite, yet cooked through.
 
6. Drain pasta immediately and follow the rest of the recipe.

Question 11

Can pasta be cooked in the microwave?

Accepted Answer

We don’t recommend using your microwave, unless it’s a pasta product designed to be cooked in the microwave. Pasta needs boiling water to cook properly; the microwave isn’t suitable for this.

Question 12

How should I store pasta?

Accepted Answer

Uncooked Pasta Store uncooked, dry pasta in your cupboard for up to one year. Keep in a cool, dry place. Follow the “first-in, first-out” rule: Use up packages you’ve had the longest before opening new packages.
 
Cooked Pasta Refrigerate cooked pasta in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. You may add a little oil (1-2 tsp. for each pound of cooked pasta) to help keep it from sticking. Because cooked pasta will continue to absorb flavors and oils from sauces, store cooked pasta separately from sauce.
 
Freezing Pasta The best pasta shapes for freezing are those that are used in baked recipes, such as: lasagne, jumbo shells, ziti and manicotti. You’ll have better results if you prepare the recipe and freeze it before baking. To bake, thaw the dish to room temperature and bake as the recipe directs.

Question 13

How do I reheat pasta?

Accepted Answer

To reheat cooked pasta, portion out the amount you need and place in boiling water. For extra-easy draining, you can place the pasta in a stainless steel colander or strainer and then submerge in boiling water. Count 40 to 60 seconds of re-heating time for a four-ounce serving. Drain the pasta well, toss with sauce and serve immediately.Pasta can also be reheated in the microwave oven. Reheat single servings on high for 45 seconds at a time, checking between intervals for doneness.

Question 14

How do I pair pasta shapes with appropriate sauces?

Accepted Answer

When pairing pasta with a sauce, remember that:
 
Thin, delicate pastas, like angel hair or thin spaghetti, are better served with light, thin sauces.
 
Thicker pasta shapes, like fettuccine, work well with heavier sauces.
 
Pasta shapes with holes or ridges, like mostaccioli or radiatore, are perfect for chunkier sauces.

Pasta FAQs