Search

Baked pasta dishes have become very popular and are served as main courses, side dishes, or as the first course of a meal. There are many different baked dishes but one of the most popular and well known is lasagne.

Basic Types | Flavors and Colors | Pasta Shapes | Pasta Sauces Pasta is a basic staple ingredient used in cooking. It is available in hundreds of shapes worldwide and in many different flavors.

Plain pasta and pasta dishes can be reheated in the oven, microwave or on the stovetop. The method that works best depends on the quantity and type of pasta or pasta dish you are reheating.

Soup pasta consists of pasta shapes that range in size from small to very tiny. The larger of the soup pastas are used in thicker based soups and the tiny and smaller pasta shapes are used in light or broth based soups.

Tubular pasta is any pasta that is hollow through the center, forming a tube. They are available in many different sizes and shapes. Some tubes are long and narrow while others are short and wide.

Stuffed pasta consists of fresh pasta sheets that are stuffed with a filling. After the filling has been added, the pasta sheets are folded over and sealed, or another sheet is placed on top and the edges are sealed.

Shopping Tips | Homemade Pasta Tips | Reheating Tips | Handling and Safety TipsChecking Doneness | Light Tips | Cooking Tips Shopping Tips: When purchasing fresh pasta, it is important that you check for the expiration date to ensure that the pasta will be fresh when you are ready to use it.

Contamination Prevention | Cooking Safety | Proper Storage Contamination Prevention Cleanliness: A clean working environment is essential in the prevention of contamination in working with pasta and other foods.

Ribbon pasta, which is flat strands of pasta, is available in different lengths, widths and thickness. Some are short and wide, while others are long and narrow. Ribbon pasta can have straight or wavy edges and many varieties are available fresh and dried.

The basic cooking method most often used for cooking pasta is boiling. There are a few other methods used to cook specific types of pasta and Asian noodles. The other methods used are baking, deep-frying, and stir-frying.

Light Tips for Pasta Dishes Prepare dishes flavored with vegetables and herbs rather than meats and cream sauces. When possible, use low-fat cheese, such as ricotta or cottage cheese in place of other cheeses.

Types of Flour Ground from Wheat One of the primary reasons for the popularity of wheat flour is due to its gluten forming capacity when the flour is mixed with liquid. Gluten is the substance that provides dough with elasticity and the ability to stretch as the leavening agent produces carbon dioxide gas, which enables the dough to rise effectively.

Cheeses of Italy: Parmesan to Trugole Parmesan Parmesan is a well-known semi-hard to hard Italian cheese made from partially skimmed cow's milk. Parmesan cheese can be purchased as a young cheese or as an aged cheese.

Cheeses of Italy: Asiago to Crucolo Asiago A type of Italian cheese made from cow's milk. It has a hard texture and a nutty flavor. Like Parmigiano cheese, it is produced in the shape of a wheel.

Reading the Recipe | Ingredient Preparation | Scaling Your Recipe Knowing how to follow and read your recipe will help make your cooking or baking experience a success. Properly preparing your ingredients, using proper cooking times and temperatures, and proper bakeware or cookware all assist in the success of your end product.

Described below are some of the products (including flour) created directly from various grains. Other than a few exceptions, products that are created after the grain has been ground into flour are not described, because they are so numerous.

 

Corn | Rice | Rye | Other Grains Types of Flour Ground from Corn Several varieties of corn are used to produce different types of corn flour. The degree in which the corn is milled and processed also determines the type of flour that is produced.

  Cheeses of Mexico and the Caribbean: Queso to Requeson Queso Queso is the Spanish word for cheese. In the United States, the word is commonly used as a name for a type of Mexican cheese dip, as well as for numerous varieties of Mexican cheese.

Cheeses of Mexico and the Caribbean: Braided to Oaxaca Braided As the name implies, braided cheese refers to twisted lengths of cheese intertwined to create a thick round braid, similar to a braided rope.