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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.

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.

There are numerous pasta products available, consisting of dried and fresh pasta. Some products are available both in a dried and fresh form but there are many more dried products than fresh.

Pasta strands are long rods of pasta, which are generally round, but they are available in a square rod also. The basic difference from one variety to the next is the thickness of the strands.

Most pastas have a similar flavor but when the sauce is added, the pasta and sauce create their own unique flavor. There are many types of sauces that can be used but some go better with certain types of pasta than others.

Boiling is the method most often used for cooking pasta. It is also used in conjunction with some of the other cooking methods, such as stir-frying and baking. When boiling pasta it is important to use a sufficient amount of water, generally a quart of water per 4 ounces of pasta is satisfactory.

Homemade pasta can be cut into shapes and different width noodles by the use of different types of pasta machines. The pasta shapes and noodles are cut by the use of different dies and cutting rollers on the pasta machines.

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.

  Italian Pasta Sauces | Other Types of Italian Sauces   Italian Pasta Sauces The pasta sauces of Italy are made from any of a variety of savory toppings and mixtures of ingredients that enhance the flavor of the pasta dish being served.

When determining how much pasta to purchase, it is best to buy according to weight because it is difficult to measure the varying sizes and shapes of pasta. If following a recipe, purchase the amount required by the recipe.

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.

A wok, which has deep tapered sides, is a traditional type pan used for stir-frying. A wok works well but is not a necessity. A nonstick deep skillet also works very well. If rice noodles or mung bean noodles are going to be added to the stir-fry, they are sometimes deep-fried in the wok or deep skillet first and then set aside while other ingredients are stir-fried according to the recipe.

Asian Noodles Asian noodles consist of strands that vary in shape, width, and length. Many Asian noodles are very long in length, symbolizing longevity. They can be thin straight sticks, flat strands, round strands, and wavy strands.

A wok, which has deep tapered sides, is a traditional type pan used for stir-frying. A wok works well but is not a necessity. A nonstick deep skillet also works very well. If rice noodles or mung bean noodles are going to be added to the stir-fry, they are sometimes deep-fried in the wok or deep skillet first and then set aside while other ingredients are stir-fried according to the recipe.

Winter Squash Preparation | Winter Squash Cooking | Tips Winter Squash Squash: The fruits of various members of the gourd family, which fall into two classifications, summer squash and winter squash.