# Is it just me, or does fresh pasta *not* taste significantly better?



## AlexR (Jul 31, 2005)

It's significantly more expensive, that's for sure!

However, I often find quality packaged pasta is every bit as good and, in many instances, better.

Do you agree, or do you think it may just be that I haven't had the right kind of fresh pasta?

Do many of you make your own?

I wonder... how much of pasta eaten in Italy is actually fresh?

Best regards,
Alex R.


----------



## kitchenelf (Jul 31, 2005)

I have made it a couple times - maybe I didn't let it dry long enough - but my son said it tasted "cheesy" - so he prefers dried also.  I'll have to give it another try though.


----------



## Barbara L (Jul 31, 2005)

I've never had fresh.  My mom made her own noodles sometimes, but she let them dry first.  They did have more body so were a little heavier than the prepackaged dry noodles.  Kind of like home made cake versus box cake. Home made is heavier, while they have developed a box cake that is very light and fluffy.  Some prefer the lighter feel and some (like me) prefer home made.  It is all in what you are used to I think.

 Barbara


----------



## Lugaru (Jul 31, 2005)

I love fresh pasta, especially filled pastas such as raviolis. I guess it's an "to each their own" situation but I do recomend you try to make it again.


----------



## pdswife (Jul 31, 2005)

I've got a pasta machine and have never used it.  It just sits in the cupboard taking up space.  Some day I'll give it a shot and then I'll let ya know what I think of home made fresh pasta.  I have bought the store bought fresh stuff before and like it just about the same as dried.


----------



## HappyAvocado (Jul 31, 2005)

i much prefer fresh pasta, i buy it from an italian deli in my neighborhood. yum!  i think that the texture of dry pasta is not chewy enough... could be that dry pasta is just what you are used to, so you like it better.  i have been to italy and i was served both fresh and dried pasta, depending on the resteraunt.


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 31, 2005)

I like both.  But which I use depends on what I'm making.  I don't think you can beat comercial dried pasta for things like spaghetti, or angel-hair, or rottini style pastas where the noodle is delicate, yet has enough flavor to stand up to the rich sauces placed over them.

On the other hand, for home-made soups, ravioli, lasagna, and filled pastas, fresh has more body and texture.  It is bold and takes center stage, standing equally with the fillings.

Fresh pasta requires less time to cook, and can come out mushy if over cooked.  So care is required.

Both are good, and both have their places in my kitchen.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.  

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## ironchef (Jul 31, 2005)

Like everyone else said, the difference between fresh vs. dried depends on the dish, as well as a personal preferrence. As far as gnocchi however, nothing beats freshly made.


----------



## SierraCook (Jul 31, 2005)

Goodweed of the North said:
			
		

> I like both. But which I use depends on what I'm making. I don't think you can beat comercial dried pasta for things like spaghetti, or angel-hair, or rottini style pastas where the noodle is delicate, yet has enough flavor to stand up to the rich sauces placed over them.
> 
> On the other hand, for home-made soups, ravioli, lasagna, and filled pastas, fresh has more body and texture. It is bold and takes center stage, standing equally with the fillings.
> 
> ...


 
I would agree. I had a chicken noodle soup recently that was made with fresh pasta noodles.  It was heavenly and I had forgotten had good they taste.


----------



## kadesma (Jul 31, 2005)

I agree it depends on what your serving. For my ravioli I make my own dough or purchase it from an Italian deli...I and my family love fresh home made linguine and pesto..Get everything for the meal ready and almost on the table, drop the pasta into boiling salted water, , pull it out toss with pesto, top with parmesan and dinner is served. Really try some home made pasta, I do let mine dry on sheets on my dinning room table, I mean for an hour or so, then I take a hand full and make a nest on a cookie sheet with all the pasta except what I'm using for that meal, then I flash freeze, and when frozen put into freezer bags...While I love any pasta, I do enjoy the making and serving of my very own.
kadesma


----------



## Ishbel (Jul 31, 2005)

I make my own, or I buy fresh pasta or I buy dried....  depends on what I'm cooking - and how much time I am willing to spend making the stuff!

I have visited Italy more times than I can count - and MANY of the restaurants seem to serve dried pasta.  As long as it is made by good companies, like Barilla - who add enough egg to the pasta before they dry it - I have no problems eating the stuff!


----------



## Alix (Aug 1, 2005)

There is no beating fresh pasta for certain things. Canneloni, or in chicken soup as was mentioned. Some dishes are just easier with dried pasta.

I think the deal is the recipe used for the fresh pasta. I have had some that was not so good, and some that was exceptional. I think Ishbel has hit it on the nose, eggs are the key. More eggs makes for a much tastier noodle.

What an interesting thread this is. I would never have thought of asking this question. Thanks for bringing it up.


----------



## Haggis (Aug 5, 2005)

As far as I'm concerned fresh pasta and dried pasta are completely different things.

Dried pasta (and I'm talking dried pasta made without egg) is not any worse than fresh pasta (made, of course, with egg). They have different uses in different pasta dishes, dried works better with some dishes (heartier and bolder sauces and ragus, especially with meat) while fresh works better with others (a lighter oil, cream or butter based sauce perhaps).


----------



## subfuscpersona (Aug 5, 2005)

For flat noodles/spaghetti/angel hair, etc. IMHO homemade egg pasta beats anything you can buy. An excellent discussion re homemeade pasta is http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2887 [start at pg 2] - after years of effort, that's where I learned the right way!

Commercial fresh pasta is too thick for my taste. Dried pasta is the way to go for shapes that aren't basically flat noodles or spaghetti.

I periodically make a large batch of egg noodle pasta and freeze the dough in 8oz portions. It keeps frozen for 3 months (longest I've kept it - would probably last longer-my guess would be up to 6 mos). Not a convenience food like dried b/c you have to remember to defrost it (will keep, defrosted, in the 'frig about 3 days). In the time it takes the water to boil I've rolled and cut the pasta with my hand-cranked machine and it cooks in only a few minutes (much faster than dried).

I also make and freeze homemade ravioli (using homemade pasta) tho' the fillings I use don't contain meat. I think the thread link I posted also discusses this. Frozen ravioli is a true convenience food since you jjust cook it in it's frozen state in simmering water.

Another excellent DC link re fresh pasta...
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6607

gnocchi are small, shaped potato dumplings, not pasta, but since a prior poster mentioned them in this thread, here's 2 excellent posts from Darkstream about them 
http://discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5696
http://discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5827


----------

