Why Slow Dried Pasta is Fantastic
- What is slow dried pasta?
- What are the benefits of slow dried pasta?
- How do you slow dry pasta?
- Is there a difference in dried pastas?
- Why is slow dried pasta more expensive?
What is slow dried pasta?
Slow dried pasta is pasta that has been dried the traditional way. Most mass produced pastas that you typically find in your local grocery store are quickly dried by high-tech microwaves. These large drying microwaves allow pasta to dry extremely fast at high temperatures, and allow companies to package and ship off pasta products at advanced rates.
Slow dried pasta in contrast, is the process of allowing fresh pasta to dry at a normal rate. Allowing pasta to dry at its natural rate let’s pasta retain more moisture, and once it’s cooked it becomes more tender and flavorful.
What are the benefits of slow dried pasta?
The best benefit of slow dried pasta is reduced cook times. Pasta that is dried slowly and traditionally allows pasta to rehydrate at a faster rate. This means that when cooking, pasta will reach al dente much quicker than mass produced pastas that are dried quickly. By using bronze die instead of Teflon dies, the texture of the pasta is better able to grip the sauces you choose to serve with your pasta!
How do you slow dry pasta?
For Dagostino’s, our slow drying process is very traditional. In fact, it’s the same drying process that the Fresina family performed in Italy and continued in the United States during the 1920’s. Once our pasta is cut into the correct shape with bronze die cuts, we place the pasta strands on bamboo rods, and place the rods into our drying cellars.
Our drying cellars use temperature controls to make sure the pasta is drying slowly without spoiling. By controlling the temperature, we can ensure that all of the natural moisture and flavors are not stripped away from the pasta. This process typically takes our pasta makers three days to completely dry the pasta
Is there a difference in dried pastas?
Slow dried pastas are different from quick dried pastas. Traditional Italian dried pasta is usually dried slowly, however there are some quick dried options! De Cecco is an Italian pasta company that also performs a slow drying process on their pasta. In fact, Filippo De Cecco invented the first slow drying machine for pasta in 1889.
Why is slow dried pasta more expensive?
Slow Dried pasta is more expensive since it is considered an artisan pasta. Artisan pasta are pastas that are handcrafted by professionals and are made using the best premium ingredients. The process of making artisan pasta is longer but the end product is much more satisfying and of higher quality. This is why pasta that are dried slowly, and artisan pastas can be more expensive that the mass produced pasta options in most grocery stores.
