Everyone sometimes throws leftover pasta from two different packages together in one pot when you just don’t have enough for your meal. Yet that is not the best idea, because even if a pasta looks completely the same, the cooking time can vary greatly per brand. Veerle Jacobs from Mister Spaghetti and Adelheid Muys from pasta manufacturer Soubry explain.
Let’s take a closer look at two pastas. While the orzo, a Greek type of pasta, from Lidl needs to cook about six to seven minutes, the orzo from the Pasta Mare brand at Aldi has a cooking time of fourteen to sixteen minutes. The ingredients list of Pasta Mare’s orzo includes durum wheat semolina (coarsely ground durum wheat, couscous is also made from it ed.) and water.
Water is not included in the ingredients list of Lidl’s orzo: it only contains durum wheat semolina. The amount of kilocalories per hundred grams is very similar at 350 and 355 kcal and the other nutritional values are also virtually the same. Why does one pasta have to cook more than twice as long?
Is it due to a different ingredient list?
“There are several reasons why it is better not to cook two different pasta brands together,” says Veerle Jacobs, manager of restaurant chain Mister Spaghetti. “In addition to the thickness of the pasta, the composition of the flour is perhaps the most important factor. The ratio between wheat, water and any other ingredients may differ per brand. Some brands also use softer wheat varieties and they absorb water faster.”
You need durum wheat with a high protein content to make sturdy pasta that retains its elasticity if you cook it a little too long
Adelheid Muys, quality controller, Soubry
Adelheid Muys, quality controller at pasta manufacturer Soubry, explains: “In Belgium you will hardly find pasta made with soft wheat. You need durum wheat with a high protein content to make sturdy pasta that will retain its elasticity even if you cook it a little too long. The production process also plays a role in cooking stability. In particular the temperatures you use when drying the pasta. But the ingredients and the production process have little influence on the cooking time of the pasta.”
The thickness of the paste makes a difference
“The thickness of the pasta is the most important factor,” Adelheid Muys emphasizes. “Five hundredths of a millimeter can already have a major impact on the cooking time. That’s why those two types of orzo probably have different cooking times: they won’t be quite the same thickness.”
“Cooking time is of course also a subjective factor,” says Muys. “People have their preferences. In southern countries they want cooked pasta to still be firm, while the Dutch generally prefer to eat softer, ‘over-cooked’ pasta. At Soubry we check the technical cooking time for each pasta: the moment that the core of the pasta has also absorbed water. Then the pasta is al dente, the preference of the Belgians.”
Does the cooking time say something about the quality of a pasta?
“No. The cooking time stated on the label is primarily a guideline to help you achieve the desired consistency,” says Veerle Jacobs. “By following the instructions on the package you will get the texture that belongs to the regional tradition.” Adelheid Muys agrees: “Only the quality of your wheat has an influence on the quality of the pasta. For example, it may contain more or less proteins.”
What about fresh pasta?
“Fresh pasta softens faster,” says Els Gorrebeeck of pasta producer Altoni Kelderman. “Dry pasta needs to absorb more moisture to become soft,” she explains. “That makes the cooking time longer.”
“By following the instructions on the package you will get the pasta texture that is part of the regional tradition.” © Getty Images/Westend61
Also read:
How do you make the tastiest pizza yourself? Chef recommends 5 easy steps: “Pre-bake ingredients that lose a lot of moisture” (+)
World Pasta Day: this is how you make delicious, fresh pasta as at a restaurant: “Only put your pasta in the water when it is already boiling vigorously” (+)
Dietitian gives 5 tips against arteriosclerosis: “The problem is often only noticed when it is too late, but fortunately the right diet can prevent a lot” (+)
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2023-10-31 11:01:35
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