Pasta is a flour-based food. It is typically served with a sauce. You can choose from hundreds of different types of pasta. These are often served with meat, vegetable, and cheese fillings.
Most pastas are made from wheat. There are two major classifications: refined and whole-grain. The former contains more fiber and lower calories. Whole-grain varieties are usually high in copper, selenium, and manganese. Typically, pasta is enriched with folic acid.
Generally, you can find fresh pasta in refrigerated sections of supermarkets. Many grocery stores also carry dried pasta. For instance, you may see a wide variety of dried spaghetti, cannelloni, and tortellini.
In addition, there are hundreds of pasta shapes. Many are known by their dialect names. Some pastas are shaped by hand, while others are machine-made.
One of the earliest forms of pasta is believed to have come from Central Asia. Traditionally, the dough was mixed with unusual ingredients. Throughout the centuries, the ingredients were altered and reshaped. Today, the majority of pasta sold commercially is made by the extrusion method.
While there are several types of pasta, there are three common types. Those are spaghetti, rigatoni, and cannelloni. These types of noodles are often served with meat, meatballs, and mushrooms. They are also commonly served with a wide variety of sauces.
Another type of pasta is ditalini. This is a short pasta that is usually stuffed with ricotta cheese. Tortellini are similar to ditalini, but they are made with a filling that is more meaty.