The average Italian eats about 30 kg of pasta a year, and a Pole only 3 kg - usually as an addition to soup. It is definitely not enough! After all, well-served pasta is one of the he althiest, tastiest dishes - it should be an ingredient of every diet.

Pastais made by drying a properly shaped dough from flour, eggs and s alt. Pasta is commonly believed to make you fat, but this is not true. In addition, pasta has many nutritional values, and thus - he alth properties.

Does pasta make you fat?

For many years pasta was thought to make you fat. Nutritionists explain that pasta is not caloric, but the sauces we eat it with. It is true that 100 g of dry pasta provides as much as 330 kcal, but when cooking it absorbs water and increases its weight three times. So a large portion - about 100 g - is only 110 calories! So if you eat a huge plate of spaghetti, or 200 grams, your body will get the same amount of calories as half a bar of chocolate has. The significant difference is that after eating pasta you feel full for a long time.

And all thanks to the starch of which pasta is a rich source. Starch is a complex carbohydrate. The glucose obtained from them - the energy fuel for the cells of our body - is released slowly and evenly. In this way, the body is provided with a constant source of energy, and we feel full for many hours.

It is thanks to complex carbohydrates that our muscles and brain can function properly and with maximum power. According to nutritionists, carbohydrates should cover 60 percent. the daily energy requirement. The point is, our body is very slow to digest starch. So if we eat pasta, it's easier for us to be in shape.

Important

Colorful pasta does not differ in taste from ordinary. What matters is the visual effect: the salad with colorful noodles looks appetizing, it catches our eye. It works on the senses. The color is obtained from natural coloring additives, e.g. black from cuttlefish, southern sea mollusk, red from tomatoes or beetroot, orange from carrots, green from spinach. There are also brown pastas, which have the color of the special (wholemeal) flour they are made of.

Pasta for he alth

Since pasta helps keep blood sugar levels constant, it can also be a dietary dish for people with diabetesdiabetes. For this reason, it is also a great dish for people who practice sports. It allows you to recharge the batteries for many hours. Doctors believe it's best to eat pasta three hours before your planned exercise.

Some types of pasta are made from dietary flour. It can be buckwheat, wholemeal or even rice flour. Such pastas are recommended for people who are on a gluten-free diet (corn or rice), suffer from constipation (wholemeal with the addition of bran) or cannot eat wheat (buckwheat). Their different taste makes them a great field to show off in the kitchen. For example, buckwheat goes well with spinach and natural yoghurt, rice with cream, cinnamon and sugar, wholemeal with lean beef and vegetables.

Pasta to improve mood

If you are in a bad mood or simply have a bad day, be sure to prepare a large portion of pasta for lunch or even an early supper. It may sound unbelievable, but this dish will lift your mood. Pasta is a pretty good source of vitamins B1, B6 and PP, which support digestion and are responsible for our good state of mind. In addition, it contains magnesium. This element, as you know, protects us against the negative effects of stress, i.e. fatigue and muscle cramps. Magnesium also supports the proper functioning of the brain and heart and reduces the appetite for sweets!

How to buy good pasta?

First, you need to carefully inspect the packaging in the store. Raw pasta should be yellow or cream colored, with no white spots. Its surface is to be glassy. It must also be resistant to breaking, so not too brittle. Small broken pieces show that the pasta has long left the factory. The price is also important. It is difficult to count on the fact that good quality pasta will cost 1 PLN. Unfortunately, we have to pay for the quality: it costs 4-7 PLN.

It is best to choose pasta made of semolina, flour obtained from durum wheat. This variety grows in warm climates such as Australia. Products made of it have a characteristic golden color. The soft variety is grown in colder countries and has a very light color. The dough obtained from it quickly overcakes, sticks together, it is best suited for cakes that need to rise. In hard wheat, there are proteins that make the dough pliable, elastic, does not crumble, it is easier to cook al dente (as Italians say - to the tooth, i.e. semi-hard).

Interestingly, one of the best varieties of Canadian wheat, Amber Durum No. 1, is a close relative of Polish wheat. Its grains were brought by peasants from the Polish borderlands. Currently in Italy there are legal standards regulating the content of ingredientsthe pasta itself. There is a ban on producing it from soft wheat, and only durum wheat can be used for this.

It is also worth knowing that egg pastas are highly valued. Let's not be fooled by producers who say that their pasta contains more than 7 eggs per kg of flour. Simply put, you can't make a pasta like this, because the dough would fall apart.

This will be useful to you

Pasta maker dictionary

When you browse the menu of an Italian restaurant, are you afraid to order something other than pizza because you don't understand the names? Here are the mini cheats. Enjoy your meal!

  • canneloni - large, thick tubes usually stuffed with stuffing
  • cappelini - threads
  • conchiglie - shells
  • farfalle - bows
  • fusilli - gimlets
  • lasagne - pasta sheets, usually baked
  • pappardelle - wide ribbons
  • penne - feathers
  • ravioli - small rectangular dumplings
  • rigatoni - tubes
  • ruoti - wheels
  • spaghetti - long thin strings
  • tagliatelle - ribbons
  • tortellini - small, rounded dumplings

How to cook pasta?

Good pasta must never be overcooked. It must be cooked half-hard - al dente. A liter of lightly s alted boiling water is enough for approx. 100 g. It is best to put the cup per person, ie approx. 50 g. The cooking time - depending on the type and shape of the pasta - is always indicated on the packaging and should be strictly observed. Stir the whole thing from time to time while cooking to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom. Ready, drain well in a sieve or in a colander. If you serve the dish hot, you must not temper the pasta, i.e. pour it with cold water - it will lose its delicate flavor. (It is different if it is to be used in a salad.) No worries. If you serve the pasta hot, it will definitely not stick together. Also, do not cook it in advance, or it will be unpalatable.

How to make pasta?

When we have properly cooked pasta, we can add various ingredients to it to obtain a very simple dish, great for an appetizer, but also an exquisite dish that will delight and surprise our guests. In order to prepare a tasty pasta dish, it is enough to combine a few simple additions. The most important thing is that they should be fresh and rich in nutrients and fiber. The he althiest and the easiest to prepare are pasta with olive oil and additives: sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, e.g. basil, coriander, rosemary, parsley, roasted pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, crushed garlic. We will prepare such a dish in literally several minutes. It is enough to be on the kitchen windowsillwe will set up a mini-culture of herbs (seeded or ready-made in a pot - available in supermarkets). After draining, put the pasta back into the pot, pour in a little olive oil, add herbs and garlic, or pumpkin seeds and … serve. Isn't it that simple?

The flavors and chewing experience can also be influenced by the variety of pasta shapes with which specific toppings are appropriate. So large forms, such as augers, tubes or wide ribbons, taste great with light, creamy sauces (e.g. with cheese, salmon, cream). Serve the thin spaghetti with meat or vegetable sauce. Bows and shells caress the palate when they are poured with vegetable sauce, e.g. spinach. Some pastas, especially those without eggs, are for baking only, such as lasagne sheets, rigatoni and canneloni. They are first cooked al dente and then baked.

Watch the video - how to make homemade Italian pasta. Recipe from the restaurant Focaccia Ristorante

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