People hear the word pasta and they think of Little Italy…
But the Italians didn’t invent pasta. What did they use…
…to make the dish that is such a huge Italian food world-wide?
Continue reading if you are curious!
The Italians use a variety of different noodles…
You might even find that some restaurants will..
…serve noodles made from seaweed.
Many people don’t realize that there are so many….
…different varieties of pasta.Pasta could be made from kind of flour…
…like wheat semolina, semolina flour, kitchen fiber, chickpea flour…
…milling rice, parboiled rice, and endless combinations of these other grains.
This is just one of the many different kinds of pasta…
This is one dish that is so widely eaten that there are…
…entire restaurants devoted to this one dish.
Eva would like to tell you something…
I really like to make my homemade pasta with “00” flour…
…which produces the silkiest pasta. When I make a sauce that is a bit heartier…
…I use half “00” flour and half semolina flour, which makes the pasta…
…a bit more sturdy and helps the sauce adhere better to the pasta.
Any of these three flours (or a combination of them) will work with this recipe.
The art of pasta making and the devotion to the food as a whole has evolved since pasta was first conceptualized. It is estimated that Italians eat over 27 kg (60 lb) of pasta per person, per year, easily beating Americans, who eat about 9 kg (20 lb) per person.
wikipedia
So, here we go!
What Are The Different Types of Flour For Pasta-Making?
The three most commonly used types of flour for pasta-making are:
- All-purpose flour
- Semola flour
- “00” flour
Pasta-making is both an art and a science for us…
Gluten is a protein that gives pasta dough its elasticity and plasticity…
The right levels of elasticity are required for the dough to be easy to knead…
Pasta dough requires a certain amount of plasticit…
.. in order to be moulded into all of those beautiful shapes.
All-purpose flour does exactly what it says on the label..
..so it’s fine for making pasta. Most pasta recipes, on the other hand…
…will call for semola or “00” flour.
Which pasta shape you want to eat is entirely up to you!
Let’s talk about them one-by-one…
All-purpose Flour
First kind of flour is all-purpose flour…
Is it possible to make pasta with all-purpose flour? It is possible…
All-purpose flour can be used for any purpose…
Bread, pasta, cakes, and much more can be made with it…
This is the all-rounder when it comes to flour, and you can’t go wrong with it…
All-purpose flour is made from wheat, but it does not use the whole grains…
It is white in color and has been refined dramatically to produce…
..a very fine powder that can be used for numerous tasks.
It is a good choice for homemade pasta because it has a high gluten content…
…(although not as high as other flours) and, more importantly…
…because this kind of flour is readily available.
All-purpose flour has a neutral flavor; it’s easy to work with…
…because it’s so fine, and you probably already have a few packets…
…in your pantry. All-purpose flour can be mixed with egg, water, or oil…
…for a wide variety of pasta shapes, and the dough..
….you make will be strong and elastic.
- Our organic flour works in any recipe calling for flour or all-purpose flour, delivering consistent results every time. Ideal for the full range of your baking repertoire, from brownies and cookies to pies, muffins and yeast bread
- Milled from 100% organic hard red winter and spring wheats, this jack-of-all-trades flour is malted; unenriched (also never been bleached or bromated); and will strengthen breads, bake up lofty biscuits, and turn out delicately crumbed cakes
- King Arthur 100% Organic All-Purpose Flour is Non-GMO Project Verified and Approved Organic by USDA
- King Arthur Baking Company is a 100% Employee-Owned Company and a founding B Corporation
- We are King Arthur Baking Company. Our name and logo reflect who weve always been and always will be: bakers who are committed to spreading the simple joy of baking
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Let’s move to the next kind of flour..
What is 00 Flour For Pasta?
This is the next jind of flour you can use to make pasta…
Semola and 00 flour are both wheat flours, but their texture…
…and flavor are vastly different. Different kind of flour are classified…
…by Italians according to how well they have been ground.
“1” flour is a coarse-textured wheat flour with larger particles…
…whereas “00” flour is a much finer powder.
00 flour is a soft wheat flour ideal for baking, particularly cakes…
..and crumbly pastries. Because of its texture and powdery consistency…
…soft wheat flour can also be used for pasta. It’s not only great…
…for softer pasta shapes like tagliatelle, but it’s also great for ravioli.
To avoid detracting from the sumptuous fillings, these delicate…
…parcels require a subtle flavor. 00 flour isn’t the most widely…
…available type of flour, but there are several ways to source it.
You can either find it at most specialty grocery stores or order it online…
00 flour is used in kitchens across Italy, so if you want…
…to make truly authentic pasta it’s worth the effort.
Why Use 00 Flour?
The other big difference between “00” flour and all-purpose flour…
…is how the gluten behaves in each. Gluten from durum wheat flour…
…tends to be strong and not very elastic, while gluten from red wheat flour…
…is both strong and elastic. We will have a nice bite from our bread…
…and pasta made with durum wheat, but not so much chew.
When combined with bread flour, 00 flour produces a chewy…
…crispy crust the perfect combination!
However, all-purpose flour can be substituted for “00” flour in most cases….
If you grew up in Europe or are very familiar with products…
…made from “00” flour, the texture will be different…
..but all your recipes will still turn out perfectly.
- This listing includes two packs of Caputo chefs flour 2.2 lb each for a total of 4.4 lbs (2 kgs).
- Professional flour: this 100% wheat flour is a culinary essential, perfect for long fermentation baking. Originating in Italy, our family company is dedicated to the gold standard of Neapolitan pizza flour established since 1924
- High quality: This flour has strong, elastic gluten, great for the home chefs or anyone looking to make dough from the finest selected grains. We ensure all natural flour with no additives.
- Diverse ingredient: great for home ovens up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit! Our product is milled slowly and finely for optimal water absorption and superior yield to help bake authentic pizza, gourmet breads, cakes, and pastas!
- Perfect texture: Our wheat flour bakes a soft, flavorful crust for an authentic Neapolitan pizza with a soft, tender bottom and bubbles in its cornici
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Last kind of flour…
What Is Semolina Flour?
Semolina is merely a type of flour made from durum wheat…
While you probably know what flour is, there are a lot of different kind of flour..
…which is really just a term used to describe ground up grains, or, well…
…ground up anything. General baking flour is typically made from common wheat…
…which makes up approximately 80% of the world’s wheat harvest.
Semolina, on the other hand, is made from a species of wheat….
…called “durum” wheat, which is also known as pasta wheat…
…and macaroni wheat. Most of the world’s cultivated wheat population…
…is durum wheat, which grows primarily in the middle east.
Most grocery stores carry semolina right next to the all-purpose flour…
Semolina may be coarser than traditional flour, and it may have a darker…
…and more golden hue (depending on the variety).
Semolina can have a more earthy aroma than wheat flour as well…
….but you probably won’t notice that until you get home!
Why is Semola Flour Used For Pasta?
Pasta wheat or macaroni wheat are two other names for semola…
It’s made with hard durum wheat and is commonly grown in Northern Italy…
…where the climate is ideal for tougher grains.
Semola flour should be used instead of soft wheat flour for those thick…
…and rugged pasta shapes that soak up rich sauces so well.
Semola has less elasticity and more plasticity than all-purpose flour…
This consistency also ensures that extruded pasta tubes like penne…
…or macaroni maintain their shape while cooking. Rigatoni would…
…be devoid of grooves if not for semola, making it the ideal resting place…
….for a succulent beef shin ragù. It’s unbearable to contemplate!
- PRODUCT OF ITALY: For generations, Caputo Flour has been the number one choice of the best pizza makers in Naples, the birthplace of the Neapolitan style pizza. Now for those who pursue the highest quality ingredients for their recipes, Caputo now offers Semola di Grano Duro.
- PROFESSIONAL FLOUR: Caputo Semolina is 100% all natural flour, a culinary essential perfect for baking. Originating in Naples, Italy, our family company is dedicated to the gold standard of Neapolitan pizza flour established since 1924
- HIGH QUALITY : This additive free durum wheat is finely ground with semolas signature yellowish tint and resistant and elastic gluten. Ideal for certain traditional pastas and breads, and wherever the distinctive color, texture and flavor characteristics of semolina are desired. Ideal for long rise dough, this flour is comprised of very high quality proteins and gluten. Rinforzata means reinforced because of the higher protein level which makes this product ideal for certain pastry, specialty breads & pizza
- A DIVERSE INGREDIENT: Our all natural ingredients and selected hard grain types are double milled and carefully crafted to help you produce gourmet breads, pasta, and pizza crusts with a rustic, traditional taste and slightly sweet, rich flavor.
- PERFECT TEXTURE: Different from our other flour types, semolina is more coarse in texture with a yellow buttery color and increased elasticity, ideal for fresh pasta. Comprised of high quality proteins and gluten, this product also bakes specialty breads and pastri
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Using Other Kind of Flour to Make Pasta
There are kind of flour available. However, don’t let this stop you…
…from making pasta. Try making pasta with only one kind of flour…
…if you only have one, so choose the best flour for your pasta.
To get a dough that is smooth and malleable without being overly dry…
…you may need to adjust the liquid content.
If you’re making ravioli or other filled and sealed pasta shapes…
…you may need to add a little water to the dough before sealing…
…to help the sheets stick together. This is a useful trick for any filled…
…pasta making, regardless of the kind of flour, because pasta sheets…
…can dry out before you’ve had a chance to distribute all of the filling.
The only kind of flour we’d advise against using to make pasta…
…is self-raising flour. This kind of flour has baking powder included in it…
…and as baking powder is not a normal ingredient in either fresh…
…egg pasta dough or pasta bianca dough, it can lead to some undesired…
…results when cooking. If possible, try to find another…
…kind of flour to use in your pasta making.
Sum Up
Every baker knows that there are more types of flour out there…
…than you can shake a stick at. You can also use a rolling pin.
How do all of these different flours play a role in making pasta?
Is it possible to use the same ones? Some don’t work with pasta?
Are there any best types?
Conclusion
So, what kind of flour do you use?
If you find this helpful, be sure to leave a comment!
Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always…
…do my best to respond to each and every comment.
Was this helpful?
Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
