357951 Sun Jan 07 21:28:06 -0800 2007 69 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2162890 These are my Favorites De Cecco DI Martino Puglisi, a/k/a Rienzi Pasta La Bottega della Pasta Del Verde Rummo Lenta Lavorazione What do the Chowhounds cook with. Sun Jan 07 21:28:06 -0800 2007 11512 FAL 1 2163224 DeCecco absolutely, but I like Barilla,too. Depends on what I'm having. I prefer DeCecco for macaroni, Barillla for anything else. Sun Jan 07 23:43:09 -0800 2007 2162890 22627 MaspethMaven 2 2276143 These are my two brands too. Esp Barilla, I find that it is never gummy and somehow more al dente when cooked properly than other brands. Fri Feb 09 10:21:33 -0800 2007 2163224 18154 prunefeet 1 2163236 DeCecco, Rustichella, Barilla, Pasta Setaro, Martinelli, DelVerde Sun Jan 07 23:46:26 -0800 2007 2162890 46008 markabauman 1 2163237 Has anyone tried Latini pasta? I just buy whatever Italian brand they're currently selling at Costco. Sun Jan 07 23:47:01 -0800 2007 2162890 57371 operagirl 1 2163238 WOW, looks like I need to explore the world of dry pasta more. I usually use DeCecco & Barilla too. Sun Jan 07 23:47:10 -0800 2007 2162890 48370 PastaFace123 1 2163255 Latini is excellent as well; forgot about them. Sun Jan 07 23:55:05 -0800 2007 2162890 46008 markabauman 1 2163267 My current favorite is Cavaliere Giuseppe Cocco. It's a fantastic pasta if you can find it. Mon Jan 08 00:00:30 -0800 2007 2162890 62405 cheapertrick 1 2163284 Fairly widely available, esp. in Italian delis in the Northeast. Great stuff. Mon Jan 08 00:06:52 -0800 2007 2162890 46008 markabauman 1 2163294 Cook's Illustrated recommends Mueller's, DeCecco, Ronzoni, Barilla - in that order. IIRC they made the point that very high-end rarefied dried pastas often sit on the shelf for a long time, and the more "basic" pastas are often fresher and more consistent batch-to-batch. Mon Jan 08 00:10:20 -0800 2007 2162890 23874 spigot 2 2163347 Coco is great as well. As for the high end pasta it depends where and when you buy them. Growing up in Brooklyn De Cecco never sat long. Mon Jan 08 00:32:44 -0800 2007 2163294 11512 FAL 2 2169133 From Cook's Illustrated...... Just as in 1994, Ronzoni was the tasters' favorite, followed by De Cecco, Mueller's, and Barilla. The two most expensive, imported brands in the tasting, Martelli and Delverde, came in last. Tue Jan 09 15:54:22 -0800 2007 2163294 10485 ChowFun_derek 2 2276145 Funny, I grew up on ronzoni, but now I find it too gummy. Fri Feb 09 10:22:19 -0800 2007 2163294 18154 prunefeet 3 4722769 Lately, we have decided that DeCecco is too gummy and that it actually absorbs too much sauce. Perhaps it is old, or we have forgotten how to cook it properly. BTW, we are not al dente fans in my family, and that goes back several Italian generations, so that may be the problem, but I don't remember this consistency and have noticed only of late. Ronzoni was considered the best for many years by my relatives. Thu May 28 13:28:13 -0700 2009 2276145 87837 RGC1982 4 4726561 RGC- Unfortunately there is a small curve from undercooked - al dente - overcooked. Then there is salt and the rolling boil that seems to be a must in cooking any pasta. When my grandma and step-mom got on the salt free band wagon, just don't eat their pasta... I mean, their pasta went from out of this world (great), to the world's nastiest slop. BTW- I refuse to buy pasta or noodles (or almost anything) without some "date" on the package. That is the one of the best indicators of a products freshness. Coded items have my permission rot right on the shelf. Fri May 29 17:06:34 -0700 2009 4722769 60276 RShea78 5 4726846 I think it is a dating issue, because I have been cooking pasta the same way for 35 years, and the last few batches from the same store were gummy. We have also been cooking just past al dente for my whole life (this is how we do it my Italian family), and I tend to stand over the pot tasting until it is where I want it to be -- little chance of overcooking. I haven't noticed dating on pasta. What brands do you recommend? Fri May 29 19:20:58 -0700 2009 4726561 87837 RGC1982 1 2163423 Hands down, these are my favorites: Setaro bionaturae - for Whole Wheat Mon Jan 08 00:57:43 -0800 2007 2162890 20483 jenniebnyc 1 2164531 De Cecco mostly. I find Barilla to have a too slippery consistency when cooked. I think the price difference between the two accurately reflects the quality. Mon Jan 08 13:46:29 -0800 2007 2162890 10736 Peter Cherches 1 2164663 About the only thing decent in stores here is Barilla. Anyone hear of Rossi? About all I know is that a good T-Bone would run about the same price per pound. Mon Jan 08 14:44:18 -0800 2007 2162890 60276 RShea78 1 2166058 Barilla or DeCecco. Ronzoni is also good at a lower price point. Mon Jan 08 20:05:28 -0800 2007 2162890 22220 Kelli2006 1 2166144 DeCecco Trader Joes Mon Jan 08 20:20:48 -0800 2007 2162890 52988 BellaDonna 2 4722834 Second Trader Joe's. Don't know who makes it for them, but it's high-quality stuff that costs a fraction of what other imported Italian pastas do. Thu May 28 13:46:54 -0700 2009 2166144 58743 alanbarnes 3 4723661 Well it's just not any Trader Joe's brand, but the one under the Trader Giotto's brand in the kraft paper packages. I've been buying this one for years at Trader Joe's before they started to private label it under their own name. It's gone through at least 2-3 shape/packaging/price reincarnations, each time dropping in quality little by little. The biggest quality drop was with their second private label incarnation. Their first private label attempt was still very clearly an artisan pasta comparable to Latini. Now it is a pasta that still holds its own against any pasta sold in the major supers, but is a far cry from what it used to be. However at all times it was well worth its price. Unfortunately I haven't seen it at TJ's in quite a while - I hope they haven't abandoned it altogether! So upon their first private label package it was called Trader Giotto's 1860 bronze-die pasta. Prior to the private labelling it was under the name of a Tuscan pasta maker named Conforti. http://www.pastaconforti.it/ (Those who have been buying this excellent pasta as long as I have will reconize the distinctive packaging of the pastas on Conforti's website...) Since the relabelling they've changed the shapes a bit and have steadily brought down the price. Currently it's no comparison to the original and the 1st private label versions, which had more of the pronounced nutty sweet taste of the grain. Though when compared against Latini or similar pastas at $4-6/pkg. vs. Trader Joe's at around $1.50/pkg., it's a real steal! I hope I didn't jinx it, but ever since I've seen it in at TJ's (under the original brand name) I would horde it upon every sighting, confidently believing that at one point it would no longer be carried. Because of that with every downgrade in quality I would still be able to enjoy out of my pantry/stash the previous incarnation of the pasta. Now I find myself with none, either in the pantry or during furtive shopping trips to TJ's. Let's all hope it will make a triumphant comeback soon! (BTW did I miss it? I"m surprised noone has mentioned Latini... It's the best, but it's hard to always justify the cost...) Thu May 28 18:44:21 -0700 2009 4722834 20300 cgfan 4 4723785 Latini makes a great bronze-die pasta, no dispute about that. And I don't know that i've ever seen the TJ's product you describe. I was talking about the TJ's cello-wrapped dry pastas. They're clearly extruded through a steel (ceramic? teflon?) die, and don't have the texture or the sauce-holding ability of a bronze-die artisan pasta. But they taste great. For me, $8 a pound dry pasta is reserved for special occasions; I don't buy it often enough to make a fair comparison as to flavor. And I'll readily admit that flavor is only one component of artisan pasta; the texture is as important or more so. But compared to other mass-produced pastas like Barilla or DeCecco, TJ's seems to me to be significantly better. And at $0.69 a pound, how can you not love that? Thu May 28 19:40:01 -0700 2009 4723661 58743 alanbarnes 1 2166149 Lately all I use is Barilla Plus, because I don't feel so guilty eating it. Mon Jan 08 20:22:19 -0800 2007 2162890 11097 coll 2 2424420 I just tried the Barilla Plus thin spaghetti last night and LOVED it. I like a nice al dente texture and it had more "body" than even the regular Barilla (which I love). Tue Mar 27 05:25:49 -0700 2007 2166149 49959 thegolferbitch 1 2167217 I like Barilla for white and Bionaturae for whole wheat. Mon Jan 08 23:52:18 -0800 2007 2162890 11921 wyf4lyf 1 2167930 Barilla and Decicco. Even though Decicco costs a little bit more, I think Barilla tastes better. Tue Jan 09 03:23:15 -0800 2007 2162890 57657 scrapple 1 2168279 I like Misura whole wheat fettuccine. It does not taste like whole grain at all. Tue Jan 09 05:24:42 -0800 2007 2162890 11858 mrsleny 2 2168972 Where do you get Misura pasta? Bionaturae doesn't taste like whole grain either, which is why I buy it because my family will eat it. :) And I like it too. But I'm always interested in trying other things. Tue Jan 09 15:15:27 -0800 2007 2168279 11921 wyf4lyf 3 2171943 I live in a suburb on the outskirts of Toronto and get it at an Italian grocer's. I'm not sure where you are. Wed Jan 10 04:08:41 -0800 2007 2168972 11858 mrsleny 2 2170259 Ditto on Misura for whole wheat. Tue Jan 09 20:19:55 -0800 2007 2168279 11512 FAL 1 2168310 Favorite non-gourmet [read as, not ridiculously overpriced] brands: DeCecco: http://italian.dececco-pasta.com/ Barilla: http://www.barillaus.com/Barilla_America.aspx (Note only lasagna and filled pasta is actually imported folks - the rest is from Iowa). Del Verde: http://www.delverde.it/page/eng/f_ita.htm Tue Jan 09 05:40:46 -0800 2007 2162890 10609 Cheese Boy 2 2168591 I heard that Barilla is made in Iowa, but with wheat grown in Mexico! But I heard this from the owner of another pasta company, so I can't confirm. I don't know if they really grow wheat in Mexico myself. Doesn't stop me from eating it. Tue Jan 09 12:27:14 -0800 2007 2168310 11097 coll 3 2172452 I do not think Mexico could grow a decent "hard winter wheat" needed to make a decent pasta. I found an interesting tidbit of info at the link below. Flour is less expensive than the labor, so perhaps they could still make it in that respect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_wheat ..... Wed Jan 10 11:48:05 -0800 2007 2168591 60276 RShea78 4 2172459 Thanks, I always wondered if I got it right. Then again, he may have said they grow the wheat in Iowa and make the pasta in Mexico. Well whatever, I still like Barilla, especially the Plus right now. Wish I could eat pasta as much as in my younger days! Wed Jan 10 11:58:07 -0800 2007 2172452 11097 coll 5 2176170 I live in Mexico and the Barilla brand here is made in Mexico. There are many other really cheap brands of pasta used here that are all made here too. Fortuantely we do have deCecco also. Thu Jan 11 04:38:01 -0800 2007 2172459 24035 robt5265 1 2169580 DeCecco for strand pasta, especially their Angel Hair which I think is the best ever, or shapes; Barilla for shapes, Ronzoni for their awesome Perciatelli. Tue Jan 09 17:41:58 -0800 2007 2162890 49433 rockykay 1 2170188 DeCecco, Delverde, Setaro for everyday. Occasionally worth a slight splurge for Latini or Cuocco or Rustichella, but given that the difference is, say, about $2-$3/lb spread over five or so servings, not such a great deal more for a whiff of that great boiling wheat aroma. I find Barilla more and more slickly fabricated. Tue Jan 09 20:04:28 -0800 2007 2162890 22851 obob96 1 2170216 On the West Coast there is Golden Grain. I like their pasta, but they don't have the exotic shapes found for DeCecco. I also like their spaghetti sauce and egg noodles. Tue Jan 09 20:09:35 -0800 2007 2162890 63028 hangdoggie 2 2180429 DeCecco egg noodles are fantastic! Absolutely delicious. I second that. Fri Jan 12 05:23:49 -0800 2007 2170216 10609 Cheese Boy 1 2171034 Mr Snackish loves the Latini. I don't notice the difference so much, but he always remarks on the pasta when it is Latini. So I bite the bullet and pay the extra. Tue Jan 09 23:14:56 -0800 2007 2162890 13564 Snackish 1 2171924 La Molisana is, IMO, easily the best. But its very hard to find. So then I use De Cecco. Wed Jan 10 04:04:20 -0800 2007 2162890 12911 cap 2 2180446 If you think La Molisana is good now, you should have seen them years ago. They were *great*. I've found their quality to have slipped somewhat. They are still good -- don't be mislead. They're probably just not using as good a durum wheat (semola/semolina) as they were using years ago. My point? They were once better. : ) Fri Jan 12 05:31:19 -0800 2007 2171924 10609 Cheese Boy 3 2180799 Is that the one that comes in a clamshell box with tissue paper inside? I used to drive an hour just to get me some. I found it once at Arthur Ave for $2 a box, must have been a mistake but I did take advantage. I can never remember the name. Fri Jan 12 12:55:27 -0800 2007 2180446 11097 coll 4 2183856 This is what their packaging looks like: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.lamolisana.it/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dallinurl:%2B%2B%2522lamolisana%2522%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG%26as_qdr%3Dall I've never seen their pasta in a clamshell...most of their cuts are bagged. Calabria Pork Store (on Arthur Avenue) used to carry La Molisana, and they suddenly stopped. They had it for .99c a bag too! Sat Jan 13 01:33:32 -0800 2007 2180799 10609 Cheese Boy 5 2184693 Oh well that's not it. It used to go for over $5 and I'm not even sure it was a full pound, but it was as good as homemade. Had lots of egg in it. If I ever see it again, I'm going to write down the name (or buy a box or 2). I used to get it at an Italian market on Willis Ave. Who knows if they even still import it. Sat Jan 13 12:43:39 -0800 2007 2183856 11097 coll 6 4721086 Saw it a couple of months ago, it's named Spinosi, so I was able to google it. http://www.olioeolivestore.com/spinosi-pasta.html I get the one in the blue clamshell box, wrapped in tissue paper. Here's what it looks like, if you see it, try it! You won't be disappointed, despite the high price. Thu May 28 02:38:56 -0700 2009 2184693 11097 coll 1 2172412 In the Cook's Illustrated blind tasting, Ronzoni always comes out on top. I use Ronzoni, or de Cecco. Otherwise, home made fresh pasta. Wed Jan 10 10:22:57 -0800 2007 2162890 10838 Fleur 2 2276108 This is great news, I love Garofalo!! That is what my gf and I buy all the time in Italy. Do they sell Garofalo in all Costcos nationwide? Is it italian imported or made locally? I just got here a few days ago and am still shocked at the prices of 1LB of dried pasta like Barilla or DeCecco. Oh well, Fri Feb 09 10:12:54 -0800 2007 2172412 73079 MarcoSardo 2 2276147 I switched to Ronzoni when I read that in CI, and it's our everyday white pasta around here, but I must say I occasionally splurge on De Cecco, and I always like it better. I really should switch, I just have a mental block (leftover from my broke days) about paying that much for dry pasta (it makes me chuckle that some posters think of De Cecco as their "bargain pasta"). Fri Feb 09 10:23:05 -0800 2007 2172412 70866 Tartinet 3 2281089 Hey if you live in Brooklyn . Try Coluchio's DeCecco pasta is a 1.05 a pound . They have every shape . Sun Feb 11 04:46:45 -0800 2007 2276147 11512 FAL 1 2174243 I also happen to like the Garofalo pasta that Costco sells. It takea s bit longer to cook, and has a somewhat different texture from most other stuff (not quite so smooth), but it turns out better than most of the other ones. Wed Jan 10 20:02:12 -0800 2007 2162890 24644 Vexorg 1 2177636 Rusticella D'Abruzzo, without a doubt. That's the one in the brown paper bag. Their Trenne pasta (triangular penne) is amazing with my arrabiata sauce. Thu Jan 11 17:33:07 -0800 2007 2162890 16797 bogie 1 2178858 Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but the truth is, once it's cooked properly and sauced, I can't tell the difference. So I guess my favorite brand is the one that's on sale. All other things being equal, I generally choose Barilla. Thu Jan 11 21:27:26 -0800 2007 2162890 49600 CindyJ 2 2180193 You can tell when you don't sauce it...boil the pasta, toss with EVOO and parmesean or pecorino...you will be able to know which one is better Fri Jan 12 03:43:55 -0800 2007 2178858 52988 BellaDonna 1 2180214 Trader Joe's whole-wheat penne. Fri Jan 12 03:54:02 -0800 2007 2162890 39328 IndyGirl 1 2181773 DeCecco. Fri Jan 12 17:15:54 -0800 2007 2162890 12873 OCAnn 1 2184082 I just tried the Dececco whole wheat pasta last night and I have to say it is the best WW pasta I have ever had. It was great. Sat Jan 13 03:03:01 -0800 2007 2162890 64551 LJNew 2 2184189 try bionaturae. this is the best WW i have found. Sat Jan 13 03:51:57 -0800 2007 2184082 20483 jenniebnyc 3 2184940 I have heard that it is good but so far I have not found it. Where do you buy it? I am upstate, but I see you are in NY. Sat Jan 13 15:40:10 -0800 2007 2184189 64551 LJNew 1 2282610 I really like Barilla's spaghetti rigati. It's like square spaghetti with ridges so it holds the sauce so much better. Sun Feb 11 16:07:04 -0800 2007 2162890 73398 SungSook 1 2310720 I tried Rustichella this weekend and am not sure it was worth the $4,99 price (17,5 oz). We had the Bucatini which was hard to eat (fork). Perhaps I'd find it worthwhile in another shape. Tue Feb 20 11:20:38 -0800 2007 2162890 76180 O22039 1 2422392 My current favorite is the Rummo Organic Whole Wheat pasta, which I picked up @ Costco. Perfect al dente texture when cooked properly and wonderful flavor. Mon Mar 26 13:08:24 -0700 2007 2162890 86077 eatzlady 1 2422414 De Cecco and Barilla are good for mass produced pasta, but I really prefer Rustichella d'Abruzzo. Mon Mar 26 13:13:55 -0700 2007 2162890 52499 ChefJune 2 2422426 Are there any shapes you prefer in particular? Mon Mar 26 13:15:36 -0700 2007 2422414 11069 fauchon 1 4720997 The best is Voiello, from Naples. Unfortunately its not exported. Wed May 27 23:32:02 -0700 2009 2162890 323606 richdibo 1 4721682 According to this recent blind tasting of imported spaghetti by a group of NYC chefs and an actor, the favorite was Trader Joe's! Rustichella came in a very close second, at a significantly higher price. YMMV, of course. :) http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/56269/ Thu May 28 08:14:33 -0700 2009 2162890 12622 Striver 1 4723815 Target's Archer Famrs bronze cut pasta. Thu May 28 19:51:21 -0700 2009 2162890 11781 beachmouse 2 4723854 Beachmouse, I've never been to a Target ever. I will now go. Thu May 28 20:11:39 -0700 2009 4723815 10609 Cheese Boy 3 5134753 The Latini in the red packaging always seem best to me. Great texture and the pasta water is so starchy afterwards, perfect for working into sauces. The Latini pastas also come in a variety of even pricier grades that I can't afford. (I'm not counting whole wheat pastas, which are their own thing.) I wouldn't go with the Cook's Illustrated ratings myself or indeed many of the other taste-tests that often seem inclined to choose the cheapest as best. Like most foodstuffs, I try to favour the less industrially produced alternatives of which Latini, Setaro, Rustichella and Garofalo would be examples. Tue Oct 27 10:43:15 -0700 2009 4723854 216217 johannabanana