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Is cheapo pasta much/any different from the more expensive stuff? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,120
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Is cheapo pasta much/any different from the more expensive stuff?
I mean the non-refrigerated variety. They're all 100% durum wheat, aren't they? It's a food I haven't tried much, but am thinking of eating more regularly.
eg Morrisons Pasta Twists 500g, 30p. Is the stuff that costs several times more actually better, or is just the packaging that sets them apart? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,597
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Bought some of the Asda Wholewheat Spaghetti yesterday for 35p for 500g. Bargain. As long as it tastes OK the cheaper the better in these hard times.
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 17,848
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fresh pasta is a bit different, and cooks far quicker, but there is nothing wrong with dried pasta
there are differences between dried varieties, though. I would take Buitoni over supermarket own brand any day of the week. same with rice. Uncle Ben's is far and away the best "standard" supermarket rice |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 684
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Honestly I don't think there is much difference between cheap dried pasta and branded one, if it is I can't taste it
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#5 |
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Guest
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,305
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Sadly I could tell the difference. I wish I couldnt as would rather pay the cheap price! Hard to put it into words, other than it was a bit more cardboardy.
I'm talking about dried pasta. I tried the Sainbury basics one, now back to De Cecco. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Quote:
Uncle Ben's is far and away the best "standard" supermarket rice
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#7 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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There is a slight difference in the 'artisan' stuff in that it has a rougher texture so the sauce catches it better.
I only usually buy it if it is on special offer or when I want a type of pasta that isn't available in the standard range. |
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 684
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Quote:
Sadly I could tell the difference. I wish I couldnt as would rather pay the cheap price! Hard to put it into words, other than it was a bit more cardboardy.
I'm talking about dried pasta. I tried the Sainbury basics one, now back to De Cecco.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,563
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There is a slight difference between dried pasta, I bought cheap stuff from Morrisons, thinking like you OP that there can't be much difference it all seems to be the same stuff. However the cheap pasta had a slight after taste that just made it less appealing. I don't go for extremely expensive but I could tell the difference between this and Asda own brand stuff.
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Enchanted Wood
Posts: 878
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I think it's more of a texture thing for me. I find cheaper pasta turns sloppy and slimy, but the more expensive brands like De Cecco retain their bite and shape. Even if I cook the cheaper pasta for a shorter amount of time, it just results in the outer bit turning sloppy and the centre still quite hard. The die bronze pasta is more porous as well and helps the sauce cling.
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#11 |
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 21,729
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They tested dried, fresh and homemade on Food & Drink the other week. They could tell the difference, but they differed on which they preferred and all agreed they were all good.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 23,049
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Quote:
There is a slight difference in the 'artisan' stuff in that it has a rougher texture so the sauce catches it better.
I only usually buy it if it is on special offer or when I want a type of pasta that isn't available in the standard range. |
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,120
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Hmmm, thanks for the replies. Think I'll just give the cheap pasta a go. If it's awful, I won't have wasted much money.
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#14 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 15,467
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I cook loads of pasta, and use regular ( not value ) Tesco or Asda's spaghetti, farfalle, penne, macaroni,spiralli, and tagliatelle. All of them have been perfectly fine. The only thing I do buy any different is the box of lasagne - for that I use Napolina. I used to use the supermarket brand but they seemed to be chewier all of a sudden. I couldn't understand it - 40 minutes under layers of sauce and they were still chewy. I didn't care for the fresh sheets either. Swapping to Napolina changed all that - tender lasagne. Tesco do a brand called Trattoria Verdi, you can get 1kg bags of penne for 99p and that's OK too.
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Kent, UK
Posts: 4,252
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I used Tescos own cheap brand once and the sauce just slid off the pasta like it was coated with oil. The texture was just too slimy as well. Never again
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