| With the ever expanding array of food items in | | | | layers with meat and/or cheese sauces. |
| your local shop, it is sometimes difficult to know | | | | Cannelloni |
| which items you need. Let's explore them closer. | | | | These are large tubes of pasta. You stuff them |
| The mainstay in many recipes rice, pasta and | | | | first and then cook them - my favorite is a |
| noodles have come a long way in recent years. | | | | ricotta cheese and spinach filling. |
| Join me to explore what's on offer | | | | Fusilli |
| RICE | | | | The thin spirals of this pasta makes it good at |
| There is a wide range of rices now available. | | | | holding onto chunky sauces. |
| Store rice in a cool, dry place in an airtight | | | | Farfalle |
| container. Rice will keep for up to three years if | | | | This is the 'proper' name for what we all call |
| stored correctly. | | | | bows. Use these in salads for an attractive look. |
| Long-grain rice | | | | Vermicelli |
| This is the most common rice and the easiest to | | | | The very fine, whispy pasta. The extra fine is |
| cook. It is cheap, good as a meal accompaniment | | | | called 'angel hair'. Often used with delicate |
| and can be used in many recipes. A good all round | | | | ingredients like crab and prawns. |
| rice. | | | | Tagilatelle |
| Basmati rice | | | | The ribbon pastas. Named fettuccine, linguine and |
| A long-grain rice, basmati has the reputation of | | | | pappardelle depending on the width of the ribbon. |
| the best flavored rice in the world. From the | | | | Conchiglie |
| Punjab region of India, it is ideal used to | | | | Those little shell shaped pastas. These are great |
| accompany a meal. | | | | with chunky sauces and the larger shells can be |
| Risotto rice | | | | stuffed. |
| Risotto is a short grain rice specifically grown for | | | | Stuffed Pastas |
| use in risotto recipes. | | | | This includes ravioli and tortellini which have a filling |
| Pudding rice | | | | inside them. They are great for quick meals. |
| This is another short grain rice, it is suitable for | | | | NOODLES |
| long, slow cooking in milk. | | | | I must admit to being a bit of a fan of noodles. |
| Brown rice | | | | These are Asian noodles and only need soaking in |
| Has a much nuttier flavor and higher nutritional | | | | hot water or a quick cook, before being ready to |
| value than white rice as it still contains the bran | | | | eat. Keep fresh and dried noodles in a cool, dry |
| layer and germ. I like the taste of brown rice but | | | | place and use by the date on the label. |
| be aware that it will take longer to cook and will | | | | Egg noodles |
| remain a little more firm than white. | | | | Very commonly used in Chinese and Thai cooking. |
| PASTA | | | | Egg noodles are great in a stir fry. They can also |
| Pasta is a very popular ingredient in modern | | | | create a quick meal on their own mixed with a |
| cooking. Dried pasta needs to be stored in acool, | | | | little sauce. |
| dry place and will keep for around 18-24 months. | | | | Rice noodles |
| The egg pastas will not keep as long and fresh | | | | These tend to be very fine and only need soaking |
| pasta should be stored in the refrigerator and | | | | before using. Often added to soups and stir fries. |
| eaten within 1-2 days. | | | | Soba noodles |
| Spaghetti | | | | These are a Japanese noodle similar to egg |
| One of the most common pastas and a favorite | | | | noodles. They are made from buckwheat, are |
| of many. It is a long, thing pasta used with | | | | darker in color and rather thin. Use them in soups |
| bolognese sauces. | | | | and broths. |
| Macaroni | | | | Udon noodles |
| A basic short pasta which is famous in Macaroni | | | | Are another type of Japanese noodle. These are |
| Cheese. | | | | made from wheat flour and are thicker. They are |
| Lasagne | | | | used mostly in stir-fries. |
| Large flat sheets of pasta, used in alternative | | | | |