What makes a good pasta? Well, according to the Italians, it’s a combination of quality ingredients, traditional old-world recipes and… a bronze die. A bronze die is the ultimate pasta-making tool, a mold used in traditional Italian noodle cutting and shaping for centuries. Here are just a few reasons to try bronze die pasta!
Shop Tantillo Imported Artisanal Pasta to taste the difference for yourself!
The World Loves Pasta
There isn’t a place on this planet that pasta hasn’t infiltrated. It’s total noodle takeover. While pasta is believed to have originated in ancient Asia, it most often brings to mind Italian cuisine. The Italian culinary world is almost synonymous with great pasta.
There is a sense of importance and a dedication to quality that Italian’s treasure. Their culinary legacy is a global phenomenon, and for many, taking care to create the very best pasta is not just a necessity but a proclamation of national pride. That is why adhering to traditional pasta making techniques are so important. The world desires and deserves a great noodle!
We’re Talking Tradition
With the pressure on, pasta makers have a decision to make: produce a large quantity of noodles cheaply and quickly or continue to uphold the tradition of using the best ingredients and time-honored techniques.
A select number of artisanal pasta-makers, like Tantillo Foods, opt for the traditional process. This is a rigorous endeavor with an eye on upholding the highest standards—the only way to ensure that the product you’re purchasing is the best pasta possible. This is where the bronze die comes into play.
The Bronze Die: A Cut Above
Pasta makers generally have two options when cutting and shaping their noodles: a traditional bronze die or a Teflon die. So, what’s so special about a bronze die?
The most crucial benefit of bronze die cut pasta is that it results in noodles that have a slightly rough surface. This is a must for any pasta worth its pennies. A rougher surface helps sauce and other recipe ingredients stick to the noodle, creating the perfect bite—with every bite.
Pasta cut with a Teflon die, on the other hand, results in slick noodles. Teflon dies produce shiny and non-stick noodles (think of Teflon non-stick pans), that cause sauce and ingredients to slide right off and pool in the bottom of your pasta bowl.
How Does It Work?
The cutting process uses machine extraction that forces the pasta dough through the die. This is called extrusion. Using an ‘extruder’ is not a bad thing. There’d be a lot less pasta in the world without the use of machines. Italians have been using machines to help in their pasta making process for over a century.
Making The Cut
There are hundreds of different types of pasta shapes and styles. The easiest way to break down the staggering amount of pasta out there is to categorize it into three broad groups: long cut pastas, short cut pastas and soup cut pastas.
Long Cut Pasta Long cut pastas include noodles like Spaghetti, Fettuccini and Linguine. These are lengthy noodles best used with meaty and saucy Italian dishes where swirling and slurping are ideal. Think spaghetti and meatballs, beef Bolognese and seafood linguine.
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Short Cut Pasta Short cut pasta includes all those fun shaped noodles like Fusilloni, Conchiglioni, Rigatoni and Penne. These noodles are the perfect sauce picker-uppers and stuffers, each designed for a specific sauce or function in mind. Think baked penne, stuffed shells or cheesy spiraled pasta.
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Soup Cut PastaSoup cut pastas are teeny noodles perfect for filling up the soup bowl and accenting the other soupy, brothy ingredients. Think ditalini, orzo or pastina pasta. These noodles are little and spoon-sized.
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Shop Tantillo Artisanal Pasta
When you’re craving the culinary comforts of classic Italian cooking, only the finest pasta will do. Tantillo Foods sources all of our pastas from artisanal pasta makers. We use traditional old-world techniques to produce exceptional noodles.
Each of Tantillo’s pasta products are made using the finest quality durum wheat semolina and shaped using the all-important bronze die. Our pasta is then air dried for up to 20 hours to allow for the perfect al dente texture when cooking. At Tantillo, each package of pasta is given the VIP treatment and will perform splendidly in your recipes. Try it for yourself today!
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