What To Look For When Buying Store-Bought Pasta, According To Giada De Laurentiis

Pasta is at the heart of numerous Italian recipes, and knowing how to buy the best store-bought pasta is definitely an important skill. With so many brands and types on the shelves, selecting one can get overwhelming pretty quickly. Whether you're making a new dish or sticking to pasta recipes that never get old, picking the right box is crucial for success — which is why we're thankful for Giada De Laurentiis' handy tips.

"Pasta class is in session," the chef wrote in the caption of an Instagram video. De Laurentiis went through some key points to look out for when buying dried pasta. Firstly, check the ingredients list: It should only contain durum wheat semolina and water. The best quality pasta is made with just these two ingredients and no other additives. Flour made from durum wheat is coarse and hard, which ensures perfectly firm pasta that holds its shape once cooked and doesn't release too much starch. It's also sometimes referred to as wheat semolina, semolina flour, or just semolina.

De Laurentiis also recommended choosing a pasta that is high in protein. This is another reason to stick to durum wheat pasta, since durum wheat contains more gluten and protein. It also has less starch than softer wheat flours used in cakes. The high gluten content is what will give your pasta the ideal al dente texture. This type of wheat also has a lower glycemic index, which means eating it won't spike your blood sugar the way that regular wheat pasta can.

Giada De Laurentiis suggested buying pasta that is bronze-cut or slow-dried, which is usually noted on the box. Bronze-cut pasta is preferred by chefs since it's how pasta is traditionally made, and compared to other methods, it reigns supreme. This type of pasta is cut and shaped through a plate made of bronze, giving the pasta a rougher finish. While this process might take longer than using a Teflon die (this is the most common method in commercial pasta production), bronze-cut pasta is the best kind to absorb sauce. 

This type of pasta is usually also slow-dried at room temperature, which preserves the nutty flavor of the wheat and makes it less likely to turn mushy. Some people even feel that it is easier to digest than mass-produced pastas, which are usually dried quickly using heat.

It won't come as a surprise that De Laurentiis tells us to look out for pasta with a rough texture, since this means that it is likely bronze-cut. Any noodle with an ultra-smooth surface (likely Teflon-cut) makes it nearly impossible for the sauce to adhere properly. So unless you want your sauce pooling at the bottom of the bowl, grab the rough-looking noodles.