Traditionally, pasta in Italy is made using a method called Al Bronzo and a different type of flour–but does that really make it better? Our founder, Chef Stef, spends a lot of time sourcing the best quality pasta for Chef’s Mandala. He’s done it for years–so we asked him for a breakdown.
What is Al Bronzo?
Al Bronzo is a method that uses bronze plates to form and extrude the pasta shapes. Different metal plates provide different friction. Different pasta makers use different metals. Bronze creates a high level of
friction that slows down extrusion and gently “scores” the pasta, creating more surface area for your sauce to stick to. Some pasta makers use gold, which is really just for marketing but most use Teflon that makes for faster extrusion but doesn’t create the porous surface area that a bronze plate does.
Is pasta made in Italy with Italian flour really better?
Pure Italian Gragnano pasta is made with 100% Italian wheat which costs more to produce. This in turn translates into a higher price. A lot of pasta makers—even in Italy—will use varying amounts of Canadian semolina. Considered more of a winter wheat, this North American gluten gives the pasta more “backbone.”
Ultimately, the taste and quality of the pasta depends on a lot of factors. While 100% D.O.P. (Denominazione di Origine Protetta —meaning they are made from pure Italian semolina from a designated region), is more authentic, American diners find it to take longer to cook and be a bit different in texture. For more on this, check out our Food Fight!! article here.
How do you make perfect pasta? Any tips? Should you add oil?
No oil! Especially not with al bronzo pasta!! A lot of effort is put into making a rough surface for your sauce to stick to—if you oil the pasta you are throwing that all away, making a slick surface that the sauce just slides off.
When you make your pasta, it’s important to put in enough salt and water. Our imported pastas are clear on how much—follow those directions! Bring the water to a rolling boil—and I mean ROLLING! Add the pasta, stir for thirty seconds and once or twice while cooking. Don’t keep the lid on the pot after you add the pasta, it will boil over. Also, follow the timing on the package, drain and add your favorite sauce. It’s that simple
