Q. Is there a difference between handmade and fresh pasta?
A. Yes handmade pasta has a slightly rougher texture with little irregularities and ridges which help to hold the sauce. We use brass moulds rather than the stainless steel ones more commonly used in industrial production lines producing a superior texture.
Q. Why are The Handmade Pasta Co individual ready meals sold frozen?
A. The individual ready meals are frozen within one hour of production to ensure maximum flavor and texture. We don’t use preservatives
Q. What is the difference between pasta made with flour and eggs and pasta made with semolina and water?
A. Different regions indeed different families have different recipes. Generally speaking pasta containing eggs and flour is favored in the North of Italy while pasta made with semolina and water is more popular in the south. We prefer to make our pasta in small batches as no two bags of flour and no two eggs are exactly the same and we can adjust the dough as necessary just as you would at home!
Q. Can you tell me how to prepare a simple tomato sauce for pasta? Most of the jars of sauce I’ve tried have been very disappointing.
A. Certainly can!
Crush four large juicy cloves of garlic (or one large onion finely chopped - but not both together!) and add to a pan containing two tablespoons of cold olive oil (don’t add to hot oil or you’ll burn the garlic resulting in a burnt bitter flavor to the sauce!).
Heat the oil and garlic GENTLY and fry for a few minutes until the garlic is soft but not coloured, then add a can of good quality Italian plum tomatoes, a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of dried oregano and half a teaspoonful of salt.
Simmer until the sauce is thick (about twenty minutes) then blitz with a hand blender and add a few torn fresh basil leaves.
Enjoy!
