I’m looking for four things in pasta. First, its ability to hold up during cooking: good pasta retains structure and form, which helps it retain flavour and digestibility, which are the second and third things I look for. If the opposite is true and the pasta is not muscular, there is a good chance it will be flabby one minute and pudding-like the next, which adversely affects flavour, digestibility and – the fourth thing I look for – its ability to hold sauce. This fourth aspect is interesting, because, while a more rustic-looking, fine sandpaper-like texture is the visibly good sauce-catcher, some apparently smoother surfaces are surprisingly good with sauce, which is why trying out different brands can be really worthwhile.
To test, I looked at the spaghetti raw, for its colour and texture, then I cooked it according to the rule of thumb of a litre of water salted with 10g of salt for every 100g of pasta. I always bring the water to a boil, then add salt, then stir, before adding the pasta and letting it come to a boil again before starting the timer.
I also cooked all the pasta according to the packet recommendations: if it offered a range of nine to 11 minutes, I did 10, setting the time for 30 seconds before to give myself enough time to get it out (at home, I usually give it a minute less than the recommended time). All dried pasta is made from a paste (dough) of hard durum wheat and water, which is extruded through holes in round plates called dies to form shapes – and, yes, itislike pressing Play-Doh through a plastic press as a child.
If the packet notes “exuded through bronze”, that is what the dies were made from, and what gives the surface of the pasta texture, which is good for sauce-clinging. Teflon dies produce a smoother surface, which can also be pleasing. Have a look at your raw pasta and sniff it: some really does smell of wheat, others of wax. After being extruded, pasta shapes need drying, which is where the true art of a pasta maker lies, different shapes having different needs.
£1.40 (500g) at Sainsbury’s£1.50 (500g) at Morrisons
★★★★★
While the strands don’t have a visibly rough texture, they do have texture once cooked and they hold sauce well, too. The suggested timing of nine minutes was spot on, and the pasta was muscular and had a really decent flavour. A standard but hugely likable and relatable pasta that works brilliantly with clams and other seafood.
£2.15 (500g) at Ocado£2.15 (500g) at Amazon
★★★★☆
Spaghetti grossi, or “big spaghetti”, with a dusty aspect and a rough texture, like salt on skin. The very specific 11-minute cooking time was accurate. Rustic is the word that comes to mind, as does chunky, which makes it feel like a pasta that dominates. Has a nice, pronounced flavour, with the wheat coming through in a way that is rare. We enjoyed this with a sausage and tomato sauce.
75p (500g) at Lidl
★★★★☆
Thin, shiny, a bit waxy and, at seven minutes, the shortest recommended cooking time, which was spot on. The right amount of firmness, lovely to wind around a fork, and a great example of how a good-value pasta cooked for the right length of time can be satisfying and rewarding. We enjoyed the rest of the packet with a smooth tomato and basil sauce.
£1.25 (750g) at Iceland★★★★☆
An almost show-off shine here, but also a pleasing texture. This was the only packet that noted the importance of boiling, not moderate heat. As recommended, we cooked it for 11 minutes, and that was spot-on, producing a firm, nicelyal dente, well-textured spaghetti – which is so pleasing because that made up for the average flavour. We cooked the rest of the packet withamatricianaand it was hugely enjoyable.
£2 (500g) at Sainsbury’s£2 (500g) at Tesco
★★★★☆
Thin, slightly opaque and slightly textured makes this a slick-looking pasta. Bang on at 10 minutes –al dente, reliable. There’s maybe no great texture or deep flavour, but it’s pleasing nonetheless, if slightly waxy, which some might find appealing.
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£2.35 (500g) at Ocado£2.35 (500g) at Amazon
★★★★☆
Sturdy-looking, dusty, but not rustic. Held up to the recommended 10-minute cooking time extremely well. A really reliable pasta in cooking and flavour.
75p (500g) at Ocado
★★★☆☆
Very smooth to look at, but not shiny/waxy, and ever so slightly opaque. The recommended cooking time of 11 minutes was fine, and it held up, just about (it was close to gummy), but on a second attempt, nine-and-a-half minutes was much better. It has a decisive, and all too often elusive, wheat flavour: very decent.
£2.30 (500g) at Ocado
★★★☆☆
Nice to look at, with a slightly dusty aspect and visibly rough texture. I followed the recommended 11-minute cook time, and the pasta maintained good structure and a nutty flavour, although next time I’d pull it out after 10 minutes. The thicker strings would suit all the classic Roman pastas: carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe …
75p (500g) at Sainsbury’s
★★☆☆☆
Very smooth and shiny to look at. The recommended cooking time is eight to 10 minutes, so I did nine. It held up relatively well to cooking, although its smoothness made it seem a bit waxy, and the lack of texture wasn’t helpful with smooth tomato sauce; a richer sauce might work better, and finely grated cheese always helps to bring things together. Had almost no flavour, though.
75p (500g) at Tesco
★☆☆☆☆
Very thin and almost transparent. The timing range suggested is nine to 11 minutes, so I gave it 10, after which it was overcooked, flabby and gluey. So I tried again with nine minutes and it was too crunchy and flabby on the outside. Oh dear.