Durum Semolina and What Makes Good Dried Pasta
Why good dried pasta is made from durum wheat semolina, and what bronze-die cutting and slow drying have to do with how it cooks.
What dried pasta is made of
Good dried pasta starts with one thing: durum wheat semolina. Durum is a hard wheat, and its coarsely milled semolina is high in protein and gluten, which gives pasta its firm “al dente” bite and helps it hold sauce. Water is the only other essential ingredient.
What makes quality pasta
- Durum semolina: firm texture that holds its shape
- Bronze-die cut: a rougher surface that grips sauce
- Slow drying: better flavour and bite
- High protein: stands up to boiling without going mushy
Why the surface matters
Pasta extruded through bronze dies has a slightly rough, porous surface, while Teflon dies make it smooth. The rougher the surface, the better sauce clings to it — which is why texture, not just shape, affects the final dish. Slow, low-temperature drying also preserves flavour.
Cooking it well
- Use lots of well-salted boiling water
- Cook to al dente — firm to the bite
- Save pasta water to finish the sauce
- Toss pasta with sauce in the pan rather than just topping it
Tips
- Match shape to sauce: ridges and tubes for chunky, strands for oily
- Don't rinse cooked pasta — you wash off the starch
- Semolina also makes fresh pasta and gnocchi
- Store dried pasta in a sealed container
Good pasta, made simple
Durum semolina, a good shape and a proper boil are all it takes for restaurant-quality pasta at home. Unico makes a full range of durum-wheat pasta, plus semolina for cooking and baking.