In article >,
The Other Guy > wrote:

--snippage --

> I can't imagine WHY anyone would expect any different result.
> What POSSIBLE differences between pastas COULD there be?

The kind of wheat they're made from. How the wheat is ground (to what
fineness and how much variation in particle size). The method of
extrusion (high speed/high pressure can make the pasta get pretty hot
going through). The method of drying (slow and cooler vs. hot and fast).

And differences may be not so much taste as texture. Lower quality
pastas can go from crunchy to gummy in just a few seconds; better ones
give you a longer "window" where you get a nice texture.

Here's an educational video put out by the BBC some time back; it's old
but still well worth watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXmaS1ZzpA8

--

FWIW, I like the buck-a-pound stuff I get at Trader Joe's.


Isaac