We would do well to keep this distinction in mind now that industrial variants of pasta ciutta are becoming more and more widespread. At the same time, we are hearing that the big difference between them is simply a matter of whether or not they are made with eggs.

Is that really what it all comes down to? As long as it has egg in it, it can be considered fresh pasta because this is really what is meant by the word ciutta. But when we see egg pastas being displayed and sold outside the refrigerated case at the supermarket, it is clear this is not really the crucial point.

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It was some two decades ago that we first began to see these little shops where we could buy fresh, homemade pasta, and a whole new world of possibilities opened up that until then had simply not been available to us, unless, of course, we traveled to Italy. Only now, these new filled pasta specialties like ravioli, agneletti and capeletti stood alongside the old dry, pre-packaged standbys such as spaghetti and macaroni. This was about when we found out that what we had been used to calling macaroni was penne for the Italians, in other words, a pencil holder.

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Liliana Lombardi, in her Big Book of Pasta and Cereals, defines fresh pasta as a homemade specialty made by combining whole eggs and type 0 and 00 flour, though on special occasions semolina can be used, though this involves a more time-consuming and difficult preparation. In a few regions, whole-wheat flour is used and depending on the recipe, you can substitute another ingredient, such as squid ink, for part of the egg so as to obtain a given color or taste.

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Almost all he world's master chefs have a predilection for fresh pasta and more than likely have come up with a signature dish that makes use of it as a highlight of their culinary repertory. Its preparation doubtless involves something a little more complicated than just opening up a package and dumping its contents into boiling water, but after all this extra something is what makes them superstars.

You have to remember that Japan's celebrated shoba restaurants still make their own flat noodles from rice or wheat flour. And this makes all the difference in the world as far as quality goes.

But the problem that we all face is lack of time and the trouble and expense required to�acquire and use the famous pasta machines, of whatever size, that roll the dough into fine sheets. These can be manually or electrically powered. Because with fresh pasta you are not only allowed all sort of variations as to color and flavor but also so that they turn out just the right texture and size, and of course, chewable.

What we need to look for in our fresh pasta is that it is made from eggs and flour. No water. And that it has the briefest possible shelf life. Even though the egg component� is changing. Even though it is on the rise.

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This brings us to another interesting issue: cooking times. Regardless of whether it is dry or cuitta, the important thing is the consistency that the pasta acquires when we cook it. This brogans us to some old debate: al dente or soft. I have not the slights doubt in my mind that pasta that is overcooked becomes library paste and is just not for me, thank you very much.

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The main thing is to know beforehand how your pasta is going to be served. If it is going to take a sauce and be baked in the oven, then you should subtract four minutes from the cooking time indicated on a package of dry pasta. In the case of fresh pasta, half the normal interval is the rule of thumb. And if the pasta is homemade and fresh off the roller, scalding it for about 30 seconds ought to do the trick. That's what I said: 30 seconds. Anyone wants to dispute that should take one step forward right now. We'll wager a bottle of whatever you please in a taste test and just see who's got it right .

Perhaps your intention is to toss it in butter (al burro) or oil in which a great deal of garlic, parsley and a dried hot pepper has been saut�ed (what Ugo Toganzzi defined in his book about pasta as aglio e olio, putanesca, putana arrabiata and maricona arrabiata, respectively, according to how much garlic and hot pepper gets browned in extra virgin oil before the pasta is tossed in it). In those cases, reduce the cooking time by two minutes for the dry type and if you're using the freshest homemade pasta, one whole minute in boiling water is quite enough. �
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