What is pasta fresca

A. It is what the Italians call fresh pasta. Italians make and eat a small amount of fresh pasta, but it's a craze that has really taken off in the UK and the States. Most Italians serve fresh pasta with a filling such as tortillini or raviloi.

Q. Where did pasta originate

A. It began with growing the highest-quality hard wheat, and the name give to this wheat was durum, which is Latin for hard. After the pasta-maker had bought the right sort of grain, the miller ground the grain to an exact specification, to form semolina, which is Italian for semi-milled, and is quite unlike flour, because it is made up of tiny, corn-coloured granules with sharp edges.

The real art of successful pasta making was mixing the semolina with cold water. The pasta was then shaped and forced through special bronze ties, to give it texture. Traditionally the pasta was dried in open-windowed lofts where sea or mountain breezes could circulate. The careful drying process could take up to two days. The pasta, by this time, had rough edges which would hold a sauce well.

Q. Is dried better than fresh

A. According to cookery guru, Delia Smith, good-quality dried pasta is superior. Fresh pasta works at its best when it's ravioli, pasta shapes or in lasagne sheets. When you buy dried pasta, make sure the packet says pasta di semola di grano duro - durum wheat semolina pasta. Some pastas contain eggs - pasta all'uovo - whcih add richness to certain dishes.

Q. How do you cook perfect pasta

A. Pasta shoukd be cooked 'al dente', or firm to the teeth. Always use a large cooking pot with lots of water and a teaspoon of salt. The water should be boiling before you add the pasta, and it should take between 10 and 12 minutes, depending on the type and quantity used. Place a colander ready in the sink and swirl the pasta around. Don't drain too much as a few drops of moisture will enhance the pasta.

If you are serving spaghetti or other long pasta, use pasta tongs to separate the portions and serve onto warmed plates. Pasta should be served quickly once cooked as it won't wait.

Q. How do you eat spaghetti

A. The biggest mistake people make is winding too much pasta onto their fork. Select two or three strands and coax them over the rim of the plate. Wind the fork around and around until you have a little bite-sized bundle.

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By Katharine MacColl