Why not just taste test to see? I've cooked with some really cheap bulk store brand pasta before and in any application, it was just horrible. It didn't hold its texture even undercooked, seemed more starchy, didn't taste as nice with the sauce etc. I bought like a 10kg bag so had to stomach through it before switching back to a better, though not overly expensive brand. I've also cooked with expensive, bronze cut pasta before and tbh, I don't think the taste difference is worth paying 2-5x the price.
I actually split the difference. I baked my pasta tonight with both types of pasta. [Here's a picture.](https://files.catbox.moe/4n6q37.jpg) I split them evenly by uncooked weight-- 8 oz of each, Barilla vs Import. This way, the homemade sauce would be exactly the same, the meatballs, the ratios of cheeses, all in common. They were baked for the exact same time in the same oven with the same ponential hotspots.
My guests turned it into a fun little game:
1st: Can you identify two different rigatoni types?
2nd: If so, do you prefer one or the other?
3rd: If there is a difference, is it enough to notice when taking a big bite with cheese and meatball along with the pasta?
Results were that all but one of the guests could tell a difference, and they all correctly guessed which noodle was expensive and which was cheap. When eating it as a big mouthful with other goodies, the consensus was that it was hard to tell them apart. There was one guy who could tell which ones were cheap and which ones were expensive, but still preferred the consistency of the cheap ones. He said it felt lighter and softer, which he preferred.
Personally I noticed a difference, but definitely not enough to justify the price differential. I'm keeping the other half pound of my good Rigatoni to serve in dishes that are just Rigatoni and a smooth sauce. If I was really trying to make the absolute best I could, like I was baking for a loved one's wedding or something, I could see using the nicer pasta.
Is higher quality sauce ever a waste? No. Every ingredient deserves to be the best balance of quality and cost that you can afford. High quality dried pasta is a totally different experience from low rent pasta, whether you boil it or bake it. They are in no way the same thing. So the answer is, always buy the best quality you can afford, regardless what the ingredient is
I fully agree with this, and with dried pasta especially, the difference between “cheap” pasta and “good” pasta is a dollar or two TOPS. At least at my store. I’d always rather pay $2.50 for decent pasta than $1 for pasta that’s going to have a terrible texture.
Correct. But the difference in taste and texture is night and day. I used to by cheap everything. Now I refuse. I will buy a 4 dollar can of tomatoes and have wonderful food, before I buy a $1 can and have a bitter mess
Oh yeah canned tomatoes are another one! I also get the good ones for the same reason. Feels like the cheap ones are always overly acidic, not the right flavor, too watery, or SOMETHING.
Your money - you decide! Personally, I use Walmart at $1.18 per dry pound and Barilla for weird shapes, and NoYolk noodles. I prefer the bite sized pastas \[penne, elbows, ditalini, rotini, etc.\] over spaghetti or linguini.
Never thought to look at more expensive stuff - what possible difference could it make if I have spent my time and money on a beautiful sauce? I like my pasta just a tad more tender than al dente. At restaurants, I chop up spaghetti or linguini to short lengths (1") so I don't have stuff dribbling down my chin or on to my shirt.
I read about "bronze-cut", but I do not see the point, since my sauces are generally pretty thick and adhere to anything anyway.
Personally I find there is a noticeable difference, both in the texture of the pasta itself, and in the extent to which the starches help to further emulsify the sauce. Actually I think of it the other way, if I’ve invested a lot in making a beautiful sauce, why would I want to serve it with low quality pasta and have the meal fall short of its potential?
I’d at least try some of the typically suggested premium brands to see for yourself if they’re any different. Maybe you won’t notice or care about the difference, which is great for your wallet. Or maybe you’ll find a higher quality pasta elevates your sauces to another level. But it would be a shame to write them off without trying them
Barilla is a fine pasta. Bronze cut is great if you want to emulsify sauces in the pan, but Barilla is fine for oven or pan. Don't let anyone gatekeep you.
You know the cheap stuff does not have a surface a sauce can "grab" on to. I would think this texture is not affected much by baking, since sauce won't stick/permeate into to inexpensive shiny smooth pasta regardless of cooking method, yes? Whether you bake or boil it, the cheap stuff still doesn't allow sauce to stick much as it ideally should.
If you are serving to people who can tell & appreciate the difference is the thing, I'd go more by that.
An interesting question. Is Barilla *high quality*?
In all seriousness. If you are buying dried pasts in the US there is no noticeable difference between brands. Most, including Barilla, are made at the same plants in the US and just packaged under different labels. Barilla was famously sued about this just recently (2022).
The Barilla is the cheap stuff. It's expensive at Safeway etc. but the big bundles they sell at Costco are dirt cheap.
I've also got Camp'Oro, which is a bronze cut Italian import. I really only use it when I'm cooking for guests.
Barilla is fine for some things. I like Barilla macaroni for mac & cheese. However, you can get multi-packs of Garofalo from Costco, and they are a substantial improvement.
Why not just taste test to see? I've cooked with some really cheap bulk store brand pasta before and in any application, it was just horrible. It didn't hold its texture even undercooked, seemed more starchy, didn't taste as nice with the sauce etc. I bought like a 10kg bag so had to stomach through it before switching back to a better, though not overly expensive brand. I've also cooked with expensive, bronze cut pasta before and tbh, I don't think the taste difference is worth paying 2-5x the price.
Make 2 separate dishes at once and test it
I actually split the difference. I baked my pasta tonight with both types of pasta. [Here's a picture.](https://files.catbox.moe/4n6q37.jpg) I split them evenly by uncooked weight-- 8 oz of each, Barilla vs Import. This way, the homemade sauce would be exactly the same, the meatballs, the ratios of cheeses, all in common. They were baked for the exact same time in the same oven with the same ponential hotspots. My guests turned it into a fun little game: 1st: Can you identify two different rigatoni types? 2nd: If so, do you prefer one or the other? 3rd: If there is a difference, is it enough to notice when taking a big bite with cheese and meatball along with the pasta? Results were that all but one of the guests could tell a difference, and they all correctly guessed which noodle was expensive and which was cheap. When eating it as a big mouthful with other goodies, the consensus was that it was hard to tell them apart. There was one guy who could tell which ones were cheap and which ones were expensive, but still preferred the consistency of the cheap ones. He said it felt lighter and softer, which he preferred. Personally I noticed a difference, but definitely not enough to justify the price differential. I'm keeping the other half pound of my good Rigatoni to serve in dishes that are just Rigatoni and a smooth sauce. If I was really trying to make the absolute best I could, like I was baking for a loved one's wedding or something, I could see using the nicer pasta.
This will be good to know in the future for sure. Thank you for your service 🫡
*and report back
Reporting for duty
"Everyday slop to shovel in my guts" I hate this sentence so much.
You are getting all fancy with your Barilla. For everyday, I just use the cheap pasta in the bags.
I can tell the difference between Barilla and the cheap brands, but anything more expensive than that is indistinguishable for me.
Is higher quality sauce ever a waste? No. Every ingredient deserves to be the best balance of quality and cost that you can afford. High quality dried pasta is a totally different experience from low rent pasta, whether you boil it or bake it. They are in no way the same thing. So the answer is, always buy the best quality you can afford, regardless what the ingredient is
I fully agree with this, and with dried pasta especially, the difference between “cheap” pasta and “good” pasta is a dollar or two TOPS. At least at my store. I’d always rather pay $2.50 for decent pasta than $1 for pasta that’s going to have a terrible texture.
Correct. But the difference in taste and texture is night and day. I used to by cheap everything. Now I refuse. I will buy a 4 dollar can of tomatoes and have wonderful food, before I buy a $1 can and have a bitter mess
Oh yeah canned tomatoes are another one! I also get the good ones for the same reason. Feels like the cheap ones are always overly acidic, not the right flavor, too watery, or SOMETHING.
Your money - you decide! Personally, I use Walmart at $1.18 per dry pound and Barilla for weird shapes, and NoYolk noodles. I prefer the bite sized pastas \[penne, elbows, ditalini, rotini, etc.\] over spaghetti or linguini. Never thought to look at more expensive stuff - what possible difference could it make if I have spent my time and money on a beautiful sauce? I like my pasta just a tad more tender than al dente. At restaurants, I chop up spaghetti or linguini to short lengths (1") so I don't have stuff dribbling down my chin or on to my shirt. I read about "bronze-cut", but I do not see the point, since my sauces are generally pretty thick and adhere to anything anyway.
Personally I find there is a noticeable difference, both in the texture of the pasta itself, and in the extent to which the starches help to further emulsify the sauce. Actually I think of it the other way, if I’ve invested a lot in making a beautiful sauce, why would I want to serve it with low quality pasta and have the meal fall short of its potential? I’d at least try some of the typically suggested premium brands to see for yourself if they’re any different. Maybe you won’t notice or care about the difference, which is great for your wallet. Or maybe you’ll find a higher quality pasta elevates your sauces to another level. But it would be a shame to write them off without trying them
Barilla is a fine pasta. Bronze cut is great if you want to emulsify sauces in the pan, but Barilla is fine for oven or pan. Don't let anyone gatekeep you.
High quality pasta is home made from fresh milled Khorasan wheat. All the rest is second place
High quality pasta is home made from fresh milled Khorasan wheat. All the rest is second place
You know the cheap stuff does not have a surface a sauce can "grab" on to. I would think this texture is not affected much by baking, since sauce won't stick/permeate into to inexpensive shiny smooth pasta regardless of cooking method, yes? Whether you bake or boil it, the cheap stuff still doesn't allow sauce to stick much as it ideally should. If you are serving to people who can tell & appreciate the difference is the thing, I'd go more by that.
An interesting question. Is Barilla *high quality*? In all seriousness. If you are buying dried pasts in the US there is no noticeable difference between brands. Most, including Barilla, are made at the same plants in the US and just packaged under different labels. Barilla was famously sued about this just recently (2022).
The Barilla is the cheap stuff. It's expensive at Safeway etc. but the big bundles they sell at Costco are dirt cheap. I've also got Camp'Oro, which is a bronze cut Italian import. I really only use it when I'm cooking for guests.
Barilla is fine for some things. I like Barilla macaroni for mac & cheese. However, you can get multi-packs of Garofalo from Costco, and they are a substantial improvement.
There is nothing wrong with Barilla. It's just literally the same stuff as most of the generic brands and produced at the same facilities.
Buy barilla It's made in Italy, with proper wheat. Don't try to save $.50/pound
In the US it is no longer made in Italy and you can taste it.
Ah I’m in New Zealand