What would be a good source of fresh pasta?

At a grocery store these days you can find fresh pasta in the refrigerated section: linguini, fettucini, ravioli. You can find Buitoni brand at Safeway, or if you go to a good market you can find other more high end brands.

Thanks for your answer.

Have you ever made your own? I did in a cooking class once, and it’s surprisingly easy*. Plus, that way you know everything that’s in it.

*Messy and time-consuming, but easy enough.

@Adirondackwannabe I don’t know where exactly you are, but are there any grocery chains near you? Or Costco? Costco has refrigerated past (albeit in church dinner quantities).

The problem with fresh pasta is that it doesn’t stay fresh for long. When we make our own, it starts to dry up pretty quickly by the time we finish the batch. The refrigerated stuff is packaged to lock in the moisture, I haven’t read the labels lately to see if there’s any preservatives in it.

You might wasn’t to do a search to see if you have any Italian markets in your area – around here there’s one in every town, pretty much. That’s the only other option to making your own or buying the refrigerated kind, that I can think of.

Make it yourself

Where do you live (roughly)? That will help, knowing that.

The supermarkets near you will have it. Supermarket chains usually sell it in a refrigerator section. If you have an Italian specialty grocer they should have it also.

Even in Italy they used dried pasta for certain dishes. It really matters on the dish whether dried or fresh is most appropriate.

De Cecco is some of the best dried pasta on the shelves and I believe they even have an egg pasta, which would be the closest to fresh pasta, if you can’t find fresh pasta, but can find De Cecco on the shelves.

I don’t buy fresh pasta, because I stay away from egg yolks, and for many things I prefer the dried pasta anyway. No question fresh pasta can be amazingly delicious though. I don’t find the fresh pasta packaged for chain stores is the same as scratch from your kitchen, but I guess you will prefer to to dry pasta if that is what you are looking for.

Just throwing this out there!: Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? It is a delightful and fun vegetable that can take the place of any pasta product. If you haven’t, you should try it at least once! It has a mild taste and is so much less filling than regular pasta so you can enjoy even more of your delicious sauce!!!

Yes I’ve tried it. I grew some myself, but I didn’t have the best growing conditions that year. I’d try it again if it was grown right. Some of these farmers are getting amazing results. Thanks, I hadn’t thought of that.

@Adirondackwannabe I bet it’s great home grown, I’ve only had it from a store, but god, I just think it is the dandiest thing.

@deni Spaghetti squash sounds like something you made up. Do you boil it just like regular pasta? I’ve never heard of it.

I think I baked it and shredded it with a fork. The taste is so light it would go with anything.

We roast the spaghetti squash on the grill (natural chunk charcoal) – cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds; start with the open side down, then flip after about 20 minutes and put some butter (we use garlic butter) in the trenches to soak in for another 20 minutes or until the strands separate easily by fork test. We usually grill sausage and veggies, like peppers, garlic and onions, and toss that with the spaghetti squash—delicious!!

But for a fine pasta sauce, you may want to stick with fresh pasta. You didn’t tell us about the types of sauce you have, @Adirondackwannabe.

I have a variety of sauces, but the one’s I wanted the fresh pasta for are one from the Beekman Boys and one I made from Roma plum tomatoes right out of my garden.

@longgone Many people have a hard time understanding the concept. Every friend I have made it for has told me a different “thing” they thought it was before they actually had it! Haha, but for real, it’s a regular squash just like any other, found with the rest of the squash in the produce section. It is yellow and sometimes as big as a football, sometimes smaller. You cut it in an oblong way in half, and then remove the seeds and roast it face down on a sheet pan with some water at 350 for about 45 minutes, give or take. I have cooked it for up to an hour at a high temperature and it has never become overcooked, so I love that about it. Once it’s done and cooled a bit you take a fork and scrape out the insides. They come out in long strands just like spaghetti. ANd like I said it has a mild flavor, unlike butternut squash for example, so it goes with everything. And it’s fun to make. Here’s a photo of the thing

@hearkat I never flip mine, but flipping it and then putting garlic butter “in the trenches” sounds SO GOOOOD!!!!

@deni Thanks for explaining. Sounds wonderful, I’ll have a look for it when I’m at the store tomorrow!

ANother vote for making it, it’s super easy & fun. You can add any herbs, spinach, etc you want. I love it.

I make my own. It is quite simple and worth it.
Jamie Oliver’s cooking school on Youtube has a decent video for making your own.

For the record: Spaghetti squash is delicious!