In Russian, pasta is usually called all products from dried wheat dough, mixed with water. However, it would be more appropriate to name macaroni (from Italian maccheroni) products, in the form of tubes: horns, feathers, pechutella (they are long, straight, hollow tubes thicker than spaghetti). And in accordance with the Italian tradition, everything that we call macaroni should be called pasta.
There are many versions of where the pasta was invented. But the first official capital of this flour product is Palermo.
But wherever the pasta was invented, now they, and the dishes cooked with their "participation" are known and loved all over the world. Macaroni are nutritious, tasty, easy to prepare ... and quite caloric. In 100 g of dry product contains 270-360 kilocalories (depends on the variety).
How many calories are cooked in pasta?
When cooking, pasta absorb water, increasing in volume approximately 2.5-3 times. Therefore, the caloric content of the finished product should be calculated by dividing the caloric content of "raw materials" by two and five. It turns out that the caloric content of ready-made macaroni is 108-144 kilocalories (if without additives). If you cook them with butter, the caloric content of boiled pasta will increase dramatically, and will be about 180 kilocalories per 100 g of product. The situation can be corrected, adding to the water, five minutes before the product is ready, olive oil (1 tablespoon), then the pasta will not stick together, and the calorie content will not increase significantly. You can also add stewed vegetables to pasta, get a tasty and healthy dish, or use whole-grain instead of plain pasta.
Caloric content of whole grains
On caloric content, whole grains of pasta do not differ much from their usual counterparts: 270-340 kilocalories per 100 g of dry product.
Another alternative to classic pasta is buckwheat noodles or soba. Buckwheat pasta also has a high caloric content - about 300 kilocalories. However, in addition, contain a large number of B vitamins, folic acid and rutin. The latter, strengthens the capillaries and is useful for people suffering from high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. And it is also a strong antioxidant that fights free radicals, preventing the formation of cancer cells.