Supermarket Standoff: Best Store-Bought Pasta

By Jamie Feldmar and Matt Duckor , Bon Appétit

Chef Mark Ladner has his nose buried in a bowl of pasta. He's sniffing it. "I'm checking for the wheat," he explains. "Or the lack thereof." We don't really get this (aren't all pastas made from wheat?), but because Ladner has agreed to taste-test five supermarket brands of pasta for us--and he's Mark Ladner for gods sake--we let it slide.

See, when it comes to Italian food, Ladner has serious cred: In 2010, The New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton awarded a rare four stars to Ladner's Del Posto (owned by Mario Batali and Lidia and Joe Bastianich), describing his pastas as "insanely good." More recently, Ladner came up for a James Beard Award for best chef in New York City, no doubt thanks in part to his way with the noodle.

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We just didn't anticipate the sniffing. Ladner is known for dishes like his 100-layer lasagna, which takes three kitchen stations to assemble (of course, he describes it as "really, really simple"). But the chef gets that we have more humble aspirations in our private kitchens--even he uses store-bought pasta at home. So we didn't feel too bad asking him to pick his favorite for us.

THE CONTENDERS
1. De Cecco dried rigatoni
2. Garofalo dried fusilli
3. Barilla dried fettuccine
4. Ronzoni dried spaghetti
5. Buitoni fresh three-cheese tortellini

THE METHOD
We should have known a taste-test with chef Ladner would be about as "simple" as that 100-layer lasagna. Ladner and Del Posto chef de cuisine Matt Abdoo cooked each pasta to the time suggested on the box--using a myriad of kitchen timers--in an uncovered pot filled with nearly seawater-salty water, then, once drained, dressed it simply with neutral grapeseed oil.

THE GUIDELINES
We asked Ladner to judge the pastas on taste and texture. "I'm looking for a satisfying wheatiness, as well as a texture that is a good balance between plasticity and elasticity," says Ladner. "Silkiness is the balance between plasticity--what makes the pasta al dente--and elasticity, which makes it chewy. I want to balance those two sensations."

THE RESULTS
Ronzoni spaghetti (suggested cook time 10-12 minutes): Ladner was not impressed with the beige hue of the noodles. "The color of this is so bizarre, I can't even figure it out--it looks like it's almost whole-wheat flour," he said. After 11 minutes, it was slightly undercooked, and remained mostly uneaten.

Garofalo fusilli (suggested cook time 11 minutes): This didn't fare much better. "It's a little undercooked at the time they recommend," said Ladner, "and it tastes like it absorbed too much salt, which is strange and unpleasant."

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Buitoni tortellini (suggested cook time 7-9 minutes): Ladner and Abdoo didn't have high hopes for the sole "fresh" option of the bunch. Still, it performed better than expected: "I kind of like the texture of the pasta part," said Ladner. "But the filling tastes grainy. Overall, it's better than I thought it would be, but not exactly good."

De Cecco rigatoni (suggested cook time 14 minutes): Ladner's favorite brand performed well. At 14 minutes, it was slightly undercooked, but Ladner suggested "30 seconds in sauce and then it would be perfect."

Barilla fettuccine (suggested cook time 12 minutes): This one surprised Ladner. "It's cooked to the right consistency and didn't pick up too much salt," he said. "I'm really impressed at how evenly it cooked--it has a great toothsomeness, but is clearly cooked all the way through. I don't often use this brand because in the past I've had issues with it sticking together, but this actually isn't clumping as much as I feared." He tugged on some strands, praising their elasticity. "It's rare to find so much stretch and pull in a dry pasta," he added. "The fact that they could codify it in a timetable so it comes out like this is impressive."

Oh yeah, he said "codify."

THE WINNER
It was a close call between De Cecco and Barilla, but in the end, Ladner declared the Barilla fettuccine the victor. "It had a great texture," he says. "The memory of the fettuccine really stayed with me."







Fettuccine with Pancetta, Peas & Arugula
This recipe is an adaptation of one from Matt Abdoo, chef de cuisine at Del Posto in New York

6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. fettuccine
Kosher salt
8 oz. pancetta (Italian bacon) or sliced bacon, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large white onion, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 10-oz. package frozen peas
3 cups baby arugula
2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
Extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredient Info:
Pancetta is available at Italian markets and in the refrigerated deli case of many supermarkets.

PREPARATION Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender and still quite firm to the bite. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until crispy, 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. drippings from skillet. Add garlic and cook until slightly golden, about 30 seconds. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 7-8 minutes. Add wine and chicken broth, increase heat to high, and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add peas and pancetta to mixture and cook until peas are just warmed through, about 1 minute.

Add fettuccine to sauce and cook, tossing often, until pasta is al dente and has absorbed much of the sauce, about 2 minutes. Add arugula and butter, tossing and stirring so the arugula just wilts and butter melts. Transfer to a large wide platter.

Garnish pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of oil.

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