Potatoes are another staple food rich in starch, so they are included in this food group even though potatoes are technically root vegetables. They are a very versatile ingredient and are used in many ways in the diet ( recipes, see p. 238).
13.7
Discovery Learning
Name as many different potato dishes as you can.
Pasta
Pasta is made from the endosperm (semolina) of durum wheat, which is mixed with water or egg to form a paste. The paste is pressed into different shapes and dried. Fresh pasta is partially dried and must be used within days. Dried pasta is fully dried and keeps for up to a year.
Brown pasta is made with wholegrain semolina.
Sometimes other ingredients are used to flavour and colour the pasta. Spinach is added to make green pasta (pasta verde), tomatoes are added to make it red, while squid ink makes pasta black. Fresh herbs like basil are also used.
Further Investigation To learn more about the potato, visit www.potato.ie.
Further Investigation To find out how pasta is made commercially, watch ‘How It’s Made: Pasta’ (3:44) on YouTube.
13.8
Discovery Learning
Find out the names of as many different pasta shapes as you can.
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Chapter 13: Wholemeal Cereals and Breads, Potatoes, Pasta and Rice Group
