Why does industrially produced tagliatelle come in nests?
I can buy industrially produced tagliatelle only in nests¹. Why is it delivered in this form?
Some considerations I made myself or found in a dissatisfying Reddit on the subject are:
It might be somehow possible to exploit or preserve this form during preparation, yet I failed to do this.
A package of nest tagliatelle has more than six times the volume than a package of the same amount of spaghetti, so I doubt that it’s logistically advantageous.
Self-made pasta may be easier to produce this way, as it is easier to dry them, but I doubt that this translates to industrial scales. Also, if it did, why not deliver spaghetti in nests?
The price is the same as for other pasta of comparable quality, thus I doubt it’s a marketing gag.
It may help measuring the pasta, but then people are not that stupid.
¹ Currently this is the only pasta available at all, because it’s not very famous with hoarders, but that’s another story.
Best Answer
When making egg pasta at home if it's not used right away it's common to flour slightly and wrap into nests to dry. This is a simple and effective way to do dry your pasta without it hanging over every cupboard door, door knob, your dog, etc. I suspect that manufacturers package this way for marketing reasons to make it feel more authentic.
When I make pasta I generally dry it in batches by hanging for just long enough to not stick then I create nests on parchment paper until more dry. These are also easy to store and pop into a pot of not as much water as previously taught by everyone.
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Quick Answer about "Why does industrially produced tagliatelle come in nests?"
To prevent it from adhering together in undercooked bundles when boiling. For long pasta noodles, the wider the noodle, the more issues one has with them sticking together on the "flat" sides.What is a tagliatelle nest?
Bundled in portion-sized nests, our artisan pasta from Northern Italy is made with only the finest durum wheat and generations of pasta-making experience. Tagliatelle are long flat ribbons great for rich and hearty meat sauces and rag\xf9s.How do tagliatelle nests form?
Sformatini di tagliatelle. Although not an old traditional dish, these tagliatelle pasta muffin nests are becoming really popular here in Italy. They make great snacks or party food and can be made with different pasta sauces.What pasta comes in nests?
To make nests, wait until your noodles have sat out for about 1 - 3 minutes depending on its thickness. This is to make sure they're not too moist before you begin. Then generously coat your noodles with flour, grab a few strands of pasta, and wrap it around your hand.How The World’s Biggest Pasta Factory Produces 1,400 Tons Of Pasta Per Day
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Answer 2
To prevent it from adhering together in undercooked bundles when boiling.
For long pasta noodles, the wider the noodle, the more issues one has with them sticking together on the "flat" sides. Pasta that sticks together doesn't cook all the way through (because it's thicker), and at a certain stage of cooking becomes impractical to separate. Even linguine is annoying this way, and if you ever tried to cook fettucine that's sold as straight noodles, you'll find that you need to stand over the pot with a pasta fork to separate the strands.
When wide, flat noodles are sold as a nest or an uneven bundle (wide rice noodles are sold this way) they go into the pot already separated, and adherence between strands is minimal.
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