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'I'm a professional chef - there's 1 mistake everyone makes buying pasta'

Reach Daily Express | March 9, 2026 12:40 PM CST

When it comes to buying pasta, a lot of people reach for what's closest or cheapest. However, if you want your dinner to have an extra edge, it pays to know what you're grabbing from the supermarket.

According to executive chef George Dyer, who oversees the catering at Lapland Famille, there is one mistake millions of people make when it comes to choosing the right supermarket pasta. A lot of people are convinced that buying fresh pasta is better than dried - but it's a myth. He said: "Dried pasta is often the better choice - especially with a ragù, a tomato sauce, nduja, anything with real body to it. It can take the heat, it holds the sauce, it doesn't fall apart on you."

If you are desperate for fresh pasta, make sure you're planning the right menu to complement it. George recommends something lighter.

He explained: "Fresh is wonderful, but it's delicate. It suits lighter, silkier dishes - brown butter and sage, a simple cream sauce. It's more of a treat. You wouldn't throw it into a Sunday ragù."

If you're looking for the best brand of supermarket pasta for your dinner party, there is one that George always reaches for.

He said: "If I'm grabbing pasta off a shelf in the UK, it's De Cecco - full stop. It holds its bite, it doesn't turn to mush, and it behaves properly when you're finishing it in the sauce."

It's a slightly pricier option at £2 for a 400g pack of spaghetti.

George said the reason he chose De Cecco comes down to how the company makes pasta. He explained: "They've stuck with slow drying and proper durum wheat for a long time, and you can taste the difference. There's a slightly wheaty, nutty flavour that a lot of cheaper dried pastas just don't have."

Having said that, George admits he rarely buys pasta at all, preferring to make it himself.

He said: "When I want it to taste like something special, I just make it myself. It's not as intimidating as people think, and the difference is immediately obvious the moment you taste it."

300g of 00 flour OR 250 of OO flour with 50g of extra fine semolina
Two whole eggs
Three egg yolks (these give the pasta a deeper colour and richness for that restaurant taste)
A pinch of salt

Method:

On a clean bench or board, pour the flour out and create a small well in the centre

Add your eggs and the salt into the well

Bring the whole thing together by folding the eggs into the flour until it has a dough-like consistency

Rest the dough ball for 30 minutes then roll it out and cut it to shape.