fresh is not necessarily best when it comes to pasta : some sauces are better suited to dried pasta shapes and a qualit brand will be superior to the products of cheap fresh-pasta makers. Dried durum wheat pasta is a simple mix of flour and water extruded by machine and cut into tiny,short , or long shapes. It tastes nutty compared to dried egg pasta which is also made with durum wheat and by law must contain 5.5 per cent egg solids. The egg gives the pasta a richer colour and flavour ,but should not by definition be considered superior to plain durum wheat pasta.