Pasta day? Thatsa every day, here!
Sometime in the 90’s, a consortium of pasta makers got together to create World pasta day. And, why not? Pasta is the most consumed food product in the world (according to multiple sources). Rice, despite being popular in every country comes up short to pasta. But, pasta has a couple advantages over rice. First, rice is generally a side dish, although, it can be part of a main entree. Pasta is higher in protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and calories. This makes it better suited to be a meal in and of itself. And, pasta comes in more varieties than rice. So, you don’t have to wait for a special day. As stereotypical Italians would say: Pasta day? Thatsa every day, here!
Italians have a reputation as being the inventors and stewards of pasta. But, that is not entirely true. People credit Marco Polo with “discovering” pasta on his trip to the Orient. While the details aren’t fully vetted on that claim, the general premise tells you, Italians didn’t invent pasta. In fact, there is evidence dating back to the 4th century BC that Etruscan people were making pasta. Couscous, in the Middle East dates back centuries before Marco Polo. In ancient Greece, around the first century AD there were pasta like dishes made from flour and lettuce juice. So, the whole Marco Polo thing doesn’t really hold up.
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Pasta day? Thatsa every day, here! No matter where you are.
Regardless of where it came from, the Italians really owned pasta. There are plenty of noodle dishes in other cuisines. But, Italian pasta has a worldwide following. Whether you are in Milan, Paris, London, New York, or Tokyo, you will find Italian versions of pasta. Everyone has their own interpretation of what pasta is. But, it’s all based on the Italian version. And, what a success story. Think of it. Flour and water. 2 simple ingredients. And, they get boiled! Yet, everyone loves it. Even the name, pasta derives from the Latin word for paste. How the heck did something called boiled paste become the world’s most popular dish?
Well, for one thing, it tastes really good. And, it has been brilliantly marketed. That Marco Polo story helped promote pasta throughout Europe and America. And, the variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors gives a diversity that turns a couple ingredients into a month of meals with no repeats. The fact that the cut of the dough can change the entire meal is mind boggling. A pappardelle is markedly different than a linguini, ziti, or farfalle. And, we haven’t even gotten to different flavors like mushroom, spinach, or squid ink. There are hundreds of different pasta cuts. And, sometimes the same cut has different names in different regions. Like, cavatelli is cictielli in Puglia. No matter what you call it, flour and water are here to stay. And, the variations keep coming: a different one for every day. Pasta day? Thatsa every day, here!
How do we celebrate national pasta day? With Pasta of course.
We have talked mostly about Italian pasta here. But, what about the rest of the world? Thai rice noodles are the basis of the extremely popular pad Thai. Noodles are ubiquitous in Chinese cuisine. And, let’s not forget Ramen. Even Jewish Cuisine uses Egg Noodles for dishes like Kugle. Israel and other middle Eastern countries have their different versions of couscous. Tallarines verdes (green noodles) is popular in south America. We have Udon, Soba, glass noodles, Rice vermicelli, and a host of others. But, we, generally, gravitate toward the Italian versions. These tend to be hardier and more versatile.
Regardless of the different cuts of pasta, the difference comes in what you do with it. Whether you do a simple aglio e Olio, marinara, Al Fredo, or a truffled cream, you can make pasta anything from pedestrian to gourmet. The simplicity of pasta is wonderful. It’s like a blank canvas waiting to become a masterpiece or refrigerator art. Plus, it’s hard to screw it up. Of course, there is an art to cooking pasta. And, “hard to screw up” is a relative term.
Cooking Pasta
Pasta cooking seems simple. Boil, sauce, serve. But, it does take a little attention to detail. And, the type of pasta makes a difference. The best pasta (to me) is “al dente (to the teeth, or with a bit of a bite). Some people call this under-cooked. But, I (along with most chefs) consider mushy pasta overcooked. But, we aren’t here to argue over what is the proper consistency of pasta. The way you want it is the way you want it. And, if it overcooks, you can always say that’s the way I like it.
Regardless of how well you cook the pasta, the important thing is to stir it during the boil. You want to start by bringing the water to a rolling boil. I always salt the water when cooking pasta. This brightens the flavor of the product. When the water is ready, put the pasta in, and stir. If you don’t stir, it will drop to the bottom of the pot and clump together.
The amount of time per boil depends on the type of pasta. If you are using fresh or frozen pasta, it is in and out of the water in a couple minutes. Dry pasta, generally, takes about 7 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove a piece of pasta from the water and test it to see if it is at the right consistency for your taste. Then, remove the pasta from the water.
Cooling Pasta
If you are making a dish that requires multiple steps or making a large batch ahead of time, you will want to cool the pasta down. There are 2 basic methods for this.
- Ice water. Strain the pasta, and immediately immerse it in ice water. This cools the pasta rapidly. And, it halts the cooking process. The downside is, that pasta is a glutenous product. by immersing in cold water, the gluten strands contract. This makes the pasta chewy, and, possibly tough.
- Cool naturally at room temperature. For this, you will want to spread the pasta out on a shallow pan to as thin a layer as possible. If it is a sticky pasta, you may want to coat it with oil to prevent sticking. The advantage to this method is a more natural bite than the cold water “shocked” method described above.
As for oiling the pasta, some people recommend putting oil in the water when cooking. This is not necessary. And, it seems like a waste of oil, since it will drain off when you strain the pasta. If you are going to oil your pasta, do it after the boil. But, we aren’t here to argue. So, do what you like. Only, think about: Why are you doing that?
Let’s get saucy
So, Now you have your pasta cooked. What are you going to do with it? Please, not spaghetti with cut up hot dogs. The beauty of pasta is the versatility. Even a simple marinara is enough to call it a meal. But, don’t stop there. Add in vegetables, meats, cheeses, and more.
Generally speaking there are 5 major sauces that typically go with pasta:
- Red Sauce
- Aglio e Olio (Literally olive oil and garlic)
- Cream Sauces (like Al Fredo)
- Meat Sauce (Like Bolognese)
- Pesto
And, of course there are hybrids like pink vodka sauce which is a tomato sauce finished with cream. The vodka part of that doesn’t make a lot of sense though. Vodka has a relatively neutral flavor, so it doesn’t add much to the sauce. But, I digress.
For a truly Italian experience, the simpler the better. I like to just heat olive oil in a pan, saute onions and garlic, deglaze with wine, add in some tomato, basil, olives, and capers for a makeshift a la minute vegetarian puttanesca sauce. This requires minimal prep and only minutes to prepare. By the time the pasta has boiled, the sauce is done, and it tastes garden fresh.
Allergy Concerns
Of course, there are dietary and allergy concerns to take into account. Pasta is not gluten friendly. But, there are multiple gluten free versions available on the market nowadays. Or you can make your own. Flour comes from many different plants. You can use rice, gram, sorgum, Almond, buckwheat (yes, it is GF despite the name), oat, amaranth, or corn flour to name a few. Often, there are commercial flours available that are a mixture of different types. Be careful when buying gluten free pastas, though. Read reviews. many of the commercially available ones taste and feel like cardboard (IMHO). Remember, gluten is what gives Italian pasta its distinct texture. So, replacing it will result in something different.
Some Asian noodles are naturally gluten free, such as soba noodles and rice noodles. These don’t translate very well to Italian style cooking. But, they are good in their own way.
Another concern is that some pastas are made with egg. That won’t fly for vegan cuisine. I, personally, prefer the texture and taste of an egg based pasta (especially home made). There are egg substitute products like “Just Egg” that you can use to make your own homemade vegan “egg” pasta. Experiment. You could also omit the egg and add some water and/or more wine. Or, you can use dry pasta. Just, read the ingredients.
Pasta day? Thatsa every day, here! Make your own
So, the best pasta is homemade. There is nothing quite like hand rolled pasta straight off the press. Technically, you can roll it out by hand and cut it by knife. If you don’t have a pasta machine, you can take this approach. But, it’s worth getting a machine. It doesn’t have to be an automatic machine. In fact, I prefer the old school hand crank version. You can get an old school version for about $20 or $30. Or spend hundreds on an electric one. The general concept is mix flour, water, Olive oil, and eggs. Roll it out, and cut it. Below we have a recipe for homemade pasta. Try it out. There’s nothing like fresh homemade pasta. You’ll be spoiled and not want to go back to dry pasta after trying this.
Buon Appetito!
Homemade Sea Salt and Red Wine Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour Typo 00 preferred, but you can use AP or other)
- 2 each Large eggs
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 Cups Red Wine (Chianti, Sangiovese, or whatever you have. Not too sweet)
Instructions
- Put the wine in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. It will be thicker and deeper in color. Set aside to cool.
- Mix the flour and salt together. Whisk the eggs in a bowl.
- Mound the flour on a clean, non porous surface (Cutting board, marble, stainless steel, granite, butcher block, etc.). Create a "bowl" in the middle to mix in the ingredients.
- Pour the eggs into the indentation in the flour. Add in the wine and oil. Fold the flour into the wet ingredients. Be careful that they don't spill out. Continue folding in until a dough begins to form. Flour the surface, as needed, to continue kneading.
- As the dough forms, continue kneading it with the palm of your hand. Fold it, and knead some more. Do this for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then form the dough into a ball and cover it. Let the ball rest for about 5 minutes.
- Split the ball into 4 pieces. Roll them into balls. Flatten the balls by hand or with a rolling pin. Then put through a pasta machine. Start on the widest setting. Roll it into a long thin strip. Fold the dough in 1/2 and roll through again to get even strips. Then, roll again at the next lowest setting. Repeat this process until it is the desired thickness. If the pieces are too long, cut them to a manageable size.
- Once the sheets are at the desired thickness, use the cutter attachment of the pasta machine to cut into strips.
- Boil water with salt. Cook the pasta for about 2 minutes. Toss with your favorite sauces and toppings. Mangia!