I Love Pasta

[Olympia Brackin]

There is a pasta shape and recipe for each day of the year and more! In Italy there are over 600 different pasta shapes on the market and new inventions every day, so there is always something new to discover and taste. Italians feel strongly about certain pasta shapes being paired with certain sauces (something I think is only really understood in Italy). In my new book, I have generally followed these rules: long pasta such as spaghetti or linguine tends to go with quick-cook, light sauces such as a simple tomato or fish sauce, and short shapes such as penne or farfalle marry well with heavier, more robust-tasting sauces.

Wholemeal pasta, in particular, is a source of several difference micronutrients like iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and several B-vitamins, which we need to keep our nervous systems and metabolic systems healthy. Some experts claim pasta is not only healthy and nutritious but also boosts serotonin levels, a substance associated with feelings of peace and contentment. When I was young, my mother, of course, knew nothing of this, but when I was in a foul mood she used to make my plate of pasta a bit larger than normal and tell me to eat it all up and I would feel better. And, as if by magic, I did.

I was brought up cooking with fresh seasonal, locally grown ingredients, and I have always stuck to this philosophy as a chef and when cooking at home. It made perfect sense, then, to split The Pasta Book into seasons.

As a child, I looked forward to each new season in anticipation of the delights it would bring. Autumn is probably my favourite time of year, with its wild mushrooms, walnuts, chestnuts and more. Spring has serious merits, though; there something so special about its fresh peas, broad beans, asparagus, herbs and young salad leaves. And summer brings our beloved tomato, ready to be preserved so we can enjoy them in pasta dishes throughout the coming year, as well as abundance of peppers and aubergines. Even winter has its charm, with comforting pasta bakes and rich game sauces. Combining seasonal produce with pasta is a sure and simple way to ensure you are eating a healthy balanced diet which is also kind on your purse.

I love the versatility of pasta; it can be egg-based or made with water, and sauces vary greatly region to region. In Southern Italy, for example, flavours are stronger, with lots of garlic and chilli; by the sea, sauces are fish-based; and in Northern Italy sauces tend to be more delicate and creamy. The north is also famous for filled pastas, like ravioli and tortellini, and bakes such as lasagne and cannelloni.

I have included a wide variety of pasta dishes in The Pasta Book; recipes reminiscent of my childhood, like involtini of beef in tomato sauce (a Sunday lunch favourite), or octopus linguine, and sausage & broccoli spaghetti. Each chapter includes a filled pasta, such as cappellacci or ravioli, to suit each season, as well as a baked pasta dish, ideal for making in advance and perfect for catering for larger numbers. There is also a section on handy tips for making and cooking pasta, as well as a chapter on basics to help you get started, from simple tomato sauces to making your own fresh pasta dough.

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Then, in a medium-size pot, heat the oil for about one minute over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saut for 3 to 4 minutes or until it shows signs of mild crispiness. Toss in the garlic and stir with the pancetta for another 3 minutes or so, or until it starts to soften and show little bits of brown. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and let infuse the oil for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt and combine with the ingredients already in the pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring repeatedly.

Pour in the beans, liquid and all and continue stirring. After about a minute, add one bean-can full of chicken stock. Stir again, and after another minute, add the optional oregano. Lower the heat and let cook for about 15 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the consistency. If the broth/sauce gets too viscous, add more stock, an ounce at a time. Also, check periodically for salt level and add more, to taste.

While the sauce is cooking, fill two-thirds of a medium-size pot with water and bring to a boil. Generously salt the water as it starts to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (see directions on the box) and strain. Return the noodles to the empty pasta pot and turn off the heat under the sauce pot. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of the cooked pasta into the bottom of a bowl, ladle in the sauce/broth and stir together. Grate as much cheese as you desire on top and combine with the rest of the soup.

We encourage the consumption of pasta by being the center of knowledge and promoting sound public policy to the consumer, the industry and regulatory bodies, because a sustainable pasta industry is vital to healthy diets.

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An interesting BBC article reports news that cheers us up a lot! According to global research by Oxfam, pasta is officially the queen. Pasta has surpassed even pizza, rice, and meat. Italians' favorite food is being popular in European countries and in the Philippines, Guatemala, Brazil, and South Africa. After Italy, Venezuela is the largest consumer of pasta. Italians really love pasta like no country in Europe. We eat about 52 pounds of pasta in a year!

There are so many reasons. First, it is cheap; second, it is effortless to prepare; third, it is incredibly versatile and can be used with infinite ingredients. What could be easier than cooking yourself a nice bowl of pasta when you're short on time and don't feel like cooking? Our selection of pastas and sauces is an example of the many possible combinations.

Before we get into the recipe deets, let me tell you guys about this amazing contest. One lucky winner is going to win an entire year's supply of Love Beets and Organic Girl (insert heart eyes and hand raising emoji here)! I'll put the full details on how to enter at the bottom of this post, so make sure you check it out!

So back to the eats. Beets and greens scream summer to me (hence the campaign I'm guessing), and of course they both go great in a salad. But I decided I wanted to kick it up a level. What else screams summer? Grilling, corn, and pasta salads. So why not bring them all together? Trust me you want to bring them all together...

This pasta salad is literally like summer in side dish form. It's perfect for a picnic, bbq, or even as a meal through out the week. Let me know what you think in the comments, and make sure to check on the contest rules below.

Cooking is a powerful social tool. It can cultivate friendships, break the ice with strangers, or ingratiate you with coworkers. More than anything, though, it helps with navigating the dating scene. I didn't realize it until I was in my mid-20s, but people are usually willing to blow past a ton of relationship red flags if you show them you can cook. Nobody ever really seemed to be tripped up by the statement "I'm addicted to gambling and come from a long line of alcoholics" so long as I kept churning out homemade pasta.

Pasta, my birthright, has never steered me wrong. I hold a strong emotional connection to it. Whether on a first date or a random Tuesday two years into a relationship, few things are as romantic to me as hanging out in a kitchen with somebody else and rolling out dough. Pasta is jam-packed with feelings, infused with meaning. When you make pasta for someone else, you're communicating something very specific. Each dish conveys its own message about love, and the state of the relationship between you and the recipient. Here's what each one means, so you can make sure you say the right thing.

Carbonara is what I cook when I'm pulling out all the stops, when I'm trying to make the first impression. Carbonara, if done right, is the most seductive of the pastas. It's dense with flavor, deep with fat, and beautifully simple. It wouldn't work in a giant pot or served family style a la Buca di Beppo. It's personal, intimate, meant to be crafted with precision and care. It's also hard to pull off. You need to bring your A game for this one. When you make carbonara, you're saying, Damn, I really want to get my shit together for you.

Meat sauce is what you make when you're super comfortable, maybe even complacent with someone. I remember about a year into one particular serious relationship when I was making meat sauce regularly. We were both way past the maybe-I-should-watch-what-I-eat-around-this-person stage. The honeymoon phase was over. Sex wasn't paramount to the relationship. There wasn't much happening in the bedroom after a belly full of homemade orecchiette and ground veal, pork, and beef. Eventually, we both became out of tune with what the other person needed. I blame meat sauce. If you make bolognese right, your sex drive will plummet.

There was a period from 2016-2018 where I went from one fling to the next, and at the center of it all was gnocchi. I was trying to get good at it, so I was making batches constantly, and testing it on everyone who came through the door. Gnocchi is quick, easy, and doesn't require a lot of kneading. Throw it the freezer and pull it out when you need it. I've got a lot of fun memories associated with gnocchi. Remembering how I used to cook these little potato pillows at 3 a.m. after a night of drinking in a quiet kitchen with somebody I just met... it makes me smile. But I'm also glad that the crazy-one-night-stand part of my life seems to be over. One night in Texas, a woman and I got drunk and broke into a house that wasn't ours. She just handed me a brick and said, "Do it." I was elated. I said, "Are you sure?" And before she got the "s" out in "yes" the brick was already through the window. The next morning, I woke up in a house that wasn't mine with a woman I barely knew, and it freaked me out. I moved to Los Angeles three days later. Now, is that gnocchi's fault? Probably not, but I can't uncouple it from this memory. Make gnocchi for someone you don't expect to see again.

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