We’d all like to have a plate of pasta every day, and there is simply no limit to the culinary possibilities – from simple spaghetti with tomato sauce to traditional carbonara or puttanesca to name a few. Choosing between long or short pasta is just a starting point for the endless possibilities of its deliciousness.
If we're here, it's because we dearly love this dish of good carbs, that satisfies without adding fat to your diet. Just remember that moderation is key, as with anything else. But sometimes, just like the most romantic of love stories, we have to revive that good feeling the relationship once gave us. That’s why our culinary school's educational coordinator, chef Giovanni Rota, has suggested serving pasta in 4 unconventional ways to spice things up a little.
Buon appetito!
Creamy
Bring 2 cups water to a boil and add 1 cup leftover tomato and basil pasta (cold from the refrigerator). Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil to cook 12 oz pasta. Let the pot with leftovers sit for 4-5 minutes, then pulse it with a blender until it becomes a smooth cream. Serve immediately (if it cools, it will solidify) with the cooked pasta (plain or in tomato sauce), and finish with a drizzle of oil. Serves 4.
Creamy
No oil, no butter
Beat 6 egg yolks with 1⁄3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 1/2 Tbsp. milk and 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar. Cook 12 oz. thin spaghetti in salted boiling water, drain, then mix well with the egg yolk mixture and 4-6 Tbsp. cooking water. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. Serves 4.
No oil, no butter
Super-fast
Melt 2⁄3 stick butter in a pan with a handful of sage leaves and a dash of lemon juice. Cook 12 oz shell pasta in salted boiling water. (Check the package for timing). Drain, then mix with the flavored butter and finish with a little grated lemon zest. Serves 4.
Super-fast
Dried
Cook a handful of bucatini pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes more than indicated on the package. Drain, then drizzle with oil. Lay out on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, separated so they don’t stick together, and bake at 375°F for around 20 minutes.
Serve the pasta sticks in lieu of breadsticks or as skewers for small cubes of raw tuna, for example.
Dried
Text: Valentina Vercelli / Recipes: Giovanni Rota / Photos: Riccardo Lettieri / Styling: Bettina Casanova
Article originally published on La Cucina Italiana print magazine #2