Pasta Consumption

[fruitjuice]

Is pumpkin butter very pumpkin forward? Since I don't like pumpkin I've never tried it, but if it was a muted flavor I might not mind it. I love sage!

It tastes very delicate, slightly nutty or even a bit sweet. I love it.

 

[karadekoolaid]

The ravioli you've got - delish!
I don't think they need anything more than a simple tomato sauce with some fresh basil. The butter and sage sauce is divine with pumpkin-filled ravioli/tortellini, but I think it's just get lost here.

 

[blades]

My curiosity was aroused by a random pasta post just recently.
As I mentioned there, Venezuelans are huge pasta consumers. Not only are there hundreds of Italian restaurants here, but you'll also find local restaurants offering pasta dishes. The more creative, the better.
However, I just wondered whether, in other climes, folks stuck to the tried and tested, or branched out a bit.
So in the past few months, what pastas have you eaten or prepared? Lasagna, Mac n Cheese, Spaghetti Bolognese, Fettucine Alfredo; or have you gone for the Italian classics like Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, Arrabiata, Amtriciana, Aglio e Olio?

I'm happy to say I have done them all and many more. My wife had an Italian father so she demands pasta dishes often. I sometimes struggle to think of something new. My favorite lately is my andouille sausage mac and cheese. Tomorrow we are having ground pork and cheese filled ravioli with a simple garlic butter sauce or perhaps a pesto. I'll decide before I start cooking.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I'm happy to say I have done them all and many more.

Wonderful!
My wife's family, on her father's side, are from the island of Elba, so the Italian roots are deep. We've always eaten loads of pasta here.
Both my sons are getting into some serious stuff right now. The eldest went half way around London to find guanciale (cured pig's cheek) which is essential for a proper carbonara. The youngest is practising his cacio e pepe to get it just right.
Well he's an engineer, so he would!

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

Growing up in Hawaii, way back when, there weren't many Italian restaurants, we didn't eat much pasta at home and I had no clue how to make a proper plate of pasta.

The first time I ever cooked a "Spaghetti Dinner" for my now husband, I broke the pasta into small bites, put it to boil, started the 'sauce' of browned ground beef and a jar of Prego or Ragu, I forget which one, added more garlic and dried herbs to my liking and served it up on my grandmother's HUGE platter that she gifted me.

My then boyfriend was ready for dinner, we sat down to the table and his younger sister called from Philadelphia, he had to take the call ...
he tries to take a bit of food while taking to his sister, spat it out and exclaimed "This is NOT how you make pasta!"

What the heck did I know!

Today is a totally different story.

I make my own pasta; I also cook dried and fresh store bought pastas of all shapes - and yes - sometimes Sunday Gravy using Italian Sausages, Meatballs and Pork Ribs - the meats are all scooped out and the sauce, to be served separately and it's like heaven!

I've had to teach myself through reading and research as how to make a proper American-Italian meal - there is a difference between American adapted recipes and the way they cook IN Italy.

And how much/often do we have pasta?
I'd say at least once a week, sometimes more ... do Asian Noodles count?

 

[blades]

Wonderful!
My wife's family, on her father's side, are from the island of Elba, so the Italian roots are deep. We've always eaten loads of pasta here.
Both my sons are getting into some serious stuff right now. The eldest went half way around London to find guanciale (cured pig's cheek) which is essential for a proper carbonara. The youngest is practising his cacio e pepe to get it just right.
Well he's an engineer, so he would!

Like father like sons. You taught them well.

 

[Timenspace]

Growing up we never ever had rice or pasta dishes.

Really? What was it then, potatoes and bread? For us, bread is very common, in particular breakfasts, light dinners too, possibly even as a side to lunches, stews ...and potatoes are really a staple, and an ingredient very often found in traditional dishes...

 

[Timenspace]

What an interesting thread, thank you! Hm, let me think...

I would say, in the last 2 years or so, pasta was on the table once or twice every 2 weeks ...there are some periods, possibly winter or autumn, that I may cook pasta even more often than that...

Funny to remember when I discovered an Alfredo recipe, we had it for possibly 5 days in a rowwe loved it...I could still eat dairy back then...

Aglio e olio, si, bolognese-ish sauce with ground beef, very often, si, my daughter's favourite. A simple tomato sauce with onions and garlic, yes, quite often.

Home made lasagna from scratch, yes...with different flours to make it gluten free or low gluten...


Imiss the Parmesan cheese a lot, still searching for a vegan cheese with great taste,same purpose...

We love changing the shapes of pasta,penne,spaghetti, farfalle,tagliatelle, whatever stores offer us...

Thinking about it,Would love to expand my pasta knowledge and recipes base...

 

[Pilgrim]

Growing up in Hawaii, way back when, there weren't many Italian restaurants, we didn't eat much pasta at home and I had no clue how to make a proper plate of pasta.

The first time I ever cooked a "Spaghetti Dinner" for my now husband, I broke the pasta into small bites, put it to boil, started the 'sauce' of browned ground beef and a jar of Prego or Ragu, I forget which one, added more garlic and dried herbs to my liking and served it up on my grandmother's HUGE platter that she gifted me.

My then boyfriend was ready for dinner, we sat down to the table and his younger sister called from Philadelphia, he had to take the call ...
he tries to take a bit of food while taking to his sister, spat it out and exclaimed "This is NOT how you make pasta!"

What the heck did I know!

Today is a totally different story.

I make my own pasta; I also cook dried and fresh store bought pastas of all shapes - and yes - sometimes Sunday Gravy using Italian Sausages, Meatballs and Pork Ribs - the meats are all scooped out and the sauce, to be served separately and it's like heaven!

I've had to teach myself through reading and research as how to make a proper American-Italian meal - there is a difference between American adapted recipes and the way they cook IN Italy.

And how much/often do we have pasta?
I'd say at least once a week, sometimes more ... do Asian Noodles count?

I really love them. In any form, practically - with sauce, without, or just boiled.

 

[billmarsano]

My curiosity was aroused by a random pasta post just recently.
As I mentioned there, Venezuelans are huge pasta consumers. Not only are there hundreds of Italian restaurants here, but you'll also find local restaurants offering pasta dishes. The more creative, the better.
However, I just wondered whether, in other climes, folks stuck to the tried and tested, or branched out a bit.
So in the past few months, what pastas have you eaten or prepared? Lasagna, Mac n Cheese, Spaghetti Bolognese, Fettucine Alfredo; or have you gone for the Italian classics like Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, Arrabiata, Amtriciana, Aglio e Olio?

My curiosity was aroused by a random pasta post just recently.
As I mentioned there, Venezuelans are huge pasta consumers. Not only are there hundreds of Italian restaurants here, but you'll also find local restaurants offering pasta dishes. The more creative, the better.
However, I just wondered whether, in other climes, folks stuck to the tried and tested, or branched out a bit.
So in the past few months, what pastas have you eaten or prepared? Lasagna, Mac n Cheese, Spaghetti Bolognese, Fettucine Alfredo; or have you gone for the Italian classics like Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, Arrabiata, Amtriciana, Aglio e Olio?

Pasta with Butter and Sage sauce, and Tomato and Tuna sauce. I say pasta because I'll cook ziti, penne, spaghetti and spaghetti alla chitarra but have never liked long broad pasta, like tagliatelle. All' Amatriciana, hell yes. But not with bucatini anymore; for some reason I find it too clumsy for me to handle, or for clumsy me to handle.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Great!
I love linguini, tagliatelle and papardelle, but today I made a roasted tomato sauce and threw some bacon in it for good luck.
My wife could eat vermicelli with tomato sauce every day.
Bucatini - I agree, it's a bit unmanageable.

 

[karadekoolaid]

This was dinner last night. Had to be quick because I was hungry: Penne with Broccoli, anchovies, garlic, lemon and chiles
It's easy and very tasty. I used penne because that was all I had, but to be honest, farfalle (butterflies) works even better. I'm not posting it in the Cooking Challenge because with this mixture, you get all the flavours melding together.