As a youngster, this Italian Diva recalls at our house every Sunday and Wednesday “Pasta night”. It didn’t matter which holiday it was, Christmas, New Years or any other, if it happened to fall on one of those days, we were having pasta! …nothing replaced it. That was tradition!. My Sicilian dad required it and my mom, although she tried to Americanize the menu a bit with a Thanksgiving turkey, etc., my dad wanted pasta. Of course, after we filled our bellies with mom’s amazing ravioli, and braciole (a holiday tradition) nobody even wanted to eat anything that was not Italian.
Pasta comes in more than 300 shapes and sizes and is adored throughout the globe. As a child, my frustrated mom tried to deal with my extremely particular eating habits. The only pasta I would eat would be ziti, shells, or rigatoni.
I am not ashamed to say but this Italian Diva is still a bit of a pasta snob; I never buy the dried (no egg) pasta from the supermarket because nothing can compare to making a fresh batch of rich tasting egg pasta.
When I see the assorted brands displayed in the grocers' refrigerated case stating on the label, "contains fresh eggs" , I look upon those and wonder how is that so? Thanks to our governing authority on foods, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) it allows thousands of companies to produce products with harmful and toxic chemicals, fillers, and preservatives; which not only cause premature aging and diseases, but are banned in Italy.
Logically, how can a pasta product contain fresh eggs when it has to first be manufactured, shipped overseas, trucked to the stores and then at some point, wind up on your dinner table. ???????
But from where did pasta originate? Contrary to popular belief Marco Polo did not introduce pasta to the Italians. Historians say pasta culture was already flourishing in the Mediterranean region centuries before. The noodles from China that Marco Polo brought back with him were essentially made with rice and has nothing to do with true Italian cooking.
The Renaissance greatly influenced cuisine in Italy, and it was during this time that the tomato was introduced to Italy by the Spanish, who were ruling Naples. It did not take long for tomatoes to become a staple in Italian cuisine.
I invite you to try your hand at making fresh pasta...you may never buy it again from the supermarket. Or better yet, come and enjoy the experience of pasta making at one of my cooking workshops conducted in my brand new chef's kitchen. Or perhaps you want to host a cooking party in your home. Either way, I guarantee loads of laughter along with some very delicious food
"Una vita senza bon cibo, non e vita" (A life without good food, is not life) Mangia!
For pasta workshops and other recipes go to my workshops or see cooking classes www.theitaliandiva.com
