Italian Pasta Recipes: Not Just Spaghetti
By Shelley Lindt
You may think of Italian pasta recipes as somewhat heavy, with dishes like lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs. You may envision a late dinner with candlelight, a robust wine, and lots of thick, meaty sauce. But Italian food, as with the cuisine of every culture, runs the gamut from heavy to light and springy. The gradual change from winter to summer means that people are transcend from the heavier to lighter dishes. On some cool, dark evenings, you may still enjoy the heartiness of the heavier recipes, but this is a time when the lighter, brighter dishes start to appear as well.
Even the name of pasta primavera loosely refers to spring. But some claim it isn't really Italian, since it was introduced to American society by Le Cirque restaurant in New York. Yet according to Foodreference.com, the chef there received it from the painter and writer of Italian cookbooks, Edward Giobbi. So it may be one of the genuine Italian pasta recipes after all. This spaghetti dish uses the first tomatoes of spring, with fresh basil, parsley and garlic, and extra virgin olive oil, making it a lovely lighter dish for the emerging springtime.
Another of the Italian pasta recipes that will work well in spring is pasta pomodoro. The flavor of this dish resides primarily in the pomodoro sauce itself, which begins with the typically Italian combination of tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. You can use some creativity to personalize the dish, adding ingredients such as mushrooms, peppers or sauteed onions. Or you can add some chopped chicken, as the flavors complement each other very well.
Italian pasta salads also become prominent as spring progresses, and they too can be light or a little heavier. Many recipes call for little more than perhaps some olives, fresh tomatoes and chunks of feta cheese with basil, while others are more elaborate. For example, an Italian sausage pasta salad at Epicurious.com calls for chunks of the sausage to be sauteed, adding broccoli and zucchini, with tomatoes, olives, wine and Parmesan cheese added toward the end. But pasta salads also lend themselves well to vegetarian recipes as the sausage dish could easily be adapted to be meatless.
That's something that makes Italian pasta recipes so versatile and almost universal. They can please the most voracious meat-eater, and yet vegetarians who continue to eat cheese can make just a few alterations and enjoy their own versions of the same recipes. Many of the recipes, especially the spring salads, are quick and easy to prepare. Yet someone who wants to take the time to make a rich meat sauce can turn their pasta meal into a hearty main course. Italian cuisine and pasta in particular, can serve almost any occasion and please almost any palate.
Even the name of pasta primavera loosely refers to spring. But some claim it isn't really Italian, since it was introduced to American society by Le Cirque restaurant in New York. Yet according to Foodreference.com, the chef there received it from the painter and writer of Italian cookbooks, Edward Giobbi. So it may be one of the genuine Italian pasta recipes after all. This spaghetti dish uses the first tomatoes of spring, with fresh basil, parsley and garlic, and extra virgin olive oil, making it a lovely lighter dish for the emerging springtime.
Another of the Italian pasta recipes that will work well in spring is pasta pomodoro. The flavor of this dish resides primarily in the pomodoro sauce itself, which begins with the typically Italian combination of tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. You can use some creativity to personalize the dish, adding ingredients such as mushrooms, peppers or sauteed onions. Or you can add some chopped chicken, as the flavors complement each other very well.
Italian pasta salads also become prominent as spring progresses, and they too can be light or a little heavier. Many recipes call for little more than perhaps some olives, fresh tomatoes and chunks of feta cheese with basil, while others are more elaborate. For example, an Italian sausage pasta salad at Epicurious.com calls for chunks of the sausage to be sauteed, adding broccoli and zucchini, with tomatoes, olives, wine and Parmesan cheese added toward the end. But pasta salads also lend themselves well to vegetarian recipes as the sausage dish could easily be adapted to be meatless.
That's something that makes Italian pasta recipes so versatile and almost universal. They can please the most voracious meat-eater, and yet vegetarians who continue to eat cheese can make just a few alterations and enjoy their own versions of the same recipes. Many of the recipes, especially the spring salads, are quick and easy to prepare. Yet someone who wants to take the time to make a rich meat sauce can turn their pasta meal into a hearty main course. Italian cuisine and pasta in particular, can serve almost any occasion and please almost any palate.
About the Author:
For the ultimate in pasta dishes, you can't beat the taste and texture of fresh homemade pasta. If you're ready to take your love of pasta to the next level, click here to learn about the advantages of a pasta rolling machine, and the difference between a hand crank pasta roller and an electric model.
Labels: italian cooking, pasta
posted by Brian Ankner at 5:09 PM
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