Italian Inspiration for World Pasta Day

"Una donna che sa fare la pasta a regola d'arte ha un prestigio che resiste anche oggi a qualsiasi altro richiamo dei tempi."
"A woman who knows how to make pasta to perfection has a prestige that resists even today any other lure of the times."            Sophia Loren

Pasta has always been my favorite food. Throughout my career, I've faced a lot of criticism for promoting what Americans considered to be a "guilty" pleasure. Fortunately, earlier scientific research released this year confirmed what most Italians have claimed for millennia, that pasta can be part of a healthful diet. To celebrate, I'm sharing some of my favorite pasta recipes which prove that pleasure and good health can joyfully coexist.

Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Basil/
(“PASTA” DI ZUCCA CON GAMBERI, POMODORI, E BASILICO)

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 cup
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

*Recipes from The Italian Diabetes Cookbook.

While spaghetti squash is hardly a grain, its tender strands do resemble golden noodles. Doling it out like pasta allows its naturally sweet taste to shine through. An added bonus: it’s gluten-free!

1 (approximately 3 1/2-pound) spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound shrimp, any size, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Line a 15 × 10 × 1/2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Brush the cut surface of squash with 1 tablespoon oil; place squash flesh side down on the foil-lined pan. Roast on bottom rack 40 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the squash shell. Remove from oven and cool (do not turn off oven). When cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape strands of spaghetti squash into a large bowl.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, uncovered, without turning, until the tails begin to turn coral, approximately 1–2 minutes. Turn shrimp and cook just until opaque, about 1 minute. Squeeze lemon juice over shrimp and set aside.
4. Place tomatoes, garlic, and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 13 × 9-inch baking dish. Roast on top rack for 30 minutes, or until tender.
5. Toss shrimp with roasted tomatoes and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in basil. Spoon over spaghetti squash. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

•Italian Living Tradition•
Use this simple method of sautéing shrimp whenever you need a quick dinner. They can be served over beans, polenta, pasta, salad, or soup for a meal in minutes.

Wine
Müller-Thurgau




WHOLE-WHEAT ZITI WITH GOAT RAGU/(ZITI INTEGRALE CON RAGÙ DI CAPRA)

Serves: 10 | Serving Size: Approximately 1/2 cup
Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus marinating time) | Cooking Time: About 1 hour 45 minutes
*Recipe from The Italian Diabetes Cookbook. Goat is the leanest meat eaten in the Mediterranean region. In southern Italy, it was traditionally served for weddings and holidays. While goat is the most commonly eaten meat in the world, it is relatively new to Americans.




Marinade (to be made one day in advance)
1/2 pound boneless goat leg or shoulder meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic
5 fresh bay leaves OR 1 dried bay leaf
2 1/2 cups red wine, divided

Ragu and Pasta
2 tablespoons flour or rice flour
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons diced onion
3 tablespoons diced carrot
3 tablespoons diced celery
1 tablespoon porcini mushrooms, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, drained, and chopped
1/3 cup Fresh Tomato Sauce (page 228)
4 cups Homemade Meat Stock (page 290)
1/8 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
16 ounces whole-wheat ziti, penne rigate, or gluten-free pasta
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1. To make goat marinade (which should done one day in advance), place goat meat in a bowl with the rosemary, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Add wine to reach just below the covering point. Stir, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, drain and reserve the marinade. Place the meat on a plate and sprinkle with flour. Turn to coat well and set aside.
3. To make the sauce, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and stir. Sauté until vegetables are tender and slightly golden. Add the floured goat cubes, pressing down lightly so that they brown evenly on all sides. Once the goat begins to attach to the bottom of the pan, add the reserved marinade and cook until it evaporates.
4. Add the porcini mushrooms and tomato sauce, and stir well. Cover the goat with beef stock and stir. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring about every 15 minutes. Add more stock, if necessary, as the sauce cooks down. (You should always have about 1/2 inch stock covering the goat.) The sauce is ready when it is highly aromatic and thickened, yet still quite fluid. Add the salt.
5. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10–12 minutes.
6. Drain pasta and add to the goat sauce. Combine gently. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and serve with grated parmigiano-reggiano.

•Italian Living Tradition•
Making ragù (or sugo or meat sauce) is an important Italian ritual. Too labor-intensive and rich to enjoy daily, ragù is one of the recipes enjoyed during the Sunday family meal. Even though the Italian lifestyle is becoming increasingly fast-paced, it is reassuring to note recent studies that have indicated 70% of Italian families still congregate for a family meal on the day of rest. This age-old tradition is viewed not only as a way of socializing, but as a means of promoting cultural identity as well.

Wine
Vino Nobile

Get my recipe for Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino from Christina's Cucina Blog here.