FoodDrink Pasta Dishes

First of all, let me just say this. I love both Chinese food and Italian food. Don't get all excited and start thinking I am bashing on any particular culture. I am not; in fact I am attempting to take a man's view on cooking Italian. Both styles are mega delicious and should be consumed in great quantities.

1. Italian wine: Need I say more? Ever hear of a good Chinese wine? I think not. Maybe a Saki, but as far as I am concerned, it's an acquired taste.
2. Complexity: Husbands who don't venture into the kitchen much tend to feel more comfortable with something not as complex. Spaghetti and meatballs is really not too tough.
3. Lots of variations: You can start with any kind of pasta, dump anything on top of it, and you have transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary. Anything in your pantry or refrigerator is fair game.
4. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are beautiful. They come in so many varieties, and can be spiced in so many ways. How can you not like them?
5. Simple ingredients: We have very good Chinese friends who invited us to dinner once. She asked me to grab something out of the refrigerator for her while she was creating our culinary delight. Upon opening the refrigerator, I saw items that I have never seen in my refrigerator before. There was funky plant life and animal parts that I did not think you could buy much less eat. This was one well stocked unit but I would have to imagine it would take a while to buy all those ingredients. Italian refrigerators seem a little simpler. Besides, gizzards and chicken feet just don't work for me.
6. Neater noodles: Italian noodles are just more fun to me. You get all kinds of noodles in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can buy them in boxes and bags or make them yourself. Chinese noodles, while delicious, seem to have less variety.
7. Easy to make: For some reason I just can't get my white Anglo Saxon attempt at Chinese food to taste authentic. I never seem to have the one ingredient that creates the magic touch. In Italian cooking, I have everything I need,( which is the fab four: olive oil, onions garlic and basil), and it is usually just comes down to adding more of "this" or "that'
8. Impersonations: I just don't do a good imitation of an Asian, but I can get you going with my rendition of Vieto ala beanie. Everyone can do a good Italian imitation. This is the part where cooking is becomes fun. (its easier to make fun of your own) I love to entertain my children with my cheesy attempts at cultural impressions. It's better received to kiss your fingertips in appreciation than to muster up a large belch.
9. Italian food tastes better the next day: My grandmother would make sauce, but we were never allowed to eat it until the next day. That's because all the flavors came together while it sat overnight in the refrigerator after assembly. What I once thought was a cruel thing to do to a boy, turned out to be a rewarding exercise in patience. (check out our pasta fagioli, most excellent the next day)

And the number one reason....(Actually #10)

Garlic: As far as I am concerned, garlic is the center of the universe. I can't get enough of it. I love the smell of it, I like it on my hands, I like the way it smells in the kitchen, I like it on bread, in sauce, on pizza or in pesto. Heck if I could get away with garlic sheets on the bed. (you get the idea) Italians love to cook with it and its versatility is certainly bound to make it the signature of any dish. Sauté' some with some onions and olive oil, it can make a grown man cry.

Tony Scorch is a contributing editor to Technocooks. You can find more articles about Italian Recipes and Restaurant reviews at our blog. We also carry a nice selection of Pasta Machines that we own and review. May you be covered in garlic or your favorite spice!

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Almost everyone eats some chicken and a lot of people eat a lot of chicken. Either way, they almost always have leftover chicken to deal with and there are a zillion recipes out there from which they can choose. A few are really good but most of them are forgettable. Even those that are good neglect to warn you that, once a chicken is cooked the way you like it, further cooking will not make it any better and quite often will ruin it. One must be very careful not to overcook leftover chicken and King Ranch Chicken is one recipe that will not do that.

A word of caution is in order. Quite often a person who is a good cook will look at a recipe like this one and have the urge to get creative. For example, instead of a can of mushroom soup they will want to saute fresh mushrooms and blend them into a real cream sauce. Big mistake! Stick with the recipe because it was never meant to do anything but feed a crowd of hungry ranch hands.

You will need:

4 cups of leftover chicken, white or dark meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tbs butter
1 tbs canolo oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (10 ounce) cans Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas cut into quarters
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until slightly soft but not brown. Remove to a large bowl and thoroughly mix in the chicken, onions and peppers, diced tomatoes and both cans of soup

Arrange one-third of the tortilla quarters on the bottom of a 13X9x2 greased baking dish. (You can also use a souffle dish which makes it easier to arrange the tortilla quarters) Top the tortillas with one-third of the chicken mixture and sprinkle evenly with two-thirds of the cheese. Repeat the layers twice, reserving two-thirds cup of cheese. Cover the top loosely with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes. Let stand for ten minutes before serving.

All you need is a good salad and maybe a few warm tortillas to complete the meal.

NOTE: If you have no leftover chicken just poach some chicken breasts in chicken broth, cut them up and go for it.

For more recipes, cooking suggestions and other food information go to Chef Dugan's web page: ineedtocook.com

Chef Dugan is the author of Help-I Gotta Cook!, awarded Cookbook of the Year by Books and Authors in 2007 and winner of an international award. The book is a comprehensive Cooking Guide as well as a 325 recipe Cookbook and was written for people who find themselves needing to cook but also needing a little help. As the book cover says, it's almost like having a cooking instructor in your kitchen!

You can learn more about Chef Dugan, who has cooked more than 40,000 meals, on his webpage http://www.ineedtocook.com and also access his blog http://help-ineed2cook.com

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Do you always wonder how eating right can help you improve as an athlete?

Michael Phelps is not human. He is not a human being. If you watched the Olympics this past summer, you probably heard about his preposterous 12,000 calorie a day diet. He eats pounds and pounds of pasta on a daily basis. One may ask if he really needs all that energy. In fact, he does, if he did not eat enough calories, he loses weight. He actually needs to eat enough in order for his body to stay at its peak levels. Pasta is a great source of energy because it is a complex carbohydrate. I have always loved pasta and therefore most of my cookbook contains tons of pasta recipes.

Complex carbohydrates are usually whole grain foods, vegetables, and fruits. They are comprise of three types of dietary fiber: cellulose, hemicellulose, and gums, also known as starches. It is true starchy food like bread and pasta are high in calories, but they are not actually. Starchy foods provide ~four calories per gram compare to nine calories per gram in fat. This is why, many researchers have proven pasta recipes are included in some of the best athletes daily diet regime. Athletes usually eat nutritionally enhanced pasta, such as whole eat, whole grain, high fiber pasta, and pasta with omega-3. You can actually find these at your local grocery store.

As a regular consumer, my goal is to discover not only economical feasible food, but healthy as well. And being avid about pasta recipes, it is comforting to know pasta is an excellent source for carbohydrates. Keep in mind; there is a HUGE difference when someone is talking about simple carbohydrates and high glycemic index.

I consider pasta meals actually a healthy meal because studies have proven carbohydrates such as pasta is vital to an athlete's diet. Carbs is like fuel for the body. I am not going to get into the specifics on how it works, but our body breaks down what we eat, stores as glycogen in our muslces. Athletes' jobs are to store as much glycogen in their bodies so they can perform at their best. Even after you exercise, eating protein is very important in replenishing the glycogen you lost during heavy activity.

Enough with the facts, here are my eating diet. Pasta, pasta, pasta, and more pasta. Eat pasta before you run, the carbs you are consuming are very helpful. Also, eat after heavy activity (running, lifting, etc), and do not forget to rehydrate yourself. By the time you are feeling thirsty, too late, you are already dehydrated.

However, do not go looking at all the pasta recipes and stuff yourself with enormous portions of pasta everyday. Proper nutrition is VERY important to athletes. In fact, too much pasta can actually hurt your body. Make sure you are consuming carbs, not fat. Eating pasta with melted butter, excessive pasta sauce is not an athlete's best friend. In addition, the timing of eating is very crucial. If you eat a giant meal before competition, you might as well wave the white flag. A more appropriate strategy is a healthy amount at breakfast or lunch. Eating pasta at earlier meals gives your body plenty of time for the food to process through your body system.

All in all, take care of your body by choosing carefully what you put in your mouths. And again, athlete's best friend's are pasta recipes!

I hope you found out information you were looking for when reading my article. You can find one of my favorite pasta recipes over at this site Pasta Recipes The site is run by myself and some friends with easy recipes to help you even on a limited budget.

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Spaghetti
Spaghetti is one of the three types of pasta which all pasta machines will make. These are long thin tubes which are used in Italian favourites such as spaghetti Bolognese and spaghetti carbonara. Lots of pasta makers will also have settings to let you choose how thin or fat you want your spaghetti strands.

Lasagne
The second type of pasta which all pasta makers are able to produce is lasagne. These are the large flat sheets of pasta which are used in the over-baked dish lasagne al forno. Although this may seem quite simple to make without the help of a pasta maker, the pasta machine will actually let you roll them much thinner than you would easily be able to do manually. This lets them cook quicker and you can produce a dish with many more layers of pasta and meat.

Fettucini or Tagliatelle
Fettucini are long ribbons of pasta which are known as tagliatelle outside of Rome. These are also most commonly found in carbonara dishes or fetuccini alfredo. These are the other pasta which virtually all pasta makers are equipped for.

Linguine
Linguine, which translates to English as 'little tongues' are like a flattened spaghetti. These are commonly used in the Campania region of Italy and are the pasta of choice in many seafood dishes. If your pasta machine offers fettucini then it is quite likely that it will also be possible to make linguine.

Ravioli
My personal favourite, ravioli are the small parcels of pasta which have a filling inside, which is most often some type of cheese or meat, but can be almost anything you fancy. Choosing a pasta machine which can also make ravioli will let you get a lot more choice in terms of the meals you can prepare with your pasta machine. Ravioli are a very fiddly pasta to make manually and having this feature on your pasta machine will no doubt save a lot of time and irritation!

Macaroni
Macaroni, or maccheroni, is popular in the US in the dish macaroni cheese. These are the small tubes of pasta which are curved around to give a shape which is kind of like half a tyre. Being able to make macaroni with your pasta machine may be a great bonus if you have kids as they usually find it much easier to eat than messy spaghetti.

Other Shapes
Some of the fancier machines may also let you make many more shapes and styles of pasta, although if you can make each of the different types described here then you will be able to use these in a diverse range of Italian cuisine. Any extra shapes that you can make may be a bonus but are not necessary to make the pasta machine a worthwhile investment for your kitchen.

UK author who is meeting a need for website reviews of the best kitchen and cooking equipment by publishing several sites including Pasta Machine and Pasta Maker

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While there are many ways for cooking Italian pasta, a few offer the user a nicely cooked non-sticky noodle to work with. In many of the dishes that the Italians make, noodles are used in conjunction with other ingredients. A sticky, starch ridden noodle is not only not as tasty, it is hard to work with, and not as appealing to look at. When you are cooking you want your dish to not only smell and taste good, but to also look good too. There are ways to ensure that your pasta is cooked right and can be used easily as part of a dish or the main course.

Cooking With Oil

When you begin to boil your pasta the best way to help make a great non-stick noodle is to add a tablespoon of olive oil to your water. Cooking Italian pasta this way ensures that when you are ready to drain your noodles they separate easily and do not have a starchy build up. Noodles that stick together can truly affect the dish you are making in a negative way. Lasagna needs to have noodles that are not torn or bunched. If you have a huge build up of starch and try to separate the noodles for use, you risk destroying them and therefore destroying your dish's presentation. The oil will not affect how the pasta tastes or other ingredients that you add later. It just coats the noodles finely to guarantee that they come out unscathed.

The Cold Water Trick

Do not have oil to use, or cannot use it? Then try using the cold water trick when cooking Italian pasta. What you do is boil your pasta as usual. Then rinse it thoroughly with cold water. This is can be tricky if you are making pasta as a main dish and want it hot. But what you are doing is rinsing the starch off the noodles so that you can easily separate them without breaking them. This is a very reliable method in pasta cooking for spaghetti and lasagna. These pasta dishes are heated with sauces and other ingredients so the rinsing does not usually affect them. You do not need to rinse the noodles too thoroughly. A quick rinse and stir with your hand in the colander usually does the trick and is enough to get the starch's sticky nature off the noodles. Most times this will only cool your pasta a bit and not make it too cold.

A Touch Of Salt

When cooking Italian pasta you will want to use a pinch of salt. The salt is not for flavoring and will not get into your noodles. It is to help bring your water to a quicker rolling boil. Salt helps to raise the salinity, which lowers your boiling point of your water. This makes cooking faster and shaves off some time that it takes to get the process going. Boiling water already takes long enough, By adding salt you can cut that time in half so you and your family do not have to wait too long for that homemade Italian meal.

Anna Fiori writes food related articles for the Italian Traditional Food website at http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com

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Salad is no longer just about dishes purely composed with vegetables. Recently, pasta salads have also taken their place on salad bars everywhere. They have been perfect companions when it comes to family reunions, potluck dinners and even when people are eating inside their favorite restaurants. This is because pasta salad is very easy to prepare but delicious too. It's just perfect for you to create one for your own dinner table at home.

One thing wonderful about pasta is that these days, they come in different shapes, sizes and colors. This feature may spark some creativity within you when choosing a pasta type. From the usual spaghetti and elbow macaroni to tiny shell or angel hair pasta, most grocery shelves are jam packed with varieties. As such is pasta's downside since with its many kinds, it's sometimes hard to decide which one is to be used.

If you're having a hard time in choosing, it's always easier to just prepare traditional macaroni salad. It's been a favorite when it comes to family dinners and picnics and can be made with most of the pasta varieties. Add in a little mayonnaise, sweet pickles and hard boiled eggs, some mustard and dill, or even onions and cheese cubes. It's going to be a perfect macaroni salad as long as it accounts for your taste.

If you're tired of the same old mashed potatoes or rice dishes every time you have a meal, you can always make a pasta salad to take their place. Pasta salads make great side dishes too. They go well with all kinds of meat like fish, chicken, beef or pork. Also, everyone will like the change, making mealtime more enjoyable for your family.

Pasta salads are mostly not served hot so remember to cool the pasta before adding any of your desired vegetables and dressings. For the vegetables, you can either add them fresh or frozen. To top it all off, add in your favorite dressing to the mix. But if you're in a fix, you can always try Italian or Ranch dressings since these are the ones mostly used for pasta salads.

As I mentioned earlier, pasta salads are great to take along picnics and potluck dinners too. For picnic style salads, you can either use Orzo or Tabbouleh pasta to act as their base. These pastas are wonderful kinds that quite resemble rice grains. Use them to create warm or cold pasta salads that will stretch, making them ideal for feeding crowds of people.

If you're gearing into the health side, pasta salads can still be an ideal choice. To make it better, use wheat pasta for the base, add some fresh vegetables and some low calorie or low fat dressing of your choice. Your salad will definitely taste so good that no one will even care or know how healthy your creation is.

Pasta salads are easy to make and the possibilities in making them are endless. While there are already plenty of pasta salad recipes that are already known and loved, you can always mix up the menu a bit for a bit of surprise. It's all about your favorites, your favorite pasta for the base, add your favorite vegetables and other ingredients, your favorite dressing, and before you know it, people will like to know the recipe you used to create such a masterpiece. That is why once in a while try using pasta salad as a side or main dish for your family. You'll surely love the results afterwards.

There are many ways for you to approach preparing some recipe for salad in your household. Please visit the Food Menu Blog to read more cooking ideas that you will certainly love to share with your family and friends.

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Italian Food

Did you know that Italian food is the most popular cuisine for eating out throughout the world? The fact that Italian food is extremely healthy due to the use of fresh ingredients has further raised its value. Most Italian food is very versatile since it is usually made with pastas. Pasta: When in Rome and whenever Italian food is the top choice among ethnic cuisines, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Pasta

Is opening a can of spaghetti your idea of fresh Italian pasta? Pasta, no doubt, plays a large part in most traditional Italian food , and few cultures know how to employ a tomato the way that Italians can. Italian cooking is full of marvelous single pasta dishes made with all types of vegetables and pulses. Italian food is all about combinations of delicious local flavors, a simple sauce, a sprinkling of parmesan and of course real Italian pasta. Pizza and pasta are popular the world over, and the average Italian consumes 28kg of pasta each year. When made with fresh egg pasta instead of dried lasagna noodles it can be an amazing treat for the taste buds. The Kinds of Pasta Used In the days before industrialization, dry pasta made from durum wheat, water, and a pinch of salt (spaghetti, rigatoni, and so on), was easier to make, and therefore more popular, in the South, where warmer temperatures and increased sunlight hastened the drying of the pasta.

History

Italian food encapsulates history, tradition and folklore, plus an acute and unique awareness of nature and seasonality, which truly provides 'food for thought'. "The Italian civilization of the table is a product of Italian history, and Italian history is marked by division and violence as much as it is by beauty and creativity, by barbarism as well as civilization. Each of the more than 20 regions of Italy has a different history and geography upon which their methods and ingredients of cooking are based. Food is also culture and it is important to keep traditions alive as they are part of our history.

Sauce

Sauce from a jar is just fine, but homemade always has the best taste. Italian Dishes in the North tend to be a bit 'heavier' than that in the South, think the ingredients used for Spaghetti Carbonara compared to the classic healthier and lighter tomato sauces of the South. It's hard to imagine Italian cooking without its river of tomato sauce, yet before this time, the tomato was just a weed in the Aztec corn fields. More than just pasta, seafood anchors Italian cuisine Italian food brings to mind pasta and sauces.

Simple

For hundreds of years Italian cooking has followed a very simple principle: food is best when it's cooked fresh and in season. The reason for this culinary fragmentation is simple: With the exception of the nobility and the clergy, before most Italians simply didn't travel, and as a result every town and every valley has something unique. The main benefit of Italian cuisine is its healthy balance, the basic ingredients being cooked in a simple style whilst retaining their original goodness and freshness.

Italian food is regarded today as one of the premiere cuisines in the world, famous for exquisite meals consisting of varying ingredients such as olives, balsamic vinegar and pesto. Italian food is simple, vibrant and good for you. Italian food is not just for Italians, but for everyone.

Kath Ibbetson's passion is Italian Food and she has shared this with hundreds of people. Find out more about it at FoodTheItalianWay.com.

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If you are looking for a great Italian dish that will not only fill the family up and offer some variety at the same time, then you would be best served to think about some lasagna ideas. This dish has become very popular in North America and for good reason, it is chocked full of tasty goodness. The Italians really stumbled on this one, and lucky for the rest of us they then perfected it. There are many ways that you can enjoy lasagna today; finding the right lasagna for the right occasion is going to require some serious thought.

For The Veggie Lovers

If you have any veggie lovers or even true vegetarians within the family fold, you will be happy to know that there are many great veggie lasagna ideas out there. Usually lasagna will contain some form of meat with the cheese and sauce, but this meat can be substituted with a variety of vegetables today and it does not take away from the dish one bit. With choices such as zucchini and squash, you have many great options. This is a baked dish, so the vegetables that will be used within the recipe will get anything but soggy. It can be enjoyed by those that just do not want meat in their food, even if they are not vegetarians at all. This makes it a wonderful dish for the summertime, and there will be more than a few compliments on it.

Cheese A Plenty

If you are looking for great lasagna ideas, then you may want to consider the type of cheese or even the quantity of the cheese that you are using. You can basically use whatever cheese that you please to make this type of dish, and there are many that will actually change the taste of the dish dramatically. You can spice the lasagna up rather quickly if you decide to use a cheese such as pepper jack or a hot havarti. When you are thinking about making great lasagna, you should also consider adding more cheese than you normally do. Adding an extra cup or two of cheese to the recipe can go a long way in pleasing the cheese lovers in the family. This is a recipe that has the chance to make everyone in the family smile at dinner time, and this will give you a sense that you making your family happy.

Still Popular In Italy

When it comes to lasagna ideas in Italy, there are no shortages of recipes. Lasagna is one of those timeless and forever appreciated foods that fall into the comfort food category. When you are looking for a fantastic dinner idea, then the great lasagna in your recipe book may be exactly what you have been looking for. This is the type of dish that you can serve to the kids, and you will not have to worry about them turning up their nose at the dinner table.

Anna Fiori writes food related articles for the Italian Traditional Food website at http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com

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Depending on where you live and what your ethnic heritage, your family probably consumes lots of potatoes or lots of pasta. If you're looking for some creative options on how to use spaghetti to spice up dinnertime, here are 5 things you can do with spaghetti that you may not have thought of!

1. Use it cold in a salad. Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse well in cold water. Create a dressing with 1/3 C mayo, 1/3 C plain yogurt, 1 T sugar, 1 T soy sauce and 1/2 t fresh ground ginger. Toss the pasta and the dressing with 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed, 1 red pepper, cooked until tender, but still crisp, 1/2 cup slivered peanuts, 8-oz of water chestnuts, 1/2 cup slivered carrots, 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chunked, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with 1/2 cup fresh cilantro.

2. Make a spaghetti pie. Spaghetti pie is like a combination of spaghetti and lasagna, with spaghetti noodles used as the pasta. There are plenty of variations on spaghetti pie, but here's an easy one this is truly delicious. Cook 3/4 lb of spaghetti to al dente. Put about half of the noodles into a lightly greased spring form pan and cover with 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce. Next, add a meat and cheese mixture. (Try 2 cups ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 3 large eggs, 1/2 t ground oregano, 1/2 t salt, 1 T basil and 1/4 t salt. Mix together with 1-pound Italian sausage, browned with green pepper and onion. ) Use half the meat/cheese mixture as the third layer in your spaghetti pie. Repeat the layers and top with some mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another five minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before you slice it.

3. For a quick, easy rice pilaf, just cut the spaghetti into one-inch lengths, brown them in a pan with a little butter and add some rice!

4. Make a frittata for brunch: Do you always make too many spaghetti noodles? Here's a great idea for that left over pasta! Pre-heat the broiler on your oven. Put a little olive oil into a frying pan that can go in the oven and heat it over medium heat. Add 2-4 cups leftover spaghetti and spread it out over the pan. Heat through for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl, beat 3-4 eggs and add a splash of milk or half-and -half, two big handfuls of grated Romano cheese and salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the spaghetti in the pan. Let the eggs cook, lifting the edges as you would an omelet, so the uncooked eggs can run to the bottom and cook. When the eggs are nearly done, put the whole works under the broiler until it is lightly browned. Watch it close- it only takes about a minute. Remove from the oven carefully and slice into wedges. This dish is good either hot or at room temperature.

5. Here's a quickie to use up that leftover spaghetti: Stir-fry thin strips of zucchini and yellow squash with olive oil, oregano, basil & salt & pepper. Then toss the cold pasta into the pot and get it all coated. Add some Parmesan on top and enjoy!

These recipes are so tasty, the next time you prepare spaghetti, you may find yourself making too many noodles on purpose!

For more more yummy spaghetti recipes, check out http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com

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Endless recipes exist that have pasta as an ingredient. It is a simple to fix, healthy food that is very satisfying. However, if you do not know how to cook pasta properly, your efforts with the dish will be wasted.

By far the most common mistake made when preparing pasta is overcooking it. Mushy or sticky pasta leaves much to be desired.

10 Tips for Cooking Pasta

1. Pasta should be cooked in about 3 to 4 quarts of water for a pound of pasta. It must have room to move around. If there is not sufficient water or the size of the pot is too small, the pasta will tend to stick together.
2. Add a Tablespoon of coarse salt (a little less if it is fine) per quart of water. This precaution helps to avoid sticking.
3. If you need to prepare the pasta in advance, toss it with olive oil. and place in the refrigerator in a zip top baggie. Always use a good quality olive oil.
4. Do not put oil in the water. It will cause the sauce to slide off the pasta. Besides it doesn't prevent the pasta from sticking anyway.
5. A serving of pasta is considered to be about 1/4 pound.
6. Bring your water to a rapid boil before adding the pasta. A rapid boil means that large bubbles will constantly be rising to the top of the water. Add the salt to the water when you add the pasta.
7. Stir immediately to prevent sticking. Continue to stir frequently until the water returns to a rapid boil.
8. Bring the water back to a rapid boil as soon as possible. Cover the pot and leave the heat on high. But don't walk away. Keep a close eye on it to avoid boiling over. Once the water is boiling, remove the cover and stir. Turn the heat down to medium high and finish cooking.
9. Drain the pasta immediately when it is done. You need to remove all the water to prevent the sauce from becoming watery. A colander is handy to drain the pasta.
10. Avoid "mushy" pasta. Even if you don't like your pasta "al dente", there is a point when it is done. A good starting point is to cook according to the time recommendations on the package. But a good guide is to cook fresh pasta fettuccine, lasagna) for 3 to 5 minutes; thin dry pasta (shells, rotini, spaghettini) for 6 to 9 minutes and thick walled pasta (penne, spaghetti, ziti) cooks in 12 to 15 minutes.

Practice until you can prepare the pasta to your idea of perfection. Then it is time to explore the different recipes for sauces and added ingredients to the pasta dishes. After that you will be ready to invite your guests for a little trip to Italy as prepared by the "Chef in Training".

Grandma Carol (as Carol Smith is sometimes called) has been enjoying cooking for over 50 years. Some of her favorite times have been in teaching people to cook that have never done so before. Take advantage of her expertise. Visit her blog

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The kitchen is a place for experimentation and exploration, and any person with a curious pallet will try to interpret their favorite dishes with new twists and variations. Take pasta, for example: this staple food item has been invented and reinvented ad nauseum, and, though some classic recipes never really get old, it's always a good idea to add new ingredients to the line up and experience new flavors. A winning combo: scallops and pasta.

Scallops are an exceptional food source, and have so many ideal characteristics that they are just too good to pass up. In addition to having some of the most impressive nutritional properties (they are high in proteins, low in fats, and even have a considerable potassium level), scallops are unbeatable in flavor and texture. Of all the many kinds of mollusks in the sea, the scallop is without a doubt the most highly appraised-the mere elegance of its shell, with its perfect symmetry, is a clear sign of its superiority in relation to the other members of its family. Considering the robust flavor and excellent texture of this delicacy, scallops and pasta will always be a dynamic duo.

As far as scallops are concerned, there is no better alternative than large Alaska scallops: they are not only more flavorful, but they are larger and also have superior nutritional properties. Whatever the case, if you can get your hand on some, your scallops and pasta dishes will be unbeatable. As far as actually preparing such dishes goes, there are a few options. You can cook the scallops separately and then add them to a completed pasta dish (recommended for those that are not familiar or experienced in cooking scallops, which require a somewhat delicate treatment), or you can cook them in a sauce or sauté to which cooked pasta will be incorporated (recommended for people with a little more experience in the kitchen, and with this ingredient in particular). An exceptional scallops and pasta dish will always result in scallops that remain tender and juicy, never dry and rubbery-that is the antithesis of what they should be!

Alaska is home to an abundant variety of seafood, and offers some of the purest marine, freshwater, and upland habitats on the planet.

From the clear crystal waters comes seafood that is delicious and healthy. Alaskan seafood is low in fat but big on flavor and Omega-3 oils. You can study thousands of pages of nutritional research. Or, simply observe the amazing health and longevity of people in countries where seafood is the most important part of their diet. Either way, Alaska seafood is as healthy as it is delicious.

Are you are looking for a meal that is low in saturated fat, filled with nutrients and packed with good heart healthy Omega-3s oils? Then you should start with Alaska Seafood.

http://www.alaskaseafood.org

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Pasta has two major types, fresh pasta and dry pasta. Eggs, salt, olive oil mixed in durum wheat flour is known as pasta. To make fresh pasta dough, take plain flour, eggs, olive oil, salt and mix them by your hand or you can do this in dough machine or processor. your pasta dough is ready now put it in a pasta machine and make any shape as you want. Pasta can be combined with almost anything from meat to fish, vegetables to fruit and is even delicious served with simple herb sauce. Most pasta is made from durum wheat flour and contains protein and carbohydrates. It is a good source of slow-release energy and has the additional advantage of being value for money.

I have been working as a chef for last 25 years in my own continental food restaurant. My specialties are continental pasta, light meal and soups, but I believe in experimental cooking and its fun, so, get ready for whole new taste. Always use a large saucepan for cooking pasta and bring lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and 1tbsp olive oil, but do not cover or the water boil over. Quickly bring the water back to a rolling boil and avoid overcooking. When the pasta is tender, but still firm to the bite, drain and toss with butter, olive oil or your prepared sauce and serve as soon as possible. Unless you have access to a good Italian delicatessen, it is probably not worth buying fresh unfilled pasta, but even supermarkets sell high-quality tortellini, capelletti, ravioli and agnolotti pastas.

Best of all, is to make fresh pasta at home. It takes a little time, but is quite easy and well worth the effort. Try this and you will enjoy cooking or making pasta, it is indeed a fun.

This is just one tip, if you need to know more visit The Pasta Site

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Pasta is always associated with spaghetti and so on. In actual fact, pasta is referring to products that are made from flour. In Western countries, it is called pasta and in Asia, it is called noodles. Whether it is pasta or noodles, it is one of the most consumed foods in the whole wide world.

In Asia alone, noodles are produced in various forms in various countries and cooked in so many countless ways. Pasta or noodles or "mee" in local language, play an important role in all Asian cuisines being it Chinese cuisines, Japanese cuisines, Korean cuisines, Thai cuisines, Indonesian cuisines, Singaporean cuisines or Malaysian cuisines. It is served at all places, from five-star hotels to the street stalls all over Asia.

Below are the more popular types of noodles in Asia:

1. Vermicelli is also called glass noodlse. When it is not cooked, it is very fragile. When it is cooked, it is very soft and clear in color. It is normally served in soup with fish ball, sliced meat and spring onion. Another great way to taste it is to stir fry it with egg, prawn, bean sprout and chili.

2. Soba is a specialty noodle from Japan. A very popular type of noodle in Japanese cuisines, whether you serve it hot in a soup or cold with a dipping sauce.

3. Fresh rice noodle is a kind of noodle made from rice flour. It is best to stir fry it with eggs, clams, bean sprouts and chili. "char koay teow", a very famous dish from South East Asia is using this type of noodle. It is also good to serve in soup as well.

4. "Hokkien" noodle is a thick, yellow and rubbery-texture noodle. It is widely used in lots of street food in Asia whether served hot in soup or stir fry it.

There are many more types of noodles that are not mentioned here. There are also many ways on how to cook the noodles.

JB Yeoh
http://www.asianfoodguides.com

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Our Italian friends came to visit today and filled their lungs with fresh country air. and admired the views across paddocks to a stand of native bush and watched our hens scratching in the garden. How many eggs do they lay he asked.

Suddenly he sat up straight. You gotta pasta machine ?

I emerged from the pantry dusting off a long forgotten box with a (thank goodness) Italian pasta making machine covered in the remains of my last pasta making session from long ago that I tried discreetly, and unsuccessfully, to dust off before he could see it.

He leaned forward in disbelief. Its an excellent machine he muttered and stared at me in amazement. Its almost new, barely used he said peering at it - in disbelief, again. And its dusty - you need to clean it. I looked at it with some embarrassment now. It was beginning to look extremely dusty.

Pasta making is so easy, so easy, you have a goldmine here he said. Barely able to contain his excitement he talked nonstop of how to make home made fresh pasta, how simple it was to make and how we could have a never ending supply of freshly made, economical pasta all the time shaking his head at us -a pasta machine on the shelf - unused, unheard of for them.

I was almost sorry I had hauled the box out.

What is the recipe I asked. Recipe, recipe ? You don't need a recipe he scoffed. Just make one small pile of flour with a dent in the middle and put in two eggs and slowly,slowly, bring the flour into the egg. Leaning back thinking, he added you might need some water too. When I pressed him for the amount, he said it depended, then seeing the look on my face added about two fingers worth!

My friend had been a chef, restaurant owner and baker - he probably made pasta on autopilot.

Anyone can make it, a child could to it, you have eggs, you have flour and you have the machine. You have a goldmine he said again, looking puzzled as to why we had not thought of it before and shrugged.

We sat down to eat lunch and discuss food - of course - what else. Great food and good conversation was followed by our friend diving into an armchair to take a short rest where he promptly went to sleep. His job was done.

The Recipe Kiwi Style

* One and a half cups of flour (sifted finely)
* Make a well in the middle and add two large eggs (free range if possible) My friends uses his hands but I used a fork to gradually add the flour to the eggs and (if required only) add a small amount of water as my friend says maybe the depth of 2 fingers in a glass. I only needed to use a very small amount.
* Knead the dough until it is smooth, cover and let it rest for at least half an hour.
* Clear a table or bench so you have lots of room and firmly attach your pasta cutter.
* Make sure you have a lot of clear space as I discovered when I covered everything in sight with flour and pasta including the cat.
* Put the dough through your pasta machine on the most open setting.
* Each time you put it through, lightly dust with flour and fold the dough over before you put it through again.
* Adjust the clicks to the finer setting and put it through several more times to make it smoother and more elastic (this helps to knead the dough each time. If it becomes too wide fold in half lengthwise so you get a nice long oblong.
* Keep adding a fine dusting of flour each time. You should end up with a fine, silky length of dough to feed through your chosen cutter. There are several cutters on the pasta machine. The widest size cuts pasta like Fettucini but most machines also cut spaghetti and noodle size as well and there are attachments for other styles or you can cut it by hand.
* Without a pasta maker it is a bit harder but not impossible if you are keen. Use a rolling pin (rolling stick as my friend puts it) Keep rolling out until you have a fine silky dough and simply roll up and cut by hand into the size you prefer. Just remember to make them all a similar size or the pasta will cook unevenly.
* Cook the pasta straight away or hang it to dry on a rack. Use a clothes airing rack if you have one. Just hang the long strands of pasta over the rungs and leave overnight or until dry.

Our friends make a variety of pasta at home, including Ravioli and Gnocchi by hand and I often saw it drying under a tea towel or cloth but now I pay a lot more attention it did come out fresh and delicious and I had to agree hat it was a quick and easy recipe even if I had to prise an actual recipe out of him. I wonder if I can prise that pasta sauce recipe out of him next time?

I am definitely going to ask them for more ideas and we smile every time we eat our own freshly made pasta at the memory of that conversation. And yes, I do dust off my pasta machine after making it. after all I might have it inspected.

Carol Skinner lives in Winterless Northland in clean, green New Zealand. She has a passion for cooking, art, painting and digital photography. In the country she now has the time to rediscover writing articles, gardening and trying out new food recipes and is a madly keen experimental cook who loves to use the produce and herbs from her organic garden to create quick and easy healthy and memorable meals.

Website: http://quickhealthyrecipesforyou.com

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Italian pasta with simple or complex sauces is universal fare now-a-days. The variety of pasta shapes is numerous also; everything from bow-ties, little hats, manicotti, gnocchi, and sea shells to linguini, spaghetti, fettuccine, and paparadelle noodles. You can't pick up a magazine without seeing a pasta recipe with a new twist, they simply are everywhere.

Even before the Romans, Italy grew the durum wheat for pasta. The Romans baked their pasta rather like lasagna. However, it was some time before Italians boiled pasta. Marco Polo is responsible for re-introducing pasta to Italy with Chinese noodles. The fact is Italians were already making pasta in Palermo when Marco Polo returned from China. For a more complete history of Italian pasta and tomato sauce, go to http://lifeinitaly.com/food/pasta-history.asp

This quick and easy pasta sauce is ready in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta to al dente. The mix of seafood includes squid, crab, shrimp, mussels and steamer clams. Mixed seafood is available in most supermarket freezers or at your local fish monger. This sauce also works with chopped marlin, swordfish, halibut, or tuna. Get creative and add one of your favorite ingredients... perhaps capers, sweet peas, ramps, mushrooms, or cardoons.

Ingredients: - makes 4 servings
• 1 pound fettuccine noodles
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 pound mixed seafood
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 4 scallions, chopped tops and bulbs
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
• 1 shallot, minced
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 cups cream
• 1 sprig tarragon, chopped or ½ tsp dried tarragon
• Pinch of marjoram or oregano
• Couple dashes of Tabasco sauce
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 Tbsp salt.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water until it is al dente.
3. Drain and hold.
4. In a skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter until it froths. Add the scallions, garlic, shallots, and seafood. Sauté until aromatic and the shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes. The seafood will be slightly undercooked at this point.
5. Add wine, stirring from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce wine to half, about 6 minutes.
6. Push seafood to the side of the skillet, add 2 Tbsp of butter and swirl gently. Slowly add cream, whisking gently so that the cream thickens.
7. Add tarragon, marjoram, salt and pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Stir seafood and sauce together to combine.
8. Plate the fettuccine, pour the sauce over, and garnish with the parsley.

Find other recipes by JoAnn Jagroop at http://thisdamecooks.wordpress.com

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"Pasta all'arrabbiata" translated from Italian to English means: "Angry Pasta." Nicely said, Italians have been known for their intensely spirited temperament, this Angry Pasta reflects this same passion. Picture (if you will), that you are personified as this pasta and you lost your job, wife, dog, and someone stole your red Alfa Romeo convertible; you express your feelings by being, spicy, hot, and RED! This is the best explanation I can give for the Italians naming this Angry Pasta, because it lives up to it's name. Give this fantastically spicy pasta a try and see for yourself exactly what the Italians had in mind when they named this dish. I can say that this recipe is one of the fastest pasta dishes to make.

The speed of preparation is only dependent on the time it takes to cook the pasta, I suppose if you use fresh/home made pasta you could eat much sooner. Either way...

Difficulty (Scale from 1-10): 3Ingredients

one 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
salt - to taste
one pound of cooked pasta

PreparationIn a large bowl whisk together tomato paste, olive oil, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and Romano cheese.

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Add cooked pasta to the tomato paste mixture and toss well, making sure all of the pasta is coated well. Add more cheese or salt to taste, then serve.

Enjoy your pasta!!

Peter Alfieri is the host of the cooking show: Buon Appetito Providence, http://www.BuonAppetitoProvidence.com Pete cooks many different foods from several geographical areas; his specialty is Italian food which is also featured on the TV show. Be sure to check out other recipes on the show's website.

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