Pasta fare at the fair
Rhonda Gordon, Special to the Gazette
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
We have a special contest each year at the fair called the spotlight event. This happens Saturday morning.
This year’s spotlight event is Pasta. There are three categories in which you can enter your best pasta dish: entrées (main dish), salad and appetizers. Typed recipes with the entrant’s name need to be turned in with your entry. These will be published in the spotlight event cookbook that will be available during the fair. This event will also be judged by a celebrity judge.
Pasta, in many shapes and forms, has been enjoyed by many different cultures and cuisines for thousands of years. Who invented this food, where and when is a matter of debate.
We usually think of pasta coming from Italy, and some give credit to Marco Polo bringing noodles from the Orient. Many food historians debunk the Marco Polo story as a myth. Ancient and medieval pasta dishes were both savory (made with meat, pepper, onion, saffron) and sweet (made with honey, nuts and soft cheeses). According to the food historians, layered and studded pastas (lasagna, ravioli) are a medieval invention.
Thomas Jefferson is given credit for bringing pasta to the United States. As U.S. ambassador, he brought back a macaroni maker with him when he returned from France in 1789. He used the macaroni maker to entertain friends. Even though Jefferson is credited with bringing pasta to America it didn’t become widely popular in the country until 1880 to 1900 when large numbers of Italian immigrants came to American, bringing pasta with them.
Pasta has a place in American history as well. In the 1920s, farmers used pasta as a marketing campaign for wheat. During the Depression, the inexpensive and filling dish became a staple in many households.
One of the most remarkable things about pasta isn’t just how long it has been around. It also has changed very little over the hundreds or perhaps thousands of years that it has been made and consumed. The many shapes and sizes of pasta aren’t just a modern marketing gimmick either. They serve a good purpose.
Providing lots of surface area on this starchy food allows sauces to cling well. Coming in a variety of useful shapes means the ability to stuff, layer or otherwise offer versatility in recipe invention.
Pasta goes well with a huge variety of ingredients. Everything from bacon, steak or salmon, to asparagus and peas can be part of great pasta recipe. The range of compatible sauces, from simple marinara to a fine clam, can’t be matched in other foods. How many foods can be served in so many different ways from such a wide assortment of recipes both hot and cold?
Pasta can be a very healthy food. Despite its reputation, pasta is a low-calorie, heart-beneficial dish if you choose whole-grain pasta. With only 200 calories per cup, which equals two servings, and a gram of fat, it is perfect even for those on a strict diet. As a complex carbohydrate, it is digested slowly, leading to an even and gradual production of blood sugar. It is also a food that is high in fiber. Often fortified with folates and naturally packed with essential minerals, it is heart-healthy.
It is easy to prepare, easy to cook and makes for a great presentation on the table. It is equally welcomed at home where it can inexpensively feed a family of five or a party of 50.
Here are some tips on cooking pasta.
Use a large pot. To cook pasta properly, pasta needs a lot of water. A too-small pot and too little water encourages the pasta to clump and stick together, causing it to cook unevenly. For a pound of pasta (16 ounces) you want a pot that holds at least five to six quarts of water.
Using plenty of water helps to prevent pasta from sticking together by quickly washing away the exuded starch. Fill your big pot half full of cold water or use at least one quart of cold water for every 4 ounces of dry pasta. Four quarts is a bare minimum per 12 ounces of pasta, six to eight quarts of water is ideal. Covering the pot of cold water with a lid will help bring the water to a boil faster.
Salting the water makes pasta taste better by bringing out the natural flavor of the pasta. This does not increase the sodium level of your recipes. Do not add your salt until the water has come to a full boil. There are two reasons for this. Unsalted water has a lower boiling point, and salt dissolves faster in hot water. Add plenty of salt — about 2 tablespoons of coarse salt per pound of pasta. If you taste the salted water it should taste like “sea water.” Do not add oil. The oil coats the pasta so the sauce will not stick.
Add pasta all at once to the boiling salted water and keep the heat high to bring the water back to the boil as quickly as possible. Once you have added your pasta to the boiling water, stir with a long wooden spoon. Stirring prevents pasta from sticking to each other and from sticking to the bottom and edge of the pan. Frequent stirring with a long wooden spoon or fork while the pasta is cooking will help the pasta to cook.
Cook the pasta uncovered at a fast boil. You can regulate the heat so the pasta doesn’t foam up and boil over. Don’t rely on the package to give you the correct cooking time. It is only a guideline.
Start timing when the water returns to a boil. Most pastas cook in 8 to 12 minutes. Once the pasta has reached “al dente” immediately remove the pot from the heat. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of cold water to the hot water, this will immediately lower the temperature of the water and stop the cooking. Drain immediately into a large colander standing in the sink and pick up the colander with its contents and shake it well to remove excess water. Do not rinse unless the recipe calls for this step. The starch that makes the pasta stick to itself also helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
“Al dente” means “to the tooth” and is a term used to describe the correct degree of doneness when cooking pasta, risotto and vegetables. The food should have a slight resistance (chewy) when biting into it, but should not be soft, overdone, or have a hard center.
I hope you will consider entering the spotlight event this year at the Lyon County Fair. Your entries need to be turned in between 8 and 9:30 a.m. Saturday. See your fairbook for complete rules. I hope to see you all at the Lyon County Fair with both a pasta dish, and don’t forget the pie contest on Sunday afternoon.
Pasta Salad Recipe
The spiral-shaped pasta holds the flavor of the dressing in all those little rings. The dressing is loaded with zesty flavor that mixes perfectly with the vegetables. Sure to be a hit with any meal, this pasta salad is especially perfect for picnics and barbecues.
Salad Ingredients
2 cups cooked rotini pasta, drained (about 1 cup uncooked)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup cubed provolone cheese
1 carrot, cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced pitted black olives
1/4 pound salami, chopped
Dressing Ingredients
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, or to taste
Combine pasta, red pepper, green pepper, cheese, carrot, onion, olives and salami in a large bowl. Thoroughly mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, mustard and basil in a small bowl. Pour dressing mixture over pasta. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
• Rhonda Gordon is the family and consumer sciences agent for K-State Research and Extension in Lyon County. For more information on this column, nutrition, food safety, parenting, financial management, health and safety, e-mail her at rgordon@ksu.edu or call the Lyon County extension office at 341-3220.