Jonathan King and Jim Stott Photography by Jim Stott

Related Articles

• Lobster
• Cupcakes
• Ham & Bean Suppahs
• Stonewall Kitchen: Healthy Beginnings
• Savory Stuffing

You’ll find as many theories about the origin of pasta as there are shapes of noodles!

It appears this nutritious staple of centuries was enjoyed in Italy long before Marco Polo came back from China, so in our book, the Italians can take credit for one of our favorite foods. However, it is quite possible that the Chinese had a hand in inventing pasta. There is evidence that they were cooking a hard wheat pasta some five thousand years ago. But from what we have found out, so were many other cultures at this time, especially those that had an abundance of wheat. As for Marco Polo bringing pasta to Italy in the thirteenth century, it seems likely (according to folks who study this sort of information) that what he really brought back was a different recipe for a different type of pasta.

The word itself may derive from the Greek term meaning “flour mixed with water.” Even as far back as 3000 B.C., wherever wheat grew, pasta was depicted in art and later described in letters that spoke of it being added to soups to thicken them. Ships’ logs first describe using dried pasta. The hot sun of Sicily and central Italy would explain how the drying process may have evolved. Boats then could spread the goodness of pasta from port to port. The craft of making pasta expanded quickly, and pasta makers in Florence actually formed a guild in the 1300s to regulate the trade. (You can visit the Museum of Pasta in Rome should you be inclined to find out more.)

We find the versatility of pasta inspiring, and love its shapes and names. Just for fun, we looked up the meaning of some of our favorites:

• Spaghetti comes from the Italian spago, meaning “cord.”

• Linguini is Italian for “little tongue.”

• Vermicelli is Italian for “little worms.”

• Conchiglie is Italian for “shells.”

• Rigatoni’s short, wide fluted tubes are named for the Italian word for “furrows.”

• Lasagna’s broad, sometimes ruffled ribbons are named for the Latin word for “pot.”

• Fettucine is Italian for “small ribbons.”

• Ravioli is Italian for “little turnips.”

• Rotini is Italian for “spirals” or “twists.”

• Capellini or angel’s hair is Italian for “fine hairs.”

• Fusilli, the spirals, is Italian for “little spindles.”

• Penne is Italian for “quills.”

• Tortellini is Italian for “little cakes.”

Contrary to recent popular belief, pasta is not fattening. However, if you eat too much of any food, you can gain weight. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a 1⁄2 cup serving of cooked pasta contains a mere 99 calories, less than half a gram of fat and less than 5 milligrams of sodium.

Whole wheat pasta is more nutritious than white. Most pasta is made with durum wheat, a hard wheat high in protein and gluten, which makes a dough that sticks together well and holds its shape, an important feature to pasta makers. Semolina is made from durum wheat and may have more protein than farina, which is made from a softer wheat.

To make perfect pasta, boil between four and six quarts of water for each pound of dried pasta. Add the pasta with a stir and return the water to a boil. Follow the package directions for cooking times. If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking, undercook the pasta by one-third of the cooking time specified on the package. The best way to decide if the pasta is done is to taste it. Perfectly cooked pasta should be al dente, or firm to the bite yet cooked through.

There is much controversy about rinsing versus not rinsing pasta. We leave it to your preference, but if you do rinse, use warm to hot water to keep the heat in. Always drain pasta immediately. We prefer fresh pasta, when we can get it, to dried. The cooking time is minimal with fresh, and it seems to absorb the sauce better.

Coming home after a long day at work, nothing appeals to us or is quicker to prepare than pasta with butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Add sliced chicken, leftover veggies and some sun-dried tomatoes, and now the dish is good enough to serve to company.

Simple “mac and cheese” recipes have been featured on many chic restaurant menus recently. We’ve highlighted some of our favorite pasta recipes and included one for a Roasted Tomato Sauce that we love. Save it for next summer when you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with, or make it with what’s available now at the market—you won’t be disappointed.

Recipes:
Macaroni and Four Cheeses with Thyme Parmesan Crust

Roasted Tomato Sauce


Jonathan King and Jim Stott are co-owners of Stonewall Kitchen, an award-winning, nationally recognized specialty food manufacturing company headquartered in York, Maine. Natives of New England, both Jonathan and Jim are avid gardeners and cooks who have been featured on numerous televisions cooking shows. They are authors of the Stonewall Kitchen Cookbook and co-authors with Kathy Gunst of Stonewall Kitchen Harvest: Celebrating the Bounty of the Seasons.