by Meeta Khurana from What’s For Lunch, Honey?

Pasta in Italian, means any type of dough. However, for most of us the word pasta  usually refers to what we in English know as spaghetti, macaroni, etc.

There are two indications as to the origins of pasta. One goes back to the ancient Greeks and the other to the Etruscans, and both stories lead to Rome. The Etruscan evidence shows a carving on a pillar in a large Etruscan tomb. The carving shows all the utensils for making pasta, neatly arranged together, including a jug for the water, a knife, a rolling pin, a large board with a raised edge for keeping the water in when mixing it with the flour, a flour bag for dusting the board, a ladle for adding the water and a pastry wheel. The Greek evidence lies in the word laganon, which was a broad, flat cake made of dough and cut into strips. The Romans, who succeeded the Etruscans, used the word laganum to refer to what we call lasagne, and the word survives to this day in southern Italy, where lasagne are often called lagane and a rolling pin a laganatura.

In Italy, pasta usually refers to dried pasta. Fresh pasta is rarely eaten and is by no means necessarily a treat. In the Emilia-Romagna region, homemade pasta is traditionally made with eggs and flour, which nowadays is the recognized mixture in many homes all over northern Italy. In other regions, however, some eggs have usually been replaced by water, giving a softer, less elastic and less delicate pasta.

Today pasta has become extremely popular all over the world. This pasta phenomenon is loved by young and old alike and indeed what’s not to love about a simple dish of pasta plus a sauce consisting of either a small amount of meat, some vegetables pulses, cheese or eggs.

Being a mum of a 6 year old I know how kids absolutely adore pasta in all forms and variations. For the past several months I have started to use whole wheat or spelt pasta, both are nuttier in taste and offer protein. I have heard some say they cannot get used to the taste, but we actually find the full-bodied flavor adds an additional highlight to the entire pasta dish.

I am sure you will enjoy this roundup. I had the pleasure of discovering several great recipes that I’ve already bookmarked for myself.

Starting with a deliciously simple recipe but with wonderful flavors, Terry caramelizes onions over low heat bringing out the sweet aromas and then adding juicy grape tomatoes to serve a great Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Grape Tomatoes. Another quick recipe comes from Diva of The Sugar Bar. She uses penne and adds courgettes and peppers for a quick lunch of Pasta with Cajun Spiced Courgettes, Peppers & Capers.

A classic and loved by almost all the children I know (and I know plenty of all ages) is definitely spaghetti with bolognese ragu. It’s also something I love taking time to prepare. My recipe for Spaghetti alla Bolognese is adapted from my old Chef trainer who took me under his wings while I was training at a hotel. Susan prepares another great Italian classic from Naples a supreme pasta dish with lentils or as it is called in the region Pasta e Lenticchie. Lentils and pasta mixed with chicken stock, vegetable and a sprinkle of thyme. Perfect and hearty!

Ilva who lives in the beautiful Tuscan region always has a great pasta recipe on hand. I personally loved her oven baked conchiglioni filled with wine and rosemary braised fennel cream. The gentle braising does something magical to the vegetable and brings out incredibly delicious aromas.

What I love about Darius’ pasta recipe is that he uses whole grain linguini and serves it in a rich sauce. He also serves his Diablo Cream Whole Grain Linguini with spiced salmon. What a meal! Francesco is an electrical engineer, but he makes a delicate and exquisite pasta with ricotta and pistachio nuts like a gourmet chef! I just wish I could get my hands on some of that paste.

Pasta is so versatile and can be paired with just about anything. Lydia fuses her pasta with a curry sauce and brings the West and the East together on a plate. Another fusion pasta dish that caught my eye was the firecracker curried scallops with linguine from No Recipes. Firecracker is correct, using garam masala and cayenne pepper this is certainly explosive.

Lasagna is another extremely popular pasta dish. The layering of pasta, filling and a generous amount of sauce, which is then baked in the oven until all of the flavors are incorporated, is a perfect way to enjoy dinner. I personally try to stay away from the famous Bechamel sauce, which is often accompanied with a traditional lasagna and meat ragu. I prefer keeping the flavors delicate and lighter. The ricotta pesto and mushroom lasagna provides and lighter creaminess. The basil pesto highlighted with the creaminess of
ricotta layered with pasta and wild mushrooms bring out a delicious
palette of flavors and aromas. But I know no pasta compilation is complete without the classic and Jaime makes a delicious classic lasagna bolognese that will make everyone drool. As an alternative you can also prepare a lasagna with chicken. The chicken and spinach lasagna is a bit time consuming but worth the effort. Easy in comparison is my take on the classic pasta and meatballs, I use lamb sausage to make the meatballs in the fettuccine with spicy lamb sausage meatballs in a piquant tomato sauce .

Some of the tastiest pasta dishes are created on the spur of the moment and Corey makes her orzo pasta with olives and feta cheese and says this “could become your best friend”. We all love fresh pasta salads and it’s a welcome side to any grilled meat or seafood. However, Food for Tots makes a colorful rainbow seafood pasta salad, which is so good that you will only need a fork and nothing else.

If you want to please a crowd for brunch this pasta fritatta from The Food in my Beard will really please the crowd. It’s packed with cheese, sausage and bacon and those step by step pictures will make you crave for breakfast all over again.

Vegetarian pasta dishes are a great way I like to enjoy my lunch. Maya’s light and healthy whole wheat spaghetti with chickpeas, soy chorizio and almonds is the perfect lunch time pasta dish. Suganya of Tasy Palettes takes us on a delightful trip to Japan, where she serves us a aromatic and flavorful Udon - Miso bowl. It’s healthy, warming and perfect for the cold nights.

Making your own fresh pasta does not have to be time consuming. I personally appreciate fresh ravioli and torterllini because I can choose my own fillings. Marija shows us how to easily shape your own perfect tortellini and tortelloni . Once you have your stuffed tortellini you can make a variety of elegant or rustic dishes. Like this hearty rustic tortellini soup from Cocoa and Cheese. I particularly liked Matt’s Fava bean, pea and mint Ravioli - basil oil and pine nuts. It had a extraordinary taste and perfectly delicate for a starter.

Can you actually have pasta for dessert too? Yes you can! Syrie shares her chocolate pasta with raspberry cream sauce. Something I am sure will make your kids squeal with delight! How about this decadent plum and peach sauce for dipping fried raviolis in? Gattina always creates unique and exciting combinations. Speaking of exciting, the Cupcake Project makes a fantastic toasted ravioli cupcake filled with apple and cinnamon.

Do I hear you craving for pasta now? Well I hope you have found at least one creation that excites your taste buds from this roundup. Do you have a favorite pasta dish? Tell us all about it!

The FoodieView Search Engine will give you lots of great and scrumptious ideas for more pasta creations. Enjoy!

Meeta is passionate about food, photography and life. On her blog What’s For Lunch, Honey? she shares her passion for cooking and pictures, all peppered with a good dose of life. Visit her for more pasta dishes like this penne with asparagus and shrimp or fettucini con gamberetti e rucola.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 10:09 am and is filed under Recipe Roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.