By: Sara Loft

Who doesn’t like a hot meal in colder months? I don’t know about you but pasta is one of the first things that come into my mind. Pasta is a staple all over the world but it’s commonly an item found in traditional Italian cuisine. Surely, there are several recipes available serving pasta in a cold or ambient temperature. According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), the initial food pyramid is a visual guide to show the individual how many servings of food they should eat per day. Pasta is found in the bottom tier. It does not mean it is less favorable. Actually, like breads and grains, pasta is part of maintaining a healthy diet. The USDA recommends us to eat from 6 to 11 servings of grains of food per day. For example, a serving of grain is one slice of bread or ½ cup of pasta, preferable whole grain products.

Pasta is most commonly made from a dough of durum wheat flour. The flour is mixed with eggs or just as simple as water. Pasta can be served fresh or it can be dried to be preserved for another day.  However, pasta has evolved over the centuries. When allergies and food sensitivities arose, food scientists have creatively thought of developing pastas without gluten. Gluten is a protein that aids the baked goods like pastas to have its unique shape, structure, flexibility and texture even. Gluten is found in grains, barley and rye. Now you can find pasta noodles made out of vegetables or from a processing plant in a contained room apart from gluten exposure.

Pasta making is a lost art. You can make it at home by scratch or just buy a package of noodles at a nearby grocery store. My favorite store to buy pasta noodles is from a local store called: The Pasta Peddler. In fact, The Pasta Peddler recently  reached their 30th year anniversary dedicating and serving handmade pastas and other gourmet items to the Western New York community! I discovered this wonderful brand at the South Buffalo Farmer’s Market held at Cazenovia Park. I was pleased to see The Pasta Peddler selling whole wheat linguine noodles. The Pasta Peddler is in North Buffalo  at 1547 Hertel Avenue Buffalo, NY 14216. Their website is currently under maintenance but you could stop at their storefront or possibly find them at a local farmer’s market, too. 

Now, let’s get cooking! Grab your pot, for every pound (16 ounces = 16 servings as recommended by the USDA) of pasta it’s best to add 4 quarts of cold water and put it into a boiling pot (212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius), then add a tablespoon of sea salt into the boiling water, after carefully tasting how salty the water is, then you can throw your favorite pasta noodle into the pot of boiling water to cook. Always read the instructions for premade pasta noodles because they may vary. Don’t forget to make that pasta “al dente” which is an Italian phrase “to the tooth.” It is an ideal consistency to enjoy a delicious meal to the table. Mangia! So, what’s cookin’?