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Italy is known for its food, especially pasta!
First reference in Sicily as an ideal staple in 1154, however then spread into the mainland
Wherever Italians immigrated, they brought their pasta along, therefore it quickly became a staple of international cuisine to this day
Pasta is a term for foods made from dough of wheat or buckwheat flour and water.
two main groups – fresh and dried
Pasta has an older pedigree in history compared to pizza and tomato gravy
1300s – dried pasta became very popular for its wheat grains and long shelf life Ideal for long ship voyages
Pasta was known around the world from “discovery voyages” about a century later
By that time, different shapes and sizes appeared along with new technology, which made pasta easier to make
With these inventions, pasta truly became part of the Italian lifestyle
Pasta Meets Tomatoes
19th century
Tomatoes were brought back to Europe after their discovery in the New World However, it took an extensive time for the plant to be considered
edible
FUN FACT: rumors of tomatoes being poisonous continued in part of Europe and some of its colonies until the end of the 19th century
1839 – first pasta recipe with tomatoes was documented
Pasta Today
Estimated that Italians eat over 60 pounds of pasta per person, per year.
In comparison, Americans eat about 20 pounds of pasta per person, per year.
The love of pasta in Italy outweighs the wheat production within the country
Italy must import most of the wheat it uses for pasta
Dried Pasta Dry pasta is made from durum wheat
flour or durum wheat semolina which has high levels of gluten, giving it the yellow color and an easier dough to work with.
Dried pasta is shaped in a variety of ways to fit various types of sauces.
Thin and long pasta is made for oily, and more liquid sauces
More complicated shapes are better for thicker, chunkier sauces
350 differet shapes and varieteies of dried pasta in Italy
By Italian law, dried pasta must be made with 100% durum semolina flour and water
Fresh Pasta
• All pasta basically starts out as fresh pasta, but some are prepared to be eaten "soft"
• Made with different ingredients than dried pastas to some extent
• Northern regions of Italy: use all-purpose flour and eggs
• Southern Italy: made from semolina and water
• Fresh pasta is often served with a cream sauce or very simple sauce complete with butter and sage
• light tomato sauces are saved for summer months
• Throughout Italy, being served fresh homemade pasta is a real treat since it is guaranteed that it was made that day and will have a taste unlike any other pasta
Gnocchi,aka Italian Dumplings
• In the family-run Trattorias of Rome, some of the best gnocchi is served every Thursday night in a citywide tradition.
• Florence is home to gnocchi so good, that it is known for priests choking from eating too fast
Pesto Caprese GnocchiIngredients
•2 packages (1 lb. each) gnocchi•1 pint grape tomatoes, halved•8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls•4 oz. prosciutto•¾ c. pesto•¼ c. pine nuts
Instructions
•Prepare gnocchi according to package instructions. Drain.•Combine cooked gnocchi with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, pesto and pine nuts.•Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.
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