SUMMER PASTA

Image Gallery Experiment with your garden veggies for lift and quick warm-weather pasta meals. Above:Linguine alfredo with garden vegetables. Below: Mediterranean pasta salad with fresh mint.

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NATURAL KITCHEN

MOTHER'S KITCHEN

Experiment with your garden veggies for lift and quick warm-weather meals.

I don't remember what year (or even what decade) it was that we began to refer to spaghetti as pasta. Growing up in the "spaghetti-os" era in a non-Italian family meant believing that anything vaguely resembling pasta drowned in a tomato-based sauce was classified as "spaghetti." (If you were under the age of eight, it was pronounced "s'getti") Fortunately, we have evolved to the point where even the corner grocer carries a wide variety of pastas from which to choose. No longer considered a fattening food, pasta has become the "in" complex carbohydrate of the 90s. It's a good stuff-yourself food because complex carbohydrates are rarely stored as fat since they're the body's main source of energy. If you use a whole-grain pasta you will add fiber and B vitamins, which is even better, not to mention that pasta is fast, easy, and cheap.

Summer is the perfect time to experiment with your garden vegetables and favorite pasta for some light, healthy meals on hot evenings. My Italian friends insist that there are pasta "rules," such as using a certain pasta depending on the type of sauce. I do respect these rules but rarely follow them since the meal is dependent upon what's in the pantry a half hour before dinner. I once sautéed some baby garden beets with leftover linguine, garlic, and grated ginger for my lunch. My son's remark, as he passed through the kitchen was, "Mom, that's totally gross." At last. A meal all to myself. Just remember that the secret to a low-fat, healthier pasta dish is in the sauce. A plateful of pasta (about 4 ounces), minus the sauce, contains only 4 grams of fat. Instead of using hefty amounts of cream and olive oil, substitute chicken broth, wine, and tomatoes. Use fresh herbs, hot peppers, garlic, and just a little extra-virgin olive oil to give the pasta added flavor.

Pasta Preparation

If pasta is overcooked it absorbs too much water and becomes mushy. When it is cooked "al dente," meaning "to the tooth;" it's still chewy without being undercooked. For the best tasting pasta these techniques are advisable:

1. Fill a large soup pot 3/4 full with cold water, using at least 4 quarts of water even if you're only making pasta for two. Don't prepare two types of pasta in the same pot.
2. When the water comes to a boil, add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. When it returns to a boil, add the pasta, keeping the flame on high until it begins to foam. Then reduce heat to medium-high.
3. Stir occasionally so the pasta won't stick together. Don't follow the suggested cooking times on the pasta box too closely. To know when the pasta is done you must taste it. If it has a raw taste, continue to boil. A thin pasta such as angel hair, or cappellini, will be ready in a few minutes, whereas a thicker pasta such as fettucine may take about five minutes. Whole-grain pasta takes a few minutes longer than the white-durum semolina pastas. Freshly made pasta will cook much faster than a boxed dried pasta.
4. When the pasta is cooked sufficiently, pour it into a colander to drain. Shake to drain well, making sure that all excess water is gone before tossing it with the sauce. Don't rinse in cold water unless you're making a pasta salad.

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