Summer Pasta

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Add radishes when you made Mediterranean pasta salad.
Add radishes when you made Mediterranean pasta salad.
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Summer pasta meals can include linguine Alfredo with garden vegetables (blue plate) or Mediterranean pasta salad with fresh mint (shallow bowl).
Summer pasta meals can include linguine Alfredo with garden vegetables (blue plate) or Mediterranean pasta salad with fresh mint (shallow bowl).

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 summer pasta 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:

  • Published on Jun 1, 1994
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