Cuisine

Pasta gets a bad rep from fitness junkies, gym rats, and athletes. It’s not the healthiest food on the market but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Pasta is an energy food, and as such it has a tendency to end up on our hips and tummies, making us have to occasionally spend time apart from our favorite wardrobe items. But let’s face it, we don’t want to live without pasta. It’s life, for goodness sake. So here are six tips you can use to cook pasta in the healthiest possible way.

1. Boil the Right Amount of Water

It can be tempting to use less water and reduce cooking times. But pasta needs the right amount to cook correctly. As a general rule, the pasta should take up no more than 1/3 of the space inside the water. If you use too little water, more of that notorious starch on the pasta will remain- and you know what that means.

2. Ditch the Salt

Most people use salt habitually, especially when cooking pasta thinking it will pour out in the rinse. But beware, much of that salt will be absorbed by the pasta. This can be a shock to people on low salt diets and throw off their numbers. If you must use salt, use sea salt, it has fewer chemicals and tastes better.

3. Use a Timer

There’s not a huge difference in the time it takes to cook perfect pasta and the time it takes to create an unappealing mush. Most pasta is labeled with a cook time which you should use to set your timer. Cooking your pasta al dente is healthier, and makes it have a lower glycemic index. So check for al dente cooking times on the package.

4. Rinse Correctly

If you use the pasta within a minute or two of cooking, you can skip the rinse. But if not, you need to do it right. If it’s going to sit for a bit, rinse it good and well to stop the cooking process and to help wash off any excess starch that you don’t want- remembering that starch is our biggest pasta related enemy.

5. Get a Taste for Whole Wheat

Sure, some people can’t handle this type of grain, but if you can you’re in luck because it’s more nutritious than the ordinary blond noodles most people go for. It’s got lots of fiber and has been linked to better heart health. Sounds like a win-win.

6. Make it a Vehicle for Superfoods

Cooking pasta gives you the opportunity to sneak in loads of healthy food that you might not ordinarily eat. Dice up spinach, red onions, raw garlic and go heavy on the basil and oregano.

To discover a little taste of Italy, visit L’Amore today.

While most people can agree that a plate full of authentic spaghetti and meatballs, creamy fettuccine alfredo or crispy chicken parm is to die for, there may be a bit of a quandary when it comes to pairing the meal with the perfect wine.

Unfortunately, there are some wines that can significantly detract from the deliciousness of Italian food, which is why you should use the information here to ensure your Italian dish meal and wine choice are a perfect pair.

Cocktails and Aperitifs

These types of drinks will pair best with appetizers and are drinks best served before a meal. A great way to start any meal is with a sparkling wine, such as Spumonti Brut or Prosecco.

Cream Based Sauces and Seafood Dishes

If your meal is from the sea (i.e. fish, shrimp, etc.) then a white wine is the best option. Some selections to consider include Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Pinot Bianco, Fiano di Avellino, Falerio or Chardonnay.

Chicken, Veal, and Pasta in Meat or Tomato Sauce

Light- or medium-bodied red wines are ideal with these dishes. The flavors will balance perfectly allowing you to taste the complex spices in the meal and cleanse the palate for each bite. Some options to consider include Rosso di Montalcino, Grignolino, Merlot, Chianti, or Barbera.

Aged Cheeses, Roasts, Red Meat and Game

Each of these dishes have stronger flavors, which means you can choose a full-bodied red wine without issue. Some considerations for these dishes include Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbaresco or Amarone.

Use a Traditional Approach

While using the guide above is a great way to choose a wine, a more generalized approach to Italian food and the right wine is to try and pair regional wines with provincial recipes. This concept is actually quite easy. For example, if you are planning to cook or order a meal from Tuscany, choose a wine from Tuscany. If you are choosing a Sicilian centered meal, then choose wines based out of the Sicilian region. While this may seem a bit basic, it offers you a general rule to follow when eating delicious Italian food with the perfect wine.   

Remember, if you are ever unsure about “what works,” you can ask your waiter the next time you visit us. They should be able to provide you with a bit more guidance for your wine pairing efforts.

To discover a little taste of Italy, visit L’Amore today.

Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the United States, if not the most popular food period. It comes at every level of quality from video gaming children’s microwave fodder to five-star level refinement. It also comes with a huge range of toppings, ingredients, crust types, and styles.

Some pizzas are even meant to be eaten while walking around while others appear to be intended for dining in. But what types of pizza are real and what kinds are just food on an edible plate with some red sauce? That’s a tough question but certain types are certainly canonical, while others are apocryphal. We had a look around to see which is which.

Chicago Style Pizza

Pizza from the windy city tends to come with a singularly high edge around the perimeter. This is the deep dish variety. It tends to feature large amounts of cheese melted into the sauce with large chunky bits of tomato and rich, dark flavors. You need a towel for this, and you definitely won’t be doing much walking around during your meal, or after.

New York Style Pizza

The famous New York Style of pizza is all about having a slice on foot while walking around the city taking in the sights. This is a large, hand tossed pie with a thin, broad crust and toppings spread out thin over the surface. You don’t want to pile too many toppings on because you’re expected to fold your slice up, hold it in one hand and go about your business. Mozzarella cheese is the commonest cheese used. The three main New York styles are ‘extra toppings,’ ‘cheese only,’ and ‘cheese with pepperoni.’

Italian Pizza

It is generally accepted that Italy is the origin of pizza. But historians argue that Rome actually appropriated it from either Egypt or Greece. Whoever did invent it though, had edible plates in mind as the food was eaten first by the soldiery who were not encouraged to do much sitting down. There are generally three types of pizza from Italy; Neopolitan, Sicilian, and Roman pizzas. Neopolitan features big chinks of San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Asian Pizza

Pizza really went through some major transformations on its way to Asia. Asian pizzas, probably most popular in South Korea and Japan due to their friendly ties to the West, lend a distinctively Asian take on the genre with marinated meat or chicken, rich sauces, and variations with soy sauce, red curry, and other traditional Asian flavors.

To discover a little taste of Italy, visit L’Amore today.