Comments on: More on that pasta

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:10:39 +0000

Well I love lots of sauce and veggies with my pasta. My husband calls my spaghetti soup! I found out how sparse sauce is in authentic Italian cooking when my husband and I went out for some Italian cuisine. Boy, was I disappointed when I paid $30 for penne pasta with barely any sauce. I asked for more sauce and the waiter turned his nose at me and explained that it was not authentic. But I got my sauce!

By: Charise

Charise — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:41:25 +0000

This is something I’ve been inadvertently doing for quite a while. I’m only cooking for two (well, usually 3 so I have enough for lunch the next day). Since most recipes are for twice that many servings, we’ll often cut the amount of pasta and protein in half but leave the amount of vegetables/spices/sauce the same as in the original recipe. We like the bigger flavor punch, and can always use more veggies, right?

By: cathy

cathy — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:01:54 +0000

Hi Andy: Sorry for the teaser! I guess I felt this recipe was shamefully simple and thus not important enough to post, but it was actually very yummy, so I just posted it. Hope you enjoy. And oops, I never thought I’d need a search on this site, but now that you mention it, I probably should…

By: Andy Deemer

Andy Deemer — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:01:31 +0000

Cathy —

- where is the recipe for that pea pasta? you tease so!!!! it looks amazing

- where is the search on the site!?!?!? I only just needed it for the first time (for the peas etc in pasta!!!!) and couldn’t find it!

(and thanks for being a continuing source of amazing epicurian additions to both my kitchen and life)

By: cathy

cathy — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:54:24 +0000

Sarah C: thanks! And whoops, didn’t mean to sound as if I disagreed with Bittman’s idea. I think it’s terrific, too — so much that I wish it could also work with other foods, too!

Ann: You’re right, easing up on portions is probably best. Thanks!

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:45:06 +0000

Great ruminations!

You’re so right that lightening up pasta is easy… I do it by tossing a smaller amount of pasta with a LOT of something bulky, but flavorsome, like braised escarole with garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon. Or I make a quick base of shallots sauteed in olive oil, deglaze with wine, add tomatoes and then dump in mussels until they steam open and serve it all over a very small portion (so much smaller than we ever used to consider acceptable) of linguine. Or we serve a “normal” ratio of pasta to sauce as a small starter.

As for more challenging dishes like your example of a Vindaloo… I wouldn’t be willing to compromise on cooking methods, but I’d be willing to compromise on portion size.

By: Sarah C.

Sarah C. — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:14:58 +0000

First of all, YUM! Great pic and wonderful looking pasta.
Second, I think that Bittman has a point. Since the day humans adopted agriculture our health has taken a downturn. Sure, since the invention of modern meds everything is seemingly better but the truth of the matter is, we arent built for processed grains. They are the easiest, cheapest, and most filling type of food, but we are primates. How many other animals do you know that survive off of ground up grains? I am guessing few if any examples come to mind.
As you point out, access to inexpensive fresh meat and produce is no longer an issue in most cases so it isnt necessary to gorge on “filler” foods. I love pasta as much as the next person, but I would personally opt for a saucier dish.