What you want to know about pasta
An old-fashioned Mac & Cheese, a traditional bolognese, a luxurious pappardelle with fresh truffle, or a fresh pasta salad with crayfish. Short on time? Pasta. Heartbreak? Scoring points with that handsome dude? Pasta. Pasta is ALWAYS a good plan and I actually don't know anyone who doesn't love pasta. We at the editorial office are in any case intensely happy with the Italian delicacy and have even recently our own pasta machine. Today is International Pasta Day, time to put some facts in a row. I'll throw in a nice recipe, because tonight we're of course eating... That's right: pasta.
1. An Italian eats an average of twenty-six kilograms of pasta per year. This is more than twice as much as a Dutch person.
2. Most pasta is produced in Italy, America, and Brazil.
3. The most popular pasta dishes in our country are spaghetti bolognese, carbonara, and lasagna.
4. The hole in that wooden spoon actually has a function. It measures exactly the amount of spaghetti for one person.
5. A plate of pasta is according to Italians the remedy for a hangover.
6. Non-Italians are actually spaghetti barbarians. We eat our strands with a fork and spoon, or even worse, cut them into small pieces. And that really can't be done.
7. You eat spaghetti only with a fork. You twirl your pasta around it.
8. And in your other hand, you hold a piece of ciabatta to dip in your sauce. Or in the olive oil.
9. There are over 600 different types of pasta around the world.
10. The cooking water of the pasta should never be thrown away. It is the ideal way to bind your sauce.
11. Every type of pasta has its own sauce.
12. Pasta is actually a side dish and not a main meal.
13. According to Italians, dried pasta is not real pasta.
14. Nowadays, you can easily make your own pasta (and we have already tried it).
15. We Dutch often slather a thick sauce over our spaghetti, but freshly made pasta doesn't need much more than good olive oil, garlic, a spicy piece of Parmigiano, and a twist of fresh black pepper.
This Pasta Puttanesca is just how it should be. Sour from the capers, salty from the anchovies, and spicy from the chili. Super quick to make and incredibly delicious. And do you already have plans for tonight? Then just make it and you'll be ready quickly tomorrow. Because the day after it tastes ten times better.
Pasta Puttanesca
- 300 grams of linguine (De Cecco No. 7 is a favorite)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 handful of capers
- jar of black Kalamata olives, sliced
- 1 can of anchovies, finely chopped
- 2 tsp dried chili flakes or 1 red chili, sliced
- 2 cans of peeled tomatoes
- 1 can of tomato puree
- 1 handful of fresh parsley
- olive oil
- freshly ground salt and pepper
- optional: parmesan cheese
1. Heat a generous splash of olive oil in the pan and add the red onion, let it caramelize softly and then add the garlic and chili.
2. Let the anchovies melt in and then add the tomatoes and the puree. Let it simmer for half an hour and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon through the sauce.
3. Cook your pasta al dente.
4. Finally, add the olives, fresh parsley, capers, and black olives. Let this simmer for a few more minutes.
5. Serve the pasta with the sauce and garnish with extra parsley and parmesan.
