3 Recipes For Cooking Delicious Italian Pasta

Italian pasta dishes are very well known (and devoured) all over the world. Discover here the best way to prepare some Italian pasta dishes.

Italian pasta is undoubtedly one of the most popular and well-known foods in the world. This food is made up of wheat flour, water, salt and egg. Despite the fact that today pasta is an iconic ingredient in Italian cuisine, its origin is not European.

Historical evidence tells us that this food originated in China, but that it was introduced in the Middle Ages in Italy. Since then, they have enjoyed great acceptance around the world.

The texture, the flavor, the many recipes and, above all, the simplicity of their preparation make pasta a food that is widely used and present in most households today.

Pasta is a staple food that allows the culinary imagination to constantly create new dishes. In honor of the exquisiteness and simplicity of each of the possible preparations,  we will present below three super easy recipes to incorporate on your table.

Recipes for preparing Italian pasta

Many people prefer to avoid pasta in their diet because they believe it causes weight gain. Nevertheless, the findings of a recent study published on  Nutrition and Metabolism  show that pasta does not cause weight or fat gain in the body.

As with other foods, the key to enjoying this food as part of a balanced diet is to moderate portions. In addition, it is advisable to opt for nutritious and low-calorie accompaniments. Discover without further delay the delicious recipes that we have selected.

1. Spaghetti with carbonara

Italian pasta comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. One of the best-known forms is spaghetti, a long, circular pasta.

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 150 g bacon
• 1 tablespoon of salt (15 g)
• 1 cup of grated pecorino cheese (100 g)
• 2 ½ cups of “spaghetti” type pasta (350 g)
• ½ tablespoon of ground black pepper (8 g)

Preparation

• Beat the eggs with the grated cheese and salt in a bowl.
• Then carefully cut the bacon into small pieces.
• Pour everything into a saucepan with a little water then let it melt over high heat.
• At the same time, cook the pasta in a liter of previously salted boiling water. When the pasta is almost al dente , drain it well and brown it in a pan with the bacon.
• Turn off the heat then add the beaten eggs and a tablespoon of cooking water to the pan.
• Mix for about 30 seconds while stirring.
• Once ready, remove from heat, serve and sprinkle the cheese on your plate.

2. Puttanesca pasta

This Italian pasta preparation originates from the city of Naples. This dish is very easily distinguished thanks to its bright colors that it owes to its main ingredients, namely tomato, parsley and anchovies.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of salt (15 g)
• ½ can of anchovies (25 g)
• Type of pasta “spaghetti” (350 g)
• 2 tablespoons of capers (30 g)
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed (10 g)
• 5 cups of tomato pulp (500 g)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley (25 g)
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)
• To give the dish more color, you can also add 4 tablespoons of black olives (50 g)

Preparation

• Peel and crush the garlic.
• Then, brown the garlic with a little extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Once the garlic is golden, add the anchovy fillets and capers.
• Continue cooking over low heat for 2 minutes.
• Then pour in the tomato pulp and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.
• Finally, add a pinch of salt and the black olives.
• Cook the pasta in 1 liter of boiling water. Then, when the pasta is al dente , drain it well and add the sauce.
• Serve and sprinkle your plate with fresh parsley.

3. Amatriciana spaghetti

The name of this delicious Italian recipe comes from the locality of Amatrice, the place of origin of this preparation. Amatriciana pasta is one of the most popular Italian recipes due to the simplicity of its preparation.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of salt (30 g)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (15 g)
• ½ teaspoon of butter (15 g)
• 5 cups of ripe tomatoes (500 g)
• 3 cups of spaghetti-type pasta (350 g)
• 2 cups of bacon, cut into strips (150 g)
• 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper (15 g)
• 3 cups of grated Parmesan (300 g)
• 1 chili pepper, chopped and without seeds (5 g)

Preparation

• Make sure to wash the tomatoes well and then peel them.
• After cutting and removing all the seeds and skin from the tomatoes, put them in a blender. The result will give you a puree.
• Then cut the bacon into long strips of the same thickness.
• Using the butter, brown the chilli and bacon in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Then, when you brown the bacon, be sure to add salt, the tomato puree and a pinch of black pepper.
• Remove the mixture from the heat and add half a spoonful of sugar to prevent the sauce from being too acidic.
• In another container, cook the pasta for 5 minutes. Then, when ready, let them sit in the water for 2 more minutes.
• Drain the spaghetti then serve them on a plate with the sauce you prepared previously.
• Distribute the Parmesan well on your plate and enjoy.

Finally, did you know that wholemeal pasta is more filling? This is what suggests the study published on  Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism which also states that whole pasta is richer in fiber. So, when choosing, we advise you to opt for integral pasta.