Pasta primer: Everything you need to know on the perfect pasta meal

By From Wire Services | Wednesday, May 14, 2008 10:35 PM PDT ∞

Have you heard the joke about "the pasta diet"?

It goes like this. You walk "pasta" the doughnut shop. You walk "pasta" the candy store. You walk "pasta" the ice cream parlor. You lose weight.

Pretty silly; but as with most good comedy, it's based on the truth. And, despite a recent bad reputation, it's probably not the pasta that's making you fat.

All carbs got hit pretty hard in recent years, identified as the culprits in weight gain because of the way the digestive system quickly absorbs their energy. The argument goes that carbohydrate calories more easily convert into body fat.

Recently, that dietary advice was fine-tuned a bit to encourage choosing whole-grain versions dubbed "quality carbs," such as brown rice, whole-grain breads and whole-wheat pastas. That's because the fiber in whole-grain foods slows down absorption a bit, therefore tempering or preventing the sugar rush blamed for body fat deposition.

A food's individual effect on blood sugar is scored by the glycemic index, developed by researchers at the University of Toronto. The higher the GI score, the greater the effect on elevating blood sugar.

So where does that leave fettuccine cloaked in a meaty Bolognese sauce? Or hand-tucked tortellini stuffed with ricotta and roasted leeks? Grab a fork and read on.

Pasta 101

Sharing is good. When a pasta dish is so intensely good, you only need a small plate to satisfy a craving. Those huge platters of pasta served at some Italian-American eateries as an entree for one are definitely not advised if you're trying to stay trim. Portion control is just the first lesson in learning how to add pasta to a healthy diet.

What's in the pasta? The second lesson is about ingredients. Respect for the highest-quality pasta preparation and enjoyment is the driving force behind Elisa Gambino's Atlanta-based Via Elisa Fresh Pasta. Gambino, who was a producer for CNN in Rome, began a new career in 2002 reproducing the pasta she had enjoyed in Italy.

"I use 100 percent organic semolina flour and eggs from free-range hens. It makes a huge difference in the taste and texture of the pastas," she said. "The best pastas are silky."

Interestingly, there's a surprising win-win for taste and health when you carefully examine the properties of pasta ingredients. Coarsely ground semolina flour, which is made from the highest-grade durum hard wheat, cooks up firmer than pastas made with soft-wheat flour. Because the starch particles in semolina pastas are larger, they are not absorbed as quickly. Finely ground grain is more rapidly digested, and so it has a higher glycemic index than more coarsely ground grain.

Pasta dough made with more egg solids, as with Gambino's Italian method, will have more protein and some fat in the mix, so it will have a lower glycemic effect, too.

Another nutrition note: Dried pasta cooked as recommended to the al dente stage (when there's a light resistance when bitten into) has a lower glycemic index ranking than pasta boiled until soft and mushy. So score one more for cooking pasta properly.

Partner with vegetables

While individual foods may be measured alone in nutrition labs to learn their glycemic ranking, they are rarely eaten alone. And according to Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer of the Obesity Research Center of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University, that can change things.

"Response to a carbohydrate food varies with the amount of fat, protein or both with which it is ingested," he said. Therefore, spaghetti with meat balls would have a lower glycemic ranking than spaghetti alone.

This combination effect on blood sugar levels is measured by the "glycemic load," which nutritionists find much more useful. Order a fiber-rich garden salad with your spaghetti and meatballs, and the glycemic load could fall even further. So primavera pastas served with fiber-containing vegetables, or raviolis stuffed with mushrooms, are a good choice, too.

It's also interesting to note that the more fat or acid a dish contains, the slower its carbohydrates are converted into sugar and absorbed into the bloodstream. Adding vinegar and olive oil to a cold pasta salad or tossing angel hair with a simple saute of crushed tomatoes will lower the dish's glycemic ranking. Ditto fresh lemon squeezed on lemon pappardelle.

Gambino may not be thinking about its ultimate healthy effect on blood sugar levels as she prepares her Passionately Perfect Tomato Sauce With Italian plum tomatoes (acid), extra-virgin olive oil (fat), sauteed carrots and celery (fiber), but her mission to create the ultimate flavor experiences for pasta lovers is a living lesson in the healthiest ways to enjoy these foods, too.

So there's no reason to walk "pasta" her shop.

Carolyn O'Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of "The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!" E-mail: healthyeating AT ajc.com.

Recipe for handmade egg pasta

The Associated Press

After roughly two decades of teaching Americans how to cook Italian, Mary Ann Esposito still enjoys showing off the basics ---- a simple, egg-based, handmade pasta.

The host of Public Television's long-running "Ciao Italia" cooking show says that with just a few common ingredients and a bit of muscle, fresh pasta for four can be had in under an hour. No fancy equipment needed.

While pasta can be made on any surface, Esposito suggests a wooden counter or large cutting board. The texture of the wood provide traction when kneading and working with the dough.

HANDMADE EGG PASTA

Start to finish: 1 hour (30 minutes active)

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semolina flour

1 teaspoon salt

5 eggs

Pour the all-purpose flour into a pile on the counter. Sprinkle semolina flour and salt over it, then use your hand to mix them in. Create a deep well in the center of the pile of flours.

Crack eggs into the well, then use a fork to lightly beat them.

Working in a clockwise direction, use fork to slowly move flour in from the edges of the well and incorporate it into beaten eggs. Continue until nearly all the flour has been incorporated.

The dough should resemble a shaggy, moist mass. Use both hands to worth this mass together to form a rough ball of dough. Use a pastry scraper to clean the counter of any stuck bits and excess flour.

Begin kneading the dough, pushing the dough away from you and folding it over on itself, working in additional flour as needed until the dough ball is dry and soft, at least several minutes.

Overturn a large bowl over the dough ball and let it rest, covered, for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into quarters. Dust three of the pieces with flour, then cover with the overturned bowl to prevent them from drying out.

Use hands to flatten the dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out dough until very thin. You should be able to nearly see your hand if you place it behind the dough.

Use a knife to trim dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle dough with flour, then fold the dough over on itself several times, as though you are folding a sheet of paper before placing it in an envelope.

Place the folded dough with a long side facing you. Starting at one short end, use a knife to cut the folded dough into thin strips, then unfold the resulting noodles.

Cook the noodles in lightly salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Four servings.

Recipe for handmade semolina pasta

Associated Press

This simple, egg-free pasta is a delicious, fun and child-friendly way to try your hand at homemade pasta. While it can be shaped however you like, this style traditionally is formed into small, thin discs.

This recipe calls for forming the dough into long snakes, which then are cut into small chunks that can be pressed with your thumb to create the discs, or pressed against the tines of a fork or along the ridges of a gnocchi board to produce the grooves that help sauces cling to the pasta. Gnocchi boards are inexpensive and widely available online.

While egg-based pastas usually call for all-purpose flour with a bit of semolina (a coarse, almost sandy wheat flour), this recipe uses only semolina, which can be found in the baking or Italian food section of most large grocers.

Because semolina pasta is denser and chewier than other pastas, you will not need as much per serving. This recipe produces enough to make four entrees when paired with a meat- or vegetable-based sauce.

SEMOLINA PASTA

Start to finish: 30 minutes

2 cups semolina flour

1/2 to 3/4 cup water, divided

Place flour in large bowl, then use your hand to form a well at the center.

Add 1/3 cup water and begin working the water into flour with a fork. Flour will be very dry. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, continuing to work it into flour even though it will not appear to be enough moisture.

When flour resembles moist sand, use your hand to squeeze it together. It should clump together well. If not, add more water and continue mixing. If you add too much water and the flour becomes watery or soupy, add flour.

When dough clumps well, transfer it to a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough, pushing it away from your body and folding it over on itself, for about 5 minutes. Adjust water or flour as needed.

The dough is ready when it is smooth and looks and feels like skin.

Divide dough into quarters, then shape each quarter into two snakes about 6 to 8 inches long. Use a knife to cut each snake into 3/4- to 1-inch-long chunks.

Gently press each chunk against the tines of a fork, using your thumb to apply pressure, or along the ridges of a gnocchi board to create grooves. Toss the finished pasta with a bit of semolina to prevent them from sticking.

Cook in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until they float. Drain and toss with sauce. Four servings.

Pasta by the numbers

To make great pasta, it helps to know a few key numbers:

-- For most recipes, plan about 4 ounces of pasta per serving. So a 1-pound box will make four servings.

-- To dress pasta, plan for about 3 cups tomato-based sauce per pound of pasta, says Becky Hays, managing editor at Cook's Illustrated magazine. For pesto, you will need about 3/4 cup.

-- For easy planning, most pasta is sold in 1-pound packages and most jars of sauce contain 3 cups. To make four servings, buy one of each.

-- When cooking pasta, plenty of water is essential. For each pound of pasta, you will need to boil at least 4 quarts of lightly salted (about 1 tablespoon) water. A 6- to 8-quart pot is best.

-- When cooking for a crowd, don't try to cook 2 pounds of pasta in one pot, say the editors of Cook's Illustrated. It will take too long for the water to return to a boil. Instead, use two pots.

-- Cooking time will vary by pasta shape and size, but a good rule of thumb is to drain the pasta when you think it is about 30 seconds away from being done. Residual heat in the pasta will finish the cooking.

Recipe for Mega Meat Sauce

Associated Press

There is nothing subtle about this meat sauce.

It is jammed with flavorful ingredients, starting with a healthy four cloves of garlic (double it if you dare) and finishing with tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese.

Along the way it also takes on some serious seasonings and ---- for good measure ---- a half pound of prosciutto.

It may seem like overkill, and that's the point. From-scratch pasta sauces generally develop their deep, rich flavors from a long simmer on the stove. But weeknight cooking usually doesn't involve that luxury.

To compensate for the faster pace, ingredients with serious oomph are employed. They also are ingredients that need little time to disperse throughout the sauce, such as the vinegar and Parmesan.

One warning ---- salt only at the very end. Many people will find the saltiness contributed by the prosciutto and Parmesan to be more than enough.

If you want to give this already thick sauce a chunkier texture, add a 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers (drained and chopped). For a bit of heat, try diced pickled jalapeno peppers.

If you find prosciutto a bit pricey, substitute an equal amount of lean bacon or deli-sliced ham. The flavors will be different, but still delicious.

MEGA MEAT SAUCE

Start to finish: 30 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium red onion, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dry basil

1 teaspoon dry oregano

1 1/4 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound prosciutto, finely chopped

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In large saucepan over medium-high, combine olive oil, garlic, red onion, paprika, basil and oregano. Saute until onion is tender and seasonings are fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add ground beef and prosciutto. Continue to saute until beef is cooked through and the prosciutto begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and any juices, tomato paste and vinegar and bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, to let flavors combine. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted, then season with salt and pepper. Six servings.

Per serving: 392 calories; 189 calories from fat; 21 g fat (7 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 98 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 36 g protein; 2 g fiber; 1,753 mg sodium.

What to drink with your pasta meal?

Associated Press

It's time to break out of your Chianti rut.

If you reach for that trusty Tuscan every time pasta and red sauce hit the table, you're missing out on a world of great pairings, says Gary Vaynerchuk, the energetic host of the Web program Wine Library TV.

When it comes to mating wine with marinara, Vaynerchuk advocates breaking with tradition.

"This will surprise many, but I often drink white wine with marinara sauce," he said via e-mail. "No, I'm not talking California chardonnay, and I don't want a lot of oak. A white wine that is rich yet crisp works tremendously."

It works because high-acid whites can complement the acidity of the tomatoes, says Vaynerchuk, author of the forthcoming "Gary Vaynerchuk's 101 Wines Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight and Bring Thunder to Your World."

Among his suggestions ---- the Domaine Baubiac viognier 2004 ($17), which he calls "a terrific food wine with back-end acidity that would complement a lighter sauce very well."

Particularly bold marinaras, including those loaded with garlic, may need a hearty red. In that case, head to Spain for tempranillo-based wines such as Ercavio Roble La Mancha 2006 ($10), he says.

"I'll toss out one more curve ball, because I love veggie action in my wines," Vaynerchuk adds. "For me, that means cabernet franc. The premier growing region for cabernet franc is Chinon, and the Noblaie Chinon Rouge 2004 ($14) is an obscenely well balanced wine that brings veggies and cocoa action that just flat-out works with marinara."