As easy as Pasta

When I am asked what I had for dinner, nine out of ten times that answer is "pasta." Growing up, I thought it was normal that families ate pasta for lunch and dinner about five or six days out of the week. Of course my mother would make different sauces and side dishes for our dinner, but the pasta remained unchanged.

The routine is easy: bring a pot of water to a boil and pour in salt. Then add your favorite pasta, mine is Barilla's rigatoni. Then strain the pasta, al dente of course, and coat in olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking to itself. Pro tip: if you plan on boiling the pasta before you make the sauce, then I recommend you use the boil time given minus 1-1.5 minutes (ex. instructions say 11 minutes; boil for 10). This is because when the pasta sits out after you have taken it off of the heat, the vapor and heat from the pasta, freshly boiled, continues to cook it--so by allowing the pasta to be just slightly undercooked, it will be perfectly al dente. After you've boiled the pasta and sprinkled it with oil, it's time to make a sauce.

My decision on which sauce to make always depends on my mood. But the base is simple: olive oil, whole garlic for flavor, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, basil, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Warning: do not let the garlic burn or you will have to start over! After the base has been made, the rest is easy. You can add fresh tomatoes for a classic pomodoro sauce, mushrooms and heavy cream for a hearty sauce, or a dash of lemon and artichokes for a light and fresh dish.

Once the sauce has been made and the pasta has been boiled, you are ready to sauté your dish. Sautéing pasta in its sauce creates all the difference. By allowing the pasta and its sauce to meet in the high heat of the pan, the flavors have melded together and the sauce has coated every part of the pasta for a balanced sauce to pasta ratio in every bite.

Ok, now it is time to pour a glass of wine, invite friends or family, and enjoy.

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