Pasta, Sumptuous Pasta
I spent a good part of my formative years living in Italy, and all things Italian bring me back to that wonderful time in my life – whether it’s seeing an old Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni movie, cooking my ancestors’ food in my own kitchen or reading about Italian places and food. This issue’s special pasta section is no exception – it makes me want to run to my kitchen and create some wonderful pasta, sauce and cheese concoction. We seem never to run out of delectable culinary variations using those three sumptuous ingredients.
In this issue’s pasta report, we cover the newest offerings and news in pasta itself, as well as new housewares and accessories to assist cooks make and elegantly serve pasta. While Americans are not the biggest pasta consumers, they are ranked third in the word, making pasta and Italian food a guaranteed crowd pleaser. In Joanne Friedrick’s article, “Everyone’s Favorite: Palate-Pleasing Pasta,” on page 10, you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about pasta and new variations that are tantalizing America’s palate.
And what pasta report would be complete without a primer on Italy’s favorite cheeses to accompany pastasciutta? And who better to provide such a feature than Gourmet Business’ very own James Mellgren, managing editor of sister publication Fine Cheese & Charcuterie? “For most cooks and consumers, pasta without cheese is almost unthinkable,” James aptly wrote in his article “Pasta & Cheese” on page 18. “Whether the pasta is dried or fresh, stuffed or cut into long ribbons and sauced, cheese has for centuries been its natural accompaniment; and the choices, like the pasta itself, are seemingly endless.” Isn’t that the truth? As long as you have pasta and cheese in the house, and either olive oil and/or tomatoes, and a clove or two of garlic, a warm, delicious meal can be easily had. James reveals some of the secrets of Italy’s most delicious cheeses for pasta, reviewing them by region.
The most wonderful thing about pasta is there is no shortage of new and modern variations on the ancient food. Who said you can’t toss it with Greek feta cheese, Danish blue cheese or French brie? Pasta is even delicious in its most simple form – served piping hot with a generous pat (or two) of butter, fresh grated Parmigiano- Reggiano with a touch of fresh milled black pepper, one of my favorite dishes discovered many years ago as a 5-year-old living in Milano.
Buon appetito!
Maureen Azzato Managing Editor, Gourmet Business mazzato@gourmetbusiness.com