Meant to be together
.
King, M. (n.d.). The better way to carb load – grief with TSA. KINGS CAMPS AND FITNESS.
From Whom?
Pasta is an excellent source of energy (aka carbohydrates and protein . It gives runners or anyone needing some energy stored, the energy and strength they need to compete in an exercise that involves a lot of exertion, such as swimming or running. It can be traced back to the 4th century B.C in an Etruscan tomb which showed the group of natives what appeared to be pasta. However, pasta didn’t make its way to American until the colonists discovered it while touring Italy. Thomas Jefferson is credited with bringing the first macaroni machine to America after being in France.
How it’s Made
When it comes to “making pasta”, I tend to think of boiling water in a big pot then dumping my noodles in and patiently waiting for them to cook. That whole process being done in about 30 minutes. However, if you think a little further back, you realize there is much more to making actual pasta than just boiling a pot of water.
However, making pasta is quite simple. It all begins with durum wheat which is primarily grown and produced in two regions of the United States; the desert southwest region under irrigated regimes, and in the central region of the northern Great Plains under rainfed conditions. Once the durum wheat has been harvested, it gets rinsed and goes into a mill which will turn it into wheat semolina (flour). To transform the wheat semolina into the pasta dough, water must be added. Depending on the type of pasta you’re making, feel free to add natural ingredients such as eggs, spinach, tomatoes, etc. With the addition of the water, the pasta is now free to be molded into whatever pasta shape you desire. There are so many shapes and designs out there. For instance, you have the pastas that are made from dough sheets such as lasagna, shaped pastas like spaghetti and fettuccine and other shapes like macaroni. Once your pasta is molded into whatever shape you desire, it needs time to dry. Every pasta has a different drying method, all processes are very delicate and fragile. The longer pastas likepaghetti must be dried vertically and held from rods, while shorter pastas like macaroni are dried slowly in a rotational or floating dryer. Once dried, it is time to package the freshly made pasta and have it distributed to grocery stores for all of us to buy and start boiling our water.
Lovers, B. Y. F. D. (1970, March 30). Different pasta types and how to use them. Fine Dining Lovers.
Good for us, but for the environment?
What is semolina? Bob’s Red Mill Blog. (2018, February 18).
As everyone knows, pasta is a healthy choice for everyone. But that leaves me wondering, is it healthy and sustainable for our environment? After doing some research on this, I found that pasta is actually known to be one of the more environmentally friendly and sustainable food products. It is very easy to produce and from the farm to your table, it has a small carbon footprint
Something we can all make
All the pasta talk I just did made me hungry, so now I will show a delicious pasta recipe that you can easily make at home that anyone can make! This recipe is called Fettuccine Alfredo and it is one of my favorites to make for dinner.
The prep time for this meal is 15 minutes and the cook time is 15 minutes as well. So it’s a quick and easy meal to make.
Modern Honey, Th, Kris, Ryan, Danielle, Beth, Sherry, Nikki, Lupe, Alayna, Ashley, Bev, G., Cheryl, Robin, Krystle, Kathy, M, Tuccillo, C., & M., T. (2018, August 12). Fettuccine alfredo. Modern Honey.
Ingredients:
- 24ounces dry fettuccini pasta
- 1cup butter
- ¾pint heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1dash garlic salt
- ¾cup grated Romano cheese
- ½cup grated Parmesan cheese
1) Boil your water. Once your water comes to a boil, put your fettuccini noodles in and let them cook for 8-10 minutes, then drain the water from the pot.
2) in a separate pan, melt butter on low heat and then add salt, pepper, and garlic salt (and any veggies you may like). Also, stir in your cheese to finish making your sauce.
3) And finally, combine your pasta and your sauce and stir it all together
Blog Post by Delaney Long
Citations:
Pasta: Healthy for you, healthy for the environment. National Wheat Foundation. (n.d.).
Sowell, A. (n.d.). Robust demand for Pasta Spurs record durum wheat use and strong imports. USDA ERS – Chart Detail. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/gallery/chart-detail/?chartId=102318
Beres, B. L., Rahmani, E., Clarke, J. M., Grassini, P., Pozniak, C. J., Geddes, C. M., Porker, K. D., May, W. E., & Ransom, J. K. (1AD, January 1). A systematic review of durum wheat: Enhancing production systems by exploring genotype, environment, and management (G × E × m) synergies. Frontiers.
From durum wheat to pasta: How is pasta made? Pastas Gallo. (2021, December 15).
To die for fettuccine alfredo. Allrecipes. (n.d.).