Happy National Spaghetti Day

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By Chef Diane

Well the holiday season has finally come to an end.  The parties are over, the Christmas goose has been cooked, the New Year’s black eyed peas and greens have disappeared, and you are wondering, now what will I fix for dinner.  You are in luck!  Today is National Spaghetti Day!  Spaghetti is a simple dish to make, and it is something that will feed your whole family with just a few minutes of time in the kitchen.  Today, you can stop by the freezer section, grab some frozen meatballs, then head over to the grocery aisle, pick up a jar of sauce, and don't forget to stop by the bakery and grab some French bread!

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You can fix a salad, spaghetti and bread in no time.  According to punchbowl.com, we associate pasta with the Italians, who have revolutionized the dish and invented a wide variety of pasta shapes. These include farfalle, conchiglie, rotini, penne, tortellini, and, of course, spaghetti. Spaghetti is the most common round-rod type of pasta and in Italian, “spaghetti” means “little lines.” Spaghetti is traditionally served with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese, but you can also add meat, garlic, oil, and pepper for extra flavor.

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I don't watch many cooking shows.  With just me here, I don’t try too many different recipes.  But...there is a man who has a short show that is shown on yahoo.com every week.  He is Italian, so many of his shows are of Italian food, which I love.  I checked today to see what he would have for spaghetti, and saw this clip.  He is very quick, and entertaining, and once you watch, you will be hooked too!

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http://shine.yahoo.com/video/chowciao-lazy-meatballs-pappardelle-052016432.html;_ylt=AjJSl0tVIcxEBudP5.87VPRZbqU5;_ylu=X3oDMTJjOGxkZTBsBHBrZwMwNTYzNTAyNC05YzMyLTMxYmUtYTc0Ny0zMWEwZmEyNGQzYjMEcG9zAzExBHNlYwNNZWRpYVZpZGVvc0Nhcm91c2VsQ0FYSFI-;_ylv=3

So while you are recovering from all the holiday dishes, today, you can just kick back, boil some noodles and enjoy a fast easy dinner that is filling and delicious.

It is Spaghetti Day

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By Diane Forrest,

My cousin is a great cook, she loves to try new recipes, I am not that way.  I like to stick with the tried and true.  She invited my husband and I to her home for dinner one night, and had prepared spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna.  It was delicious and my husband raved about it often.  I called her, asked her for the recipe, and set out to make it.  Since it was New Year's Eve, and it made alot, I took some to my parent's for their dinner, and my son and his friend also ate it.

Everyone loved it except for my son.  He blamed me and the spaghetti for ruining his whole year when he developed a stomach virus and spent New Year's Eve in the bathroom.

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Spaghetti is cylindrical pasta made from semolina flour and water.  The name means thin string or twine.  It is used to make a variety of Italian dishes using different sauces such as marinara, cabonera and alfredo sauce.

Today is National Spaghetti Day.  It is a fast, inexpensive, and romantic meal.   Who could forget the dinner between the Lady and the Tramp?  If you don't want to use the jar of sauce, I am giving you the recipe that my cousin got from a local restaurant chef.  I am also included the meatballs too.  Give it a try; I am sure you will love it as much as we did.

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Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 28oz can tomato puree or 3 10oz cans
• 1 small can italian tomato paste
• 1 14 oz can italian stewed tomatoes
• 1 larg can water
• 1 beef boullion cube
• fresh garlic to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 cup Romano/parmesan mixture cheese (grated or powder)

Directions

Mix sauce ingredients in large dutch oven and simmer

Meatballs

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• fresh garlic to taste
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oragano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup Romano/parmesean mixture cheese (grated or powder)

Directions

Mix all ingredients for meatballs and form into small meatballs and brown in skillet.  Add to sauce and cook at least 2 hours on low heat.  Serve over spaghetti noodles

National Pasta Day

By Diane Forrest,

When I was very young I remember going to a lady's home and having lunch.  She fixed a plate of little round O's in a tomato sauce.    That is my earliest memory of Spaghetti O's.  They were so delicious, I remember eating them all up, which is something I never did being a picky eater and all.  These days you can find Spaghetti O's along with ABC’s, Princess shapes, dinosaurs, sports and even sea life shapes to entice picky eaters to eat.

Pasta is a staple with small children, from spaghetti to macaroni and cheese to ravioli.  Of course hamburger helper is a must for a fast and easy dinner, and almost all of the flavors are made with some type of pasta.  You have probably guessed that today is National Pasta Day.

Pasta, while largely recognized as Italian cuisine, has been around for centuries, dating back to 2000 BC.  It has been attributed to the Chinese.  It has been said that Marco Polo brought the pasta from China along with the ingredients to make it.  Pasta comes in either dried or fresh forms, and there are hundreds of variations.  Not only are there hundreds of variations, but just as many recipes to prepare it.

I could go on and on about the important events in my life that have included pasta.  Lasagna was served at the Rehearsal Dinner for my wedding, when I made my first homemade sauce for my family on New Year’s Eve, everyone got sick, and when I went to my first authentic Italian restaurant and ordered spaghetti and meatballs, the meatball was the size of a soft ball!  I haven't found a dish of pasta that I do not like.  From Spaghetti, Lasagna, tortellini, ravioli, linguini or Fettuccini, they are all delicious.

You have a wide variety to choose from today, so there isn't a good excuse to not celebrate National Pasta Day with a dish of your favorite Pasta.  Since there are so many different recipes, I decided not to print just one, so instead; I thought I would test your knowledge of pasta with the quiz below.

1. In Italian, fettuccine means:

a) ribbons

b) strings

c) horse hair

d) whiskers

2. In Italian, stelline means:

a) little diamonds

b) butterflies

c) melon seeds

d) little stars

3. When is National Pasta Month:

a) the month of May when durum wheat is planted

b) the month during which Columbus Day falls

c) the month of September when durum is harvested

d) the month during which daylight savings time begins

4. In Italian, capelli d'angelo means:

a) little angels

b) angel's wings

c) angel's hair

d) angel's breath

5. Pasta is on record as first being eaten by whom?

a) the Chinese

b) the Italians

c) the Greeks

d) the Romans

6. Pasta does not contain:

a) B vitamins

b) iron

c) fiber

d) cholesterol

7. Which of the following statements is false when it comes to cooking pasta?

a) at least one quart of water should be used for every four ounces of dry pasta

b) pasta should always be rinsed after cooking

c) salt added to the boiling water is optional

d) the pot should be kept uncovered while the water is boiling

8. Approximately how many shapes of pasta have been developed?

a) 100

b) 350

c) 25

d) 600

Answers:

1. a) ribbons

2. d) little stars

3. b) National Pasta Month is always the month during which Columbus Day falls

4. c) angel's hair

5. a) The Chinese are on record as having eaten pasta as early as 5,000 B.C.

6. d) Pasta alone contains no cholesterol

7. b) Do not rinse pasta after cooking unless the recipe specifically says to do so

8. d) 600