“How about some noodles for dinner?” I’d ask my much-younger children when they lived at home.

A couple of my kids were “selective eaters” when they were young. Pasta with some butter and seasonings and carrot sticks and strawberries as side items usually appealed to them. They always wanted the spaghetti sauce on the side.

Besides pasta, I wanted to get some fruits and vegetables into their menus and bodies.

My kids’ taste palates have become more sophisticated now that they are young adults. They love going to noodle restaurants and often choose some type of seafood and seaweed to go in their pasta bowls.

I sometimes stare at them in disbelief.

Pasta has been a culinary staple for generations of people throughout the world. October is National Pasta Month, so let that designation inspire you to try a new type of pasta or flavor combination.

When you think of pasta, what country comes to mind? Which area of the world “invented” pasta?

Most of us think of Italy as being synonymous with pasta. Pasta means “paste” in Italian, by the way. Although Italians consume more pasta per person than people in any other country, they did not invent pasta.

Italians consume about 51 pounds of pasta per person annually compared to about 19 pounds per person in the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson probably started the trend toward pasta consumption in the U.S. when he brought a “macaroni machine” to the U.S. from France in the late 1700s.

However, Asia is believed to be the area of the world where noodles originated.

Present day pasta usually is made with durum wheat and is pressed through extruders then cut in various lengths. Most of the pasta on grocery shelves is made from durum wheat and water, but pasta can be made with various ingredients.

Ribbonlike egg noodles, by law, are required to contain eggs in addition to wheat flour.

People with celiac disease need to avoid gluten-containing foods, so other gluten-free options are available. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and other grains. It provides the unique texture to pasta.

Gluten-free pasta includes ingredients such as rice flour, chickpea, lentil or pea flour and almond flour. Gluten-free pasta often has a different texture, so take care not to overcook to avoid mushy pasta.

More than 600 pasta shapes exist, including lasagna, fettucine, spaghetti, farfalle, rigatoni, elbow macaroni and numerous other shapes and lengths.

Pasta is inexpensive and versatile on menus, and the dried pasta has a long shelf life of two to three years. It can appear in appetizers, salads, soups and main dishes. Numerous ready-to-prepare options such as macaroni and cheese and frozen entrees such as lasagna are readily available in grocery stores.

Be sure to use plenty of cooking water (at least four quarts of water per pound pasta) and bring the water to a boil before adding the pasta.

Add the pasta, return to a boil then add the salt noted in the directions. Cook according to the package directions but don’t overcook. Pasta should be “al dente” (literally “to the tooth” or slightly firm).

Culinary experts do not recommend adding oil to the water because slippery spaghetti will not hold the sauce.

Although many people consider pasta “fattening,” keep in mind that a cup of cooked pasta has a respectable 200 calories, plus vitamins and minerals. That’s only about 10% of the daily recommendation based on current Nutrition Facts labels.

If you are counting calories, keep track of your portions and pair your pasta with marinara (tomato-based) sauce instead of one made with heavy cream.

Restaurants typically provide as much as 4 cups of pasta as a portion. Take advantage of the generous portion by eating one-third to one-half and taking the rest home for a future meal.

Add some beans and vegetables to pasta-containing salads, casseroles and soups to round out your nutrition. Try this recipe where some of fall’s garden-fresh produce can be featured along with pasta.

Italian Pasta Bean Salad

1 cup dry spiral macaroni
1 small head fresh broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup reduced-calorie/light Italian dressing
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni in large saucepan of water just until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, mix broccoli, carrots and tomato. Add the rest of the ingredients to vegetables and stir gently. Cover and chill. Before serving, stir salad; add additional dressing if necessary.

Makes eight servings. Each serving has 135 calories, 3 grams (g) fat, 8 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber and 142 milligrams sodium.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Oct. 12, 2023

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Elizabeth Cronin, 701-231-7881, elizabeth.cronin@ndsu.edu